Doctor charged in killings of his ex-wife and her Ohio husband waives
right to extradition hearing
[January 13, 2026]
By JULIE CARR SMYTH and PATRICK AFTOORA-ORSAGOS
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The ex-husband of an Ohio woman charged this
weekend in the killings of her and her husband waived his right to an
extradition hearing Monday in Illinois.
Michael David McKee, 39, a doctor from Chicago, has been charged with
premeditated aggravated murder in the shooting deaths of 39-year-old
Monique Tepe, whom he divorced in 2017, and dentist Dr. Spencer Tepe,
37, in their Columbus home on Dec. 30.
McKee appeared in court in Winnebago County, Illinois, where he has been
jailed since his arrest on Saturday. He appeared expressionless while he
walked into the courtroom wearing a yellow jumpsuit with shackles around
his wrists. Judge Donald Shriver did not say when McKee will be returned
to Ohio, but he scheduled a hearing for Jan. 19 to confirm the status of
the transfer.
The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office will coordinate McKee’s return to
Franklin County, where the trial will take place, according to Tom
Jakeway, trial court administrator for the 17th Judicial Circuit Court
of Illinois.
His arrest caps off nearly two weeks of speculation surrounding the
mysterious killings that attracted national attention. No obvious signs
of forced entry were found at the Tepes' home. Police also said no
weapon was found there, and murder-suicide was not suspected. Further,
nothing was stolen, and the couple's two young children and their dog
were left unharmed in the home.
In a statement, their family said the arrest was “an important step
toward justice” and that they trusted the justice system to hold the
person accountable.
“Monique and Spencer remain at the center of our hearts, and we carry
forward their love as we surround and protect the two children they
leave behind," it said. "We