OH - Spencer and Monique Tepe found shot to death at home 2 children unharmed, Columbus, 30 December 2025 *ex-husband arrested*

[OhioGuy]

This is the same defense attorney that represented the killer that gunned down and murdered two Westerville police officers in the line of duty in February 2018.

This was a high profile police killing case in Franklin County during the last decade. Even though the state was asking for the death penalty, she managed to get a sentence of life without parole for her client.

Didn’t realize she was on that one as well. I’m sure there’s some I’m forgetting, but seems like she has been on a lot of the notable central Ohio homicides recently.

She’s clearly very good and I have no issue with her doing her job, she is definitely not the enemy here. However, I wonder what the appeal is. From the outside (and I understand there’s plenty I don’t know) these seem like open and shut cases. The killers in the Reagan Tokes and Joering/Morelli cases didn’t have two dimes to rub together and McKee seemingly doesn’t have much liquidity either, though I’m basing that assumption on his real estate transactions.

 

[kwins]

Didn’t realize she was on that one as well. I’m sure there’s some I’m forgetting, but seems like she has been on a lot of the notable central Ohio homicides recently.

She’s clearly very good and I have no issue with her doing her job, she is definitely not the enemy here. However, I wonder what the appeal is. From the outside (and I understand there’s plenty I don’t know) these seem like open and shut cases. The killers in the Reagan Tokes and Joering/Morelli cases didn’t have two dimes to rub together and McKee seemingly doesn’t have much liquidity either, though I’m basing that assumption on his real estate transactions.

The appeal is that every single individual in the U.S. has a constitutional right to a defense, regardless of guilt, and she, as a defense attorney, ensures that right by being the ultimate check on state power.

 

[Charlot123]

Didn’t realize she was on that one as well. I’m sure there’s some I’m forgetting, but seems like she has been on a lot of the notable central Ohio homicides recently.

She’s clearly very good and I have no issue with her doing her job, she is definitely not the enemy here. However, I wonder what the appeal is. From the outside (and I understand there’s plenty I don’t know) these seem like open and shut cases. The killers in the Reagan Tokes and Joering/Morelli cases didn’t have two dimes to rub together and McKee seemingly doesn’t have much liquidity either, though I’m basing that assumption on his real estate transactions.

Advertisement and her name being known

 

[kwins]

Advertisement and her name being known

She's been in practice for 27 years.

 

[ttjo]

Didn’t realize she was on that one as well. I’m sure there’s some I’m forgetting, but seems like she has been on a lot of the notable central Ohio homicides recently.

She’s clearly very good and I have no issue with her doing her job, she is definitely not the enemy here. However, I wonder what the appeal is. From the outside (and I understand there’s plenty I don’t know) these seem like open and shut cases. The killers in the Reagan Tokes and Joering/Morelli cases didn’t have two dimes to rub together and McKee seemingly doesn’t have much liquidity either, though I’m basing that assumption on his real estate transactions.

She has done a couple of interviews, on a channel called The Keri Croft show

When you say what’s the appeal, are you asking why shes taking these cases? ( as in how can they afford her?)
If you watch that interview you will get a good sense of who she is. ( she speaks to how she takes on cases)
She is no joke, She is powerful b/c she is passionate about her cases, she believes in what she is saying and her emotion is obvious. She speaks at a level people understand, no fancy legal words- and she connects with her jurors. She is not someone who twists the truth, instead she offers a perspective that people buy into b/c it’s heartfelt, logical and relatable and she speaks with such confidence people trust her.
I am so interested in what she will do in this case. The others were different, so tough to compare.

 

[Knox]

She has done a couple of interviews, on a channel called The Keri Croft show

When you say what’s the appeal, are you asking why shes taking these cases? ( as in how can they afford her?)
If you watch that interview you will get a good sense of who she is. ( she speaks to how she takes on cases)
She is no joke, She is powerful b/c she is passionate about her cases, she believes in what she is saying and her emotion is obvious. She speaks at a level people understand, no fancy legal words- and she connects with her jurors. She is not someone who twists the truth, instead she offers a perspective that people buy into b/c it’s heartfelt, logical and relatable and she speaks with such confidence people trust her.
I am so interested in what she will do in this case. The others were different, so tough to compare.

Thanks for sharing this.

 

[ttjo]

Thanks for sharing this.

There are 2 that I saw, but I have only watched one.

 

[Knox]

There are 2 that I saw, but I have only watched one.

She’s def a powerhouse. This interview was two years ago, at that time she’d done 40 capital cases.

 

[Knox]

 

[ttjo]

She’s def a powerhouse. This interview was two years ago, at that time she’d done 40 capital cases.

