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

[nerosleuth]

Did MM steal something from the house??

Under 2911.11 of the Ohio Revised Code, aggravated burglary is when:
(1) The offender inflicts, attempts or threatens to inflict physical harm on another.
(2) The offender has a deadly weapon or dangerous ordnance on or about the offender's person or control.

In plain language it means an armed offender who breaks into a house while the owner is sleeping with the intent to commit a felony.

 

[Cassie P]

Yes, and from unconfirmed reports it doesn't sound like he had many friends, or people to talk to, maybe he just stayed stuck in that feeling of rejection, and he may have felt betrayed if she left without telling him , unable to see the reasons why she may have had to do that? I can see that if he never got a chance to talk to her about it after , he would fester.
When you cant change what you cant control, I think its harder to deal with.

Also others have been talking about MM's failed career path. He appeared to be having great difficulty getting fully credentialed and board certified. Couldn't pass all the exams.
This would mean less status, income, career opportunities. It would be quite a blow to his ego.

 

[ttjo]

He should be in court any minute now

 

[Sunny Day]

Wow, maybe he bought a couple and practised beforehand.
I am so glad I returned my coded lock.

I'm thinking I definitely would prefer deadbolts and a very noisy dog who alerts to everything. Just my opinion.

 

[StarryStarryNight]

Excellent post , I feel the same that he had to be sure they were in and he had to br sure he would gain entry

So if we go down that line of thinking we either have to introduce a second person either aware or unaware or some sort of tech such as a listening device , small spyware camera or hack into the system ( not easy )

We know some neighbours said WiFi was down , we also know there are numerous ways to break into a house undetected from a simple credit card trick of cutting a triangle from the middle and then swiping downward over the lock or using a locksmith tool .

Could someone be in touch with both of them, absolutely, in any given state there is probably 6° of separation. He could also have been monitoring their family and friends social media ,look how easy it is for anyone of us to slueth family members

It's the alarm system and the code off the back door that baffles me . That and how did he locate where they slept or did he get lucky with the first room he tried and was the dog in the 4 year old bedroom as claim or crated downstairs

I know a lot of parents will sleep with bedroom doors open when young children are in other bedrooms so they can hear if a child wakes or if a child needs them during the night but did Spencer and monique

Yes. How he got in is my big question too.
I’m even wondering if he watched from afar with binoculars for a few days trying to see what code they were entering.

 

[waldojabba]

We don't know that yet.

He used his own car. Its been reported several times - that's how they tracked him.

"Evidence showing McKee owned the car was uncovered by detectives, leading them to suspect Monique’s ex, according to the court documents"

The big mistake that got Michael McKee arrested in murders of his ex Monique Tepe and her dentist husband

McKee and Tepe were married from 2015 until she filed for divorce in 2017 and split “amicably.”

nypost.com

 

[osu]

Michael McKee, charged with the murders of Spencer and Monique Tepe, will be in court today at 1:30 CT/2:30 ET. No live streaming allowed. We are present and will receive the feed after the hearing

https://twitter.com/x/status/2010779300971364412

 

[Cassie P]

You don't have to steal anything for it to be burglary. Robbery, yes.

Burglary is defined as the unlawful entry into habitable dwellings for purposes of committing theft or other felonies.

Burglary | Office of Justice Programs

www.ojp.gov

From what I am hearing, the prosecutor may be adding on (legitimate) charges to enable Death Penalty. Looks like Franklin County is going to bring down the hammer?

 

[stmarysmead]

Would that ‘mistake’ in the hearing schedule or whatever we see online, resulted in letters to both parties? Could that have resulted in both of them having to take some action etc.

Could that have been the trigger? Would they have gotten in touch with each other…what’s this hearing about?

Or is it just a clerical error they might never have known about?

I suppose he could have hired a PI…but he would have had to be there that night, confirming they were still home…and not questioning why his client needed to know their whereabouts after dark.

Surgeons are detail people. I can’t see him risking being apprehended with a gun in his ex’s backyard at 3AM…and achieving nothing but a hit to his career…and his Ex forewarned and still living her best life.

He also needed to know specifics about the installed security devices. Our cameras make an annoying ring and barking sound if someone is in our driveway or at the front door. I can then check my phone and see what it is. We have bats and bears, as I have mentioned before.


If they had these security lights…this would happen before anyone tried the door or set off the security system. So I guess he would need specific information before he made his move. I don’t think you can tell by just looking at them.

 

[waldojabba]

I would say a lot of hardwares might sell out of deadbolts after this case

It is a really good cautionary tale for all of us

How many of us can think of someone no matter how long ago, who may have had reason to hold a grudge?
I know I can.
I often leave my keys in the door /door unlocked during the day etc - all that is over now.
If someone wants to shoot me in public that's one thing - but to be taken out in my own home?

It's a good reminder to be mindful of security for sure

RIP to Monique and Spencer and may their children be blessed

JMO

 

[arielilane]

Accused killer Michael David McKee, charged in the deaths of Dr. Spencer and Monique Tepe, now faces two upgraded counts of aggravated murder with premeditation, according to Franklin County court records. McKee is scheduled to appear in Winnebago County court today at 1:30PM amid extradition proceedings.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2010736215444672831

 

[arielilane]

The 39-year-old ex-husband of Monique Tepe, who was found dead, alongside her husband, Spencer Tepe, in their Columbus, Ohio home in December, is in custody and charged with the couple’s murders.A vehicle seen in the Tepes’ neighborhood eventually led investigators to Michael McKee.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2010776326530089461

 

[Diddian]

From the affidavit -

..."This suspect was tracked to a vehicle which arrived just prior to the homicides and left shortly after the homicides. Detectives were able to identify this vehicle further and link it to Michael McKee. Detectives located the vehicle in Rockford, Illinois and found evidence of McKee in possession of the vehicle prior to and after the homicides."

