Ex‑Husband Surgeon to Be Arraigned in Ohio on Four Aggravated‑Murder Counts in Columbus Dentist Killings
Michael David McKee, 39, a vascular surgeon and the ex‑husband of Monique Tepe, was arrested in Rockford, Illinois, waived extradition and has been returned to Franklin County to be arraigned Friday on a grand‑jury indictment charging him with four counts of aggravated premeditated murder (with multiple firearm specifications, including alleged use/display of an automatic weapon or suppressor) and related aggravated‑burglary/robbery counts. Columbus investigators say Spencer, 37, and Monique Tepe, 39, were found shot to death in their home Dec. 30 with their two young children unharmed, and have linked McKee to the killings through surveillance and vehicle tracking and a preliminary NIBIN ballistic match to a firearm seized from his Illinois property.
📌 Key Facts
- On Dec. 30, 2025, Columbus police found 37‑year‑old Dr. Spencer Tepe and his 39‑year‑old wife Monique Tepe shot to death in their Weinland Park home; their two young children (and family dog) were unharmed.
- Multiple 911 calls and dispatch records show welfare‑check activity that morning: co‑workers first reported concerns, officers initially went to the wrong address, callers heard children inside, and a friend ultimately reported seeing Spencer lying in blood; police recovered three spent 9mm shell casings at the scene.
- Investigators say there were no obvious signs of forced entry, leading detectives to treat the killings as targeted and possibly domestic‑violence related; police requested neighborhood surveillance from roughly 2 a.m.–5 a.m. and released video of a person walking in an alley near the home that night.
- Columbus police and prosecutors have identified and arrested Michael David McKee, 39 — a vascular surgeon who is Monique Tepe’s ex‑husband — after tracing a vehicle seen on neighborhood surveillance arriving near and leaving the Tepes’ home around the suspected time of the killings and later locating that vehicle in Illinois.
- Authorities executed search(es) at McKee’s Illinois residence, seized multiple firearms and say one seized weapon produced a preliminary NIBIN ballistic hit linking it to three 9mm casings recovered at the scene; police allege use/display of a suppressor in some counts.
- A Franklin County grand jury indicted McKee on four counts of aggravated murder with firearm specifications (three counts alleging use/display of an automatic firearm or silencer/suppressor and a fourth alleging brandishing), and he faces related aggravated‑burglary (and aggravated‑robbery reported in some filings) charges tied to alleged use of a firearm/suppressor.
- McKee waived an Illinois extradition hearing, was extradited to Franklin County and booked in Columbus; he appeared in Illinois court, has indicated he will plead not guilty in Ohio, and was scheduled for arraignment in Franklin County court on Jan. 23, 2026.
- Police and prosecutors have not publicly disclosed a motive or whether there was prior communication between McKee and the victims; media reporting and public records note McKee’s post‑divorce professional history, past civil‑litigation involvement and that family members described the deaths as 'tragic and senseless.'
📰 Source Timeline (31)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 23, 2026
5:17 AM
Illinois surgeon charged in Ohio couple's killings due in court Friday
New information:
- McKee is scheduled for arraignment in Franklin County court on Friday on four aggravated murder counts and one aggravated‑burglary count involving use of a firearm suppressor.
- The article details McKee’s and Monique Sabaturski Tepe’s shared history at Ohio State University, their 2015 marriage and 2017 divorce, and his subsequent medical training and licenses across several states.
- Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant’s earlier statements are reiterated: surveillance video allegedly shows McKee walking down an alley beside the Tepes’ home, and a gun seized from his Chicago apartment is said to be a ballistic match to evidence at the scene, with vehicle movements tracked from Columbus back to Illinois.
January 22, 2026
12:42 AM
Surgeon charged in murder of ex-wife and dentist husband extradited to Ohio
New information:
- CBS piece confirms that the defendant has now physically arrived in Ohio from Chicago to face charges; he was transported on Wednesday and booked into Franklin County custody.
- The video segment emphasizes that he is accused specifically of murdering his ex‑wife and her dentist husband, reinforcing the domestic‑violence context of the double homicide.