I know, I wanted to hate her for defending MM, but after watching her, I wanted to be her, lol
Thing is, shes very authentic, she presents what she believes so its a little scary to wonder what she will come up with for this trial.

 

[Cassie P]

Didn’t realize she was on that one as well. I’m sure there’s some I’m forgetting, but seems like she has been on a lot of the notable central Ohio homicides recently.

She’s clearly very good and I have no issue with her doing her job, she is definitely not the enemy here. However, I wonder what the appeal is. From the outside (and I understand there’s plenty I don’t know) these seem like open and shut cases. The killers in the Reagan Tokes and Joering/Morelli cases didn’t have two dimes to rub together and McKee seemingly doesn’t have much liquidity either, though I’m basing that assumption on his real estate transactions.

This is a high profile case receiving national attention. Good PR for her.

 

[Cassie P]

She's been in practice for 27 years.

But this is a high profile case receiving national attention.

 

[Betty P]

The appeal is that every single individual in the U.S. has a constitutional right to a defense, regardless of guilt, and she, as a defense attorney, ensures that right by being the ultimate check on state power.

Lately, it seems more important than ever to reiterate this point. In recent years in Ohio, defense attorneys in murder cases consider it a victory if they can secure LWOP for their clients instead of the DP.

Ohio hasn’t executed anyone since 2020.

 

[Cassie P]

Lately, it seems more important than ever to reiterate this point. In recent years in Ohio, defense attorneys in murder cases consider it a victory if they can secure LWOP for their clients instead of the DP.

Ohio hasn’t executed anyone since 2020.

Yes but they can still be sent to sit on Death Row for the rest of their lives.

 

[kwins]

Lately, it seems more important than ever to reiterate this point. In recent years in Ohio, defense attorneys in murder cases consider it a victory if they can secure LWOP for their clients instead of the DP.

Ohio hasn’t executed anyone since 2020.

Limiting the ability of the State to execute a human being is the ultimate check of State's power.

 

[jeff2034]

But we can see red flags from the limited amount of information we have:

-The family who raised him is estranged from him.
-His ex wife was said to be miserable with him because he was abusive.
-Her family is said to have known right away he was the one who committed the murder.
-He is struggling to pass his board certification oral and written exams.
-Looks like he is job hopping.
-Facing law suits for malpractice.
-Not in a stable relationship.

This is the stuff we know about. It is certain there is more.

This is obviously a bright, focused, educated person who got through medical school and training programs. But even this kind of person can have psychological problems, drug problems, etc.

And sometimes everyone around a money making professional covers up for the guy. Everything is kept quiet.

Another red flag was that, not too long before the murders, he avoided being served a subpoena for the malpractice suit by giving false addresses and phone numbers and by not answering the door when the process server tried to serve him. No one wants to be sued, but most normal individuals realize it is something that must be dealt with, and the solution is not to ignore it hoping it will just go away. He also left his medical practice without warning (according to another doctor at the practice where he worked "one day he just disappeared") which is highly unusual in the medical field. These are not the actions of a stable, healthy physician or anyone else for that matter.

 

[girlhasnoname]

The photos are from sixteen years ago, when he was twenty-three. People’s appearances can change a lot over that time. Honestly, it looks to me like he’s just put on some weight.

True, but his face shape, eyes, and demeanor seem dramatically different to me too. In these pics he looks happy, smiles reaches to his eyes, etc. Now he looks dark and angry.

JMO

 

[Knox]

I know, I wanted to hate her for defending MM, but after watching her, I wanted to be her, lol
Thing is, shes very authentic, she presents what she believes so its a little scary to wonder what she will come up with for this trial.

I had the exact same feelings, she’s highly principled and excellent at what she does. I’m not worried about her getting him off, there’s going to be enough evidence for a jury to get there. Hoping he was as lazy with his digital trail, as he was with the gun and POV.

That interview was a great listen, she leaked a lot of pointers as to her format and style, but the DA’s office already knows that well, lol.

 

[Cassie P]

She's been in practice for 27 years.

How many high profile cases in the national news has she been involved with?

 

[Puzzles8]

Profile of Michael McKee's defense attorney Diane Menashe.

[...]
Diane Menashe is a trial lawyer who has tried more than 150 criminal and civil cases to jury verdict. Her vast success in the courtroom is attributed to her mastery of the facts and the law and her unique ability to understand how to use every phase of the trial, to further her client’s story and to ultimately gain favorable verdicts.

Her work includes high-level criminal defense in state and federal courts, complex civil litigation, internal investigations, parole hearings, judicial release motions and juvenile criminal defense.

Annually, Diane is a faculty member of Harvard Law School’s Trial Advocacy Workshop where she teaches alongside of some of the best trial lawyers and judges in the country.
[...]

Menashe Law Group | Criminal Defense and Civil Litigation Firm

JMO