Just want to try tie a few things together to see what other ideas come to light.

One. this is charged as a PREMEDITATED murder. It was not spur-of-the-moment; it was planned. So wouldn’t a PLANNED murder have to contain an assurance that you could get into the house in the first place?

This was not some country home where one might leave the doors open and go to bed. This was in a ‘evolving’ neighborhood in a city the killer knew well. In his ‘premeditation’ he would most definitely expect this high value home for the neighborhood to have every security bell and whistle…alarm, lights, fancy locks, even a dog.

And it did.

No one, no matter how obsessed, is going to be making 10 hr round trips in the middle of the night on the off-chance that, one night, there might be a door someone forgot to lock. This was ‘premeditated’….he had to have had a pretty solid reason to believe he could get in. They could still have been at her sisters for New Years. He had to gave had the most crucial part of this murder PLANNED….the fact that they would be there…and assured entry.

So, that leads us to speculate how he could accomplish that?

First, is this killer still practicing in Chicago. If so, he can’t be driving 10 hrs every night. So he had to know that on Dec 30, he could expect them to be home, on their beds, without a party going on, or a couple of Navy Seals spending the night.

He needed very precise info.

And he needed to feel confident that he could get past all the security stuff. Who could/would give him that information? If he is this once-abusive spouse, unlikely to be relatives or close friends. How likely is it that he would know who their gardener, or babysitter might be…and get that info that way?

I don’t think we can entirely rule out M feeling pity for him, or thinking she could manage his moods as she did in the old days. That could provide info but not the entry codes.

He drove there that night, walked in, killed them, drove another 5 hrs home. Just luck? I doubt it. There’s another big piece to this puzzle,

I have some keypad locks on interior doors (shop accessed through my garage), but don't know much about them. Can they be "smart locks" that are connected to one's wireless network? If so, could McKee have somehow accessed the passcodes by gaining access to whatever app or website they used to operate the locks wirelessly?

If he was able to guess MT's username and password (many people use the same one from one site to another), he may have been able to access from his home in Illinois and determine that he'd be able to open the locks no matter where he was as long as he had internet access.

If they did maintain some kind of "smart" account and the locks were on it, it is also possible that the security system was on it. We have a vacation home and use a wireless thermostat there so I can turn the heat up before we arrive and down after we leave and I notice that on our "smart" account, we could also operate the following from it if we bothered to purchase items that are compatible: lights, locks, security systems and sensors, video cameras, blinds and shades, irrigation controllers, and appliances. (Edited).

ETA: I think I remember someone saying on this thread that the locks were Yale Assure locks, which I do believe ARE smart locks that can be operated wirelessly.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

IMO he probably holds a grudge against Monique's family who helped her escape him. I'm afraid he'll want them to sit through a trial and hear and see all the heartbreaking details.

Any "failures" and skeletons in his closet might also come out at trial, though. Maybe he will not want his career difficulties, if there are any, or details of how he treated her during their marriage, etc. coming out. So maybe he'll plead something like "no contest."

 

[kwins]

Seems odd since burglary usually means theft. But they need to throw the book at this guy for everything he did wrong down to the smallest detail.

Burglary often involves theft, but it's legally distinct. Burglary is unlawful entry into a structure with the INTENT to commit ANY crime. You can be charged with burglary after breaking into a home and assaulting a person.

 

[COSCitizen]

Any "failures" and skeletons in his closet might also come out at trial, though. Maybe he will not want his career difficulties, if there are any, or details of how he treated her during their marriage, etc. coming out. So maybe he'll plead something like "no contest."

I sometimes wonder if the Idaho slasher decided to plea bargain because he didn't want to sit through a trial listening to all his mistakes being documented in excruciating detail.

 

[bestill]

Anyone think he will fight extradition to Columbus?

 

[Vaderman]

Michael McKee, charged with the murders of Spencer and Monique Tepe, will be in court today at 1:30 CT/2:30 ET. No live streaming allowed. We are present and will receive the feed after the hearing

https://twitter.com/x/status/2010779300971364412

What is the logic in not allowing a livestream if the feed is going to be released anyways? I'm glad we'll be able to see it eventually, but I'm impatient and want to see it now lol

 

[nerosleuth]

I would say a lot of hardwares might sell out of deadbolts after this case

And I would also say that a lot of locksmiths will busy installing new deadbolts and security door locks.

Not long ago I had a locksmith replace the old deadbolts and security door locks on my home with brand new deadbolts and security door locks. And it was well worth the money to have it done.

I did not get the so called smart locks or keypad locks. I have heard that folks have been locked out of their homes on account of not replacing the battery on their keypad locks.

 

[Justice101]

Also others have been talking about MM's failed career path. He appeared to be having great difficulty getting fully credentialed and board certified. Couldn't pass all the exams.
This would mean less status, income, career opportunities. It would be quite a blow to his ego.

And no doubt blaming it on her for derailing him emotionally.