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

[isabella88]

Welcome back. Don't be such a stranger.

 

[Cassie P]

That's a big question for me as well, had Monique notified LE of the threats in the past or the Dec 6th incident? Did she think MM was just being a jerk and since he lived in another state didn't really take them so seriously?

Such a tragedy for the victims and all of the families, especially those young children left behind. Thank heavens he didn't harm them.

JMO

She may have been afraid to call the police for a number of reasons.

She may have been afraid to put his medical license in jeopardy. Which then would anger him even more or possibly cause him to press charges, accuse her of harassment. And damaging his income flow.

This is the kind of thing abusers/stalkers do. Put the victims in no win situations. If the victim fights back, they are the ones who end up getting sued, or arrested, etc.

 

[Cassie P]

Completely agree. This was a sold out event, above freezing, no precipitation and Ohio State was ahead at halftime. Any OSU fan knows the halftime show with TBDBITL is something to see, also. It might sound bizarre to others, but she would never have left that game at halftime unless it was very very serious. What I can't figure out is why ST didn't leave with her? He felt she was safe enough to leave alone and make her way to the hotel without him and I find that to be odd.

Yes exactly.

I too wondered why ST did not return to the hotel with MT.
Possible reasons:
-I think the Tepes were with friends at the game. Perhaps ST had driven to the stadium, and did not want to leave the friends stranded at the stadium when the game was over. But if ST felt his wife was in danger, he would have taken care of both situations? Get an Uber for his friends and attend to his wife. This would be consistent with how everyone describes him.
-MT did not want ST to know how afraid she was and what was happening. This is typical of abused women, they tend to hide their feelings and want to protect the rest of the family from the abuse. They keep it secret. They become isolated and alone as part of the abuse trauma.
-Perhaps she wanted to call the person taking care of the children to make sure they were OK. And didn't want ST to worry.
-MT herself did not understand that MM was spiraling totally out of control. She did not realize his career was headed in a bad direction, and perhaps drug abuse was now part of the picture.
-She had become so habituated to the stalking and abuse, she was no longer able to do an adequate risk assessment. Which also is common with abused women and stalking victims.

So I think we are left with two options: MT didn't want to alarm ST so downplayed everything.
Or MT herself did not realize the risk level due to her abuse trauma and/or not knowing how badly MM was spiraling out of control.

 

[starlightstarbright]

She may have been afraid to call the police for a number of reasons.

She may have been afraid to put his medical license in jeopardy. Which then would anger him even more or possibly cause him to press charges, accuse her of harassment. And damaging his income flow.

This is the kind of thing abusers/stalkers do. Put the victims in no win situations. If the victim fights back, they are the ones who end up getting sued, or arrested, etc.

Yes, reactive abuse.

 

[Kemug]

If Monique and Spencer did not recognise how much danger they were in, I suppose that is a blessing really.

 

[ttjo]

It's probably been a few years since I've posted on this site. I missed the respectful way crime is discussed here.

This case is really chilling to me. To think that Mo's "happily ever after" was tarnished by a stalker ex who eventually completely robbed her of that. For her and her husband to be killed in the middle of the night in what should have been the safety of their own home. The children.

I wonder if Mo ever reported the harassment and stalking to LE. On one hand, I can see her not reporting out of fear. On the other, I can see her reporting it and being told that they couldn't really do much unless her ex did something that met a certain threshold.

I also wonder if the alleged killer felt pushed to some edge because of how his career was going (no excuse, ever). He had a skilled, prestigious job but moved around a lot, leaving lawsuits behind him for malpractice. His life had careened out of control.

This is all just my opinion on what we've learned from documents and the media. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Im thinking she didnt, whether out of fear, or b/c she didnt want to escalate the situation. I dont think stalkers have common sense.
Doctors probably have an ethics board, and if they ever caught wind of something like harrassment Even out of the workplace , it could have consequences. Maybe a dr in here can confirm. If she reported his behavior and it impacted his work she would be even more scared. She probably didnt want to give him a reason to retaliate, Little did she know he was already there.

 

[arielilane]

For those that like podcasts That Chapter covered this case.