January 20, 2026
10:48 PM
Surgeon ex-husband extradited to Ohio in slaying of dentist and wife
New information:
- Franklin County Sheriff’s Office confirms Michael McKee has been extradited from Illinois and is now jailed in Columbus, booked into the James A. Karnes Corrections Center.
- Article reiterates that McKee waived extradition in a Jan. 12 Illinois hearing and details that he faces upgraded premeditated aggravated murder charges, aligning with last week’s indictment.
- Columbus police records cited show three spent 9mm shell casings were recovered and logged from the crime scene, consistent with a preliminary NIBIN ballistic link to one of multiple firearms seized from McKee’s property.
1:00 PM
Ex-husband charged in Ohio dentist murders allegedly tried to 'disguise' himself with fake information: expert
New information:
- A Las Vegas attorney suing McKee says the address for McKee provided by former employer Las Vegas Surgical Associates LLP turned out to be a non‑existent address, and the phone number linked to his state medical board profile connected only to a fax line.
- The attorney reports that a process server tried nine times to locate and personally serve McKee in Nevada and failed, leading a Nevada judge in October to grant a declaration of due diligence and allow service via newspaper notice.
- Forensic scientist Joseph Scott Morgan told Fox News Digital that such use of fake contact information suggests an intent to 'disguise' oneself and throw off investigators, courts, or litigants seeking to reach McKee.
January 18, 2026
3:00 PM
Surgeon ex in Ohio dentist murders job hopped across country, dodged lawsuits after divorce
New information:
- Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant and Mayor Andrew Ginther say investigators have preliminarily linked a specific firearm to the Tepe murders but declined details of the ballistics.
- The indictment’s firearm specifications include allegations that an automatic firearm or silencer was used or displayed in three of the four aggravated‑murder counts, with a firearm displayed or brandished in the fourth.
- Fox’s timeline fleshes out McKee’s post‑divorce medical career: residency at Virginia Tech Carilion, vascular fellowship at University of Maryland, work at Las Vegas Surgical Associates, and most recently OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, Illinois, with licenses in several states.
- Divorce records confirm Monique and McKee’s marriage lasted about seven months (Aug. 2015–June 2017 decree), with no children, separate residences by March 2016, and assets divided to their "mutual satisfaction" on grounds of "incompatibility."
January 16, 2026
8:02 PM
Grand jury indicts Chicago man for murder of ex-wife, her new husband in Ohio
New information:
- Confirms Michael McKee is a vascular surgeon employed at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, Illinois, which says it is cooperating with the investigation.
- Notes that the Franklin County grand jury indictment specifies use of a firearm suppressor in the aggravated murder and aggravated burglary counts.
- Details that Columbus police conducted multiple wellness checks on Dec. 30, initially got no answer, and that a coworker at the scene later reported hearing children inside before a friend entered and found Spencer Tepe’s body.
7:26 PM
Ex-husband indicted by grand jury in slaying of couple found in their Ohio home
New information:
- Confirms that the Franklin County grand jury indictment was filed Jan. 16 and formally charges Michael David McKee with aggravated murder and aggravated burglary while using a firearm suppressor.
- Adds that McKee, a 39‑year‑old vascular surgeon from Chicago, waived his right to an extradition hearing and is being held in Illinois with his next Winnebago County court date set for Jan. 23.
- Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant now publicly states police believe McKee is the person seen walking down a dark alley near the Tepes’ home on video the night of the killings, that his vehicle was captured traveling near the house, and that a firearm found in his Illinois residence matched evidence recovered at the crime scene.
- Reiterates there were no signs of forced entry, nothing was stolen, no weapon was found in the home, and the couple’s two children and dog were unharmed — and credits community tips via email and phone with helping police reach probable cause for the arrest and indictment.
6:07 PM
Ohio dentist slayings suspect indicted on more aggravated murder, burglary charges
New information:
- Franklin County grand jury has indicted Michael McKee on four counts of aggravated murder, each carrying firearm specifications.
- Three of the aggravated murder counts include specifications alleging use or display of an automatic firearm or silencer; the fourth alleges a firearm was displayed or brandished.
- McKee is additionally charged with one count of aggravated burglary (first‑degree felony) and one count of aggravated robbery (unclassified felony).
- Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant confirms multiple firearms were recovered from McKee’s home and that there is a preliminary NIBIN ballistic link between one seized gun and three 9mm shell casings from the scene.
- Police are still not disclosing a motive and are not saying whether there was prior communication between McKee and the victims before the Dec. 30 shootings.
12:00 PM
Ohio dentist murders gun match a ‘big problem’ for surgeon ex: Defense attorney
New information:
- Fox quotes defense attorney and former prosecutor R.J. Dreiling saying the preliminary ballistic match between a 9mm handgun seized from McKee’s Rockford, Illinois property and three 9mm casings from the Tepe home is a 'big problem' for McKee’s defense.
- Dreiling frames the NIBIN match as effectively resolving one of the two core questions in a murder case — who committed the crime — and suggests the defense may pivot to exploring mental‑health defenses.
- The article reiterates that investigators see no signs of forced entry, describe the killings as 'targeted' and 'domestic violence related,' and recap that license‑plate readers and surveillance tracked McKee’s vehicle roughly 325 miles from Illinois to Columbus and back around the time of the shootings.
January 14, 2026
11:25 PM
Ohio authorities say Michael McKee, the ex-husband of Monique Tepe, is responsible for killings
New information:
- Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant says investigators now believe the person seen walking in a dark alley near the Tepe home on the night of the murders is Michael David McKee.
- Police say McKee’s vehicle has been identified traveling near the Tepe residence, with evidence of him "coming and going" in that car.
- Bryant says multiple firearms were seized from McKee’s Illinois property and that one weapon produced a preliminary NIBIN ballistic hit linking it to the homicide scene.
- McKee was arrested in Rockford, Illinois, waived his right to an extradition hearing, and remains jailed in Winnebago County as officials work out his return to Ohio.
- Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther used the case to emphasize the city’s overall homicide clearance rate and its claim of the lowest violent‑crime levels since 2007.
3:47 PM
Surgeon in Ohio dentist double murder allegedly used fake addresses to dodge lawsuits: 'He just disappeared'
New information:
- Federal court records show Michael McKee was named as a defendant in a June 7, 2024 civil-rights and medical-negligence lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada.
- Nevada state court records in Clark County show McKee as primary defendant in an active medical-malpractice case slated for a jury trial.
- Plaintiffs’ attorney Dan Laird alleges McKee and his surgery group provided a 'fake' non-existent address and 'questionable' phone numbers, and that McKee effectively vanished, evading service for years.
- Laird says McKee allegedly failed to train a physician assistant, leading to a patient injury and emergency surgery.
- Former prosecutor Lindsay Richards says prosecutors will likely use the civil cases only as contextual evidence of mounting life stress, not as core proof in the criminal double-murder case.
January 13, 2026
9:13 PM
Family 'quickly believed' surgeon ex was involved in Ohio dentist couple's murder as co-worker details mishaps
New information:
- Detailed divorce records show Monique and Michael McKee married in August 2015, separated by March 2016 after about seven months, cited 'incompatibility,' had no children, and kept most assets separate while McKee retained the Roanoke, Virginia house.
- Financial disclosures in the divorce indicate Monique did not know the value of several of McKee’s bank, stock and retirement accounts, underscoring their limited financial entanglement and her lack of insight into his finances.
- The article lays out a documented timeline of McKee’s education and surgical career—from Ohio State undergrad and medical school through residencies and a vascular fellowship to multiple post‑2022 licensures in several states—framed by a former Nevada co‑worker as the start of a professional 'downward spiral' before the alleged killings.
- A family member, Rob Misleh (Spencer’s brother‑in‑law), is quoted saying the family 'quickly believed' McKee was involved and describing him as emotionally abusive during his short marriage to Monique.
1:08 PM
Neighbor 'shocked' by arrest of Illinois surgeon accused of killing ex-wife, dentist husband in Ohio
New information:
- Neighbor Gera‑Lind Kolarik describes limited social interactions with Michael McKee, saying he seemed quiet, pleasant and showed no signs of potential violence.
- Kolarik observed Columbus, Ohio investigators searching McKee’s Chicago apartment for two days, boxing up clothing and other items, and speculated they might be seeking shoe imprints or carpet traces.
- Article reiterates that Columbus police have upgraded charges to two counts of aggravated premeditated murder against McKee.
- Fox report restates that investigators tied McKee to a car seen near the Tepes’ Columbus home shortly before and after the killings, later located in Rockford and linked back to him.
1:00 PM
Ohio dentist double murder: Fmr police chief reveals ‘multitude’ of reasons ex-husband allegedly killed couple
New information:
- Confirms that Michael David McKee appeared in a Rockford, Illinois courtroom, waived his extradition rights and that his attorney indicated he will plead not guilty once back in Ohio.
- Reiterates that McKee is charged in Ohio with two counts of aggravated premeditated murder and was booked at the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office just before noon Saturday.
- Provides expert commentary from former Fort Worth Police Chief Jeffrey Halstead, who has worked with Columbus police, outlining investigative priorities such as McKee’s online searches, recent communications and behavioral changes, and suggesting a recent trigger beyond long‑standing divorce issues.
- Notes McKee’s professional status as a vascular surgeon in the Rockford, Illinois area with an apartment in downtown Chicago, and sketches his multi‑state residence history since 2020.
- Highlights that investigators tied McKee to the crime via a vehicle seen arriving near and leaving the Tepes’ neighborhood around the time of the Dec. 30 killings, later located in Rockford and linked to him.
January 12, 2026
11:00 AM
Ex-husband charged in Ohio dentist double murder to appear in Illinois court for possible extradition
New information:
- Confirms McKee was booked into the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office just before noon Saturday.
- Specifies that McKee is scheduled in Winnebago County court at 1:30 p.m. Monday for what is expected to be an extradition-related hearing.
- Provides additional background that Monique married McKee in August 2015 and filed for divorce in 2017, and that he has lived in several states since 2020.
- Reiterates that investigators linked McKee by tracing a vehicle seen arriving near the Tepes’ home shortly before, and leaving shortly after, the shootings, then locating that car in Rockford, Illinois.
January 11, 2026
7:55 PM
Critical clue led police to suspect Chicago doctor in deaths of Ohio dentist, wife
New information:
- Fox cites court documents stating McKee’s vehicle was caught on neighborhood surveillance arriving just before and leaving shortly after the homicides.
- Investigators say they then located that same vehicle in Rockford, Illinois, and documented that McKee had maintained control of it throughout the period of the crime.
- A neighbor in Chicago, Gera-Lind Kolarik, is quoted saying McKee did not seem like someone capable of such violence, adding a character reference and sense of shock.
1:07 AM
Who is Michael David McKee, the man accused of killing ex-wife and dentist husband in Ohio
New information:
- Identifies the suspect as Michael David McKee, a 39‑year‑old vascular surgeon who lives and works in the Chicago/Rockford, Illinois area, with active medical licenses in Illinois and California.
- Details McKee’s relationship history with victim Monique Tepe: married in 2015, she filed for divorce in 2017, and the split appeared amicable per court records; they had no children together.
- Reports that police traced McKee using neighborhood surveillance video that captured his car arriving near the Tepe home shortly before the estimated 2–5 a.m. murder window and leaving shortly after, plus footage of him walking in the alley by the residence.
- States McKee was booked into the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office just before noon Saturday on two counts of murder and is set to be extradited to Franklin County, Ohio, with a hearing scheduled for Jan. 12.
- Adds that Spencer and Monique’s two young children (from her marriage to Tepe) were found unharmed in the house and that police have not yet disclosed a motive.
January 10, 2026
11:38 PM
Police arrest man in the murder mystery of Ohio dentist, wife
New information:
- CBS segment reiterates that Michael McKee, 39, is accused of shooting and killing his ex‑wife, Monique, and her husband, Columbus dentist Dr. Spencer Tepe.
- It restates that the couple were found dead in their Columbus home last month.
- No substantial new factual details beyond what is already known from earlier coverage; the piece is a short TV news hit highlighting the arrest.
9:14 PM
Suspect arrested in murders of Ohio dentist and his wife, police say
New information:
- Confirms the suspect’s full name and age as Michael McKee, 39, a Chicago resident arrested in Rockford, Illinois, on the same day Columbus police issued a warrant.
- States that McKee has been formally charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of Spencer and Monique Tepe.
- Explicitly confirms via Franklin County court records that McKee is Monique Tepe’s ex‑husband.
- Includes a detailed family statement from the Tepe relatives calling the arrest an 'important step toward justice' and noting their focus on protecting the couple’s two young children.
- Provides the exact wording and timestamp context of a prior April 15, 2025 911 call from the same address in which a woman reported a domestic dispute but declined police response.
7:09 PM
Police arrest ex-husband of Ohio woman slain alongside dentist husband in double murder, records show
New information:
- Police records show that Michael David McKee, the ex‑husband of victim Monique Tepe, was arrested on Saturday in the Chicago area.
- McKee is explicitly identified as Monique Tepe’s ex‑husband, establishing his relationship to one of the victims.
- The article reconfirms that Spencer, 37, and Monique Tepe, 39, were found dead with gunshot wounds at their Weinland Park home around 10 a.m. on Dec. 30.
6:08 PM
Columbus police chief responds to 'disturbing' murder mystery of Ohio dentist, wife found shot in home
New information:
- Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant publicly called the double homicide 'disturbing' and said the department is pouring energy into solving it and bringing justice to the family.
- Bryant confirmed that an officer sent on an initial welfare check went to the wrong address but said the officer believed he was at the correct location and 'did everything that he was supposed to do' under protocol.
- Body‑camera video released this week shows the mistaken welfare check; co‑workers discovered the couple about 40 minutes later when they went to the correct home.
- Bryant emphasized the department’s intent to be transparent while declining to discuss some details to protect the integrity of the investigation.
January 09, 2026
1:00 PM
Ohio dentist murders: Alley video, no forced entry fuel insider fears, experts say
New information:
- Former Fort Worth Police Chief Jeffrey Halstead says the timing and winter weather make the person of interest’s late‑night alley walk 'a little bit suspicious' and notes early release of video usually signals police have no identified suspect yet.
- Halstead calls the lack of forced entry in a violent double homicide 'deeply concerning' and says it suggests access was granted or previously established, implying some relationship or prior access to the home.
- Forensic science professor Peter Valentin observes that the person in the alley appears aware of the camera and deliberately keeps their head down, and that the footage gives investigators a narrower time stamp and geographic focus for seeking additional video.
- Valentin cautions that 'no signs of forced entry' only means none were observed, not that forced entry definitively did not occur, underscoring investigative uncertainty about how the killer entered.
January 08, 2026
11:00 AM
911 call near slain Ohio dentist’s home reported door 'banging' days before he and wife were found shot dead
New information:
- Fox News obtained and published the 911 call from Dec. 19, in which a woman living down the street reported someone "banging and knocking" and "smashing" on her door at 2:31 a.m. who would not leave.
- Dispatch logs show the Dec. 19 incident was cleared at 2:44 a.m. with the notation "the problem left," and it occurred about a three‑minute walk from the Tepes' home.
- The article reiterates Columbus police belief that the Tepes were killed between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Dec. 30 and describes the released surveillance video of a person of interest walking slowly in an alley near the home in a dark coat and light-colored pants.
- The piece includes additional detail on the 10:03 a.m. Dec. 30 wellness-check 911 call by a friend who saw a body inside and describes finding Spencer Tepe lying off his bed in blood.
- Family members issued a written statement calling the deaths 'tragic and senseless' and describing Spencer as a devoted father and warm, welcoming person.
January 07, 2026
7:15 PM
Slain Ohio dentist's brother-in-law says 'domestic dispute' 911 call came from party guest, not wife
New information:
- Spencer Tepe’s brother-in-law, Rob Misleh, told the 'Surviving the Survivor' podcast that the April 15, 2025 911 'domestic dispute' call was made by a female party guest, not by Monique Tepe.
- Misleh says multiple people who attended the house party recall the caller as a woman who became very emotional and may have been experiencing mental-health issues, calling 911 from her own cellphone.
- The article reproduces the full transcript of the April 15, 2025 911 call, including the caller’s statements that she and her 'man got into it,' that it did not become physical, and that she no longer wanted officers dispatched.