 

[arielilane]

'They were amazing people': Friend remembers Spencer and Monique Tepe

https://twitter.com/x/status/2016877753539109360

'They were amazing people': Friend remembers Spencer and Monique Tepe

A recently released affidavit revealed new details in the killings of Spencer and Monique Tepe.

www.wkyc.com

Updated: 10:34 AM EST January 29, 2026



RELATED: Court docs reveal new details in Tepe murder case; McKee allegedly spotted outside home weeks before killings

 

[Cassie P]

Yes, reactive abuse.

Yes stalkers who are professionals, very smart, very educated are the worst in setting up their victims. Setting up no win traps.

 

[jeff2034]

Completely agree. This was a sold out event, above freezing, no precipitation and Ohio State was ahead at halftime. Any OSU fan knows the halftime show with TBDBITL is something to see, also. It might sound bizarre to others, but she would never have left that game at halftime unless it was very very serious. What I can't figure out is why ST didn't leave with her? He felt she was safe enough to leave alone and make her way to the hotel without him and I find that to be odd.

IF you read the affidavit carefully, it does not explicitly say that she left the game alone. It implies that ST did not leave with her, but that does not mean no one else left with her. If ST did not leave with her, perhaps he didn't sense an immediate danger. If what got MT upset at the game was either ST or MT seeing MM at their house via the ring camera, which I suspect it was, while it is creepy and terrifying, it is not an immediate and present danger since Columbus to Indianapolis is about a 3 hour drive. Certainly Indianapolis at night is not the safest place either so I would be shocked if she actually left alone.

 

[ttjo]

Watch him walk.

 

[ttjo]

IF you read the affidavit carefully, it does not explicitly say that she left the game alone. It implies that ST did not leave with her, but that does not mean no one else left with her. If ST did not leave with her, perhaps he didn't sense an immediate danger. If what got MT upset at the game was either ST or MT seeing MM at their house via the ring camera, which I suspect it was, while it is creepy and terrifying, it is not an immediate and present danger since Columbus to Indianapolis is about a 3 hour drive. Certainly Indianapolis at night is not the safest place either so I would be shocked if she actually left alone.

Considering the game started at 8 pm Maybe they planned on staying the night in a hotel?
Maybe leaving the game was not a big deal. There are a few hotels near that stadium. She could have left for a short time and them returned?

 

[Caylee Advocate]

https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/franklin-county/tepe-murder-case-video-shows-suspect-michael-mckee-booked-into-jail/

 

[Cassie P]

IF you read the affidavit carefully, it does not explicitly say that she left the game alone. It implies that ST did not leave with her, but that does not mean no one else left with her. If ST did not leave with her, perhaps he didn't sense an immediate danger. If what got MT upset at the game was either ST or MT seeing MM at their house via the ring camera, which I suspect it was, while it is creepy and terrifying, it is not an immediate and present danger since Columbus to Indianapolis is about a 3 hour drive. Certainly Indianapolis at night is not the safest place either so I would be shocked if she actually left alone.

Another person familiar with OSU football stated that it is highly unlikely that fans would leave a championship game at half time. Especially when OSU was ahead at half time. And the band is fabulous. It is also not a cheap out of town weekend, the football tickets, hotel, dinner, etc.

So MT would not have left on a whim or for something minor. But it is unlikely she would ask someone else to go with her. By all accounts ST was a doting, attentive husband and would have gone with his wife in an emergency. So perhaps she did not want him to know how concerned she was. Which is typical of abused women. They are traumatized and habituated to violence and aggressive behavior. They try to keep the peace, keep things calm, down play it so things do not escalate. It is an age old survival tactic, especially when there are children involved.

Also women who have been abused or victims of a stalker can develop low self esteem. They don't feel they are worth inconveniencing others, or causing anyone any trouble.

 

[Cassie P]

Considering the game started at 8 pm Maybe they planned on staying the night in a hotel?
Maybe leaving the game was not a big deal. There are a few hotels near that stadium. She could have left for a short time and them returned?

For OSU foot ball fans, leaving a championship game at half time when OSU was ahead, but only by 4 points, is unlikely unless for good reason.

 

[Cassie P]

Yes, reactive abuse.

It is also possible MT was worried about her husband's license. She knew what MM was capable of, and didn't want ST to be dragged into the situation. She was protecting him.