- A dispatcher coded the call as a 'domestic dispute' and later noted that assistance was 'no longer needed.'
- Misleh asserts that people familiar with Monique’s voice believe the 911 caller’s voice is 'quite clearly not Monique.'
January 06, 2026
9:39 PM
911 call at Ohio dentist's home reported 'domestic dispute' months before he and wife found shot dead: records
New information:
- Reveals that a woman placed a 911 call from the Tepe home on April 15 at 2:45 a.m., reporting 'me and my man got into it'; the dispatcher coded it as a 'domestic dispute' before assistance was canceled at the caller's request.
- Provides a nearly full transcript of that April 15 call, including the caller denying that the argument became physical while audibly crying.
- Confirms Columbus officials did not list the caller's name in dispatch logs for the April incident.
- Reports that Columbus police on Monday evening released surveillance video showing a male 'person of interest' walking slowly in an alley near the Tepe residence in the early hours of Dec. 30, wearing a dark coat and light-colored pants.
- Reiterates detectives' belief that the killings occurred between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Dec. 30, aligning the person of interest’s appearance with the suspected time window.
2:00 PM
Frantic 911 calls detail moments before Columbus dentist and wife found dead: 'There's a body'
New information:
- Four specific 911 calls were placed the morning of Dec. 30, including calls at 9:56 a.m., 9:58 a.m., and 10:03 a.m., from the dentist’s employer, coworkers, a friend, and a neighbor.
- Callers reported hearing children inside the home but getting no answer at the door, and one friend reported visually seeing Spencer Tepe’s body lying off the bed in blood and not breathing.
- The employer described Tepe as extremely reliable and said coworkers were alarmed when he did not show up or make contact, prompting the initial wellness concern.
- A caller told 911 they were unsure whether to break down the door after hearing a child yell but not getting a response from adults.
- The article reiterates former homicide detective Ted Williams’ assessment that the lack of forced entry suggests the killer was likely someone known to the couple or that the door was left unlocked.
1:04 AM
Ohio police release video of person of interest in dentist and wife's killing
New information:
- Columbus police have released surveillance video of a person of interest seen walking in an alley near the Tepes’ home between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Dec. 30, 2025.
- The person of interest is described only by clothing — a dark hooded top and lighter-colored pants, hands in pockets — with the face not visible.
- Police reiterated that they are receiving numerous tips from the community and urged anyone recognizing the person in the video to contact authorities.
January 05, 2026
8:57 PM
Ohio police hunt killer after dentist, wife found shot to death with children safe inside home: timeline
New information:
- Columbus police are specifically requesting home or surveillance video from neighbors between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. in the area where Spencer and Monique Tepe lived.
- Dispatch records show Spencer Tepe was shot multiple times and Monique Tepe was shot at least once through the chest.
- A detailed 911 and dispatch timeline: first wellness‑check 911 call from Spencer’s employer at 9:03 a.m.; an officer knocked on front and back doors at 9:22 a.m. with no response; a friend called 911 at 9:57 a.m. after thinking he heard one of the children; another friend called at 10:04 a.m. reporting seeing Spencer lying in blood next to the bed; police noted finding bullet casings at 10:13 a.m.
- Dispatch records indicate a baby was heard crying inside the house when one of the 911 callers reported seeing the body.
- Family members issued a public statement Friday describing the deaths as 'tragic and senseless' and calling Spencer a devoted father and loving partner.
January 02, 2026
11:43 PM
Dentist and wife found shot dead at home while 2 young children are unharmed: police
New information:
- Columbus police reportedly do not believe the deaths were the result of a murder‑suicide.
- Investigators did not recover a firearm at the scene and found no signs of forced entry into the Tepe home.
- Detailed 911 call content from Dr. Mark Valrose, Spencer Tepe’s employer, showing he requested the wellness check after Tepe failed to show for work and could not be reached.
- A separate 911 caller, identified as a friend, reported finding Spencer Tepe lying in blood next to his bed and not breathing.
- Confirmation that the couple was approaching their fifth wedding anniversary after marrying in 2021, per a statement from a brother‑in‑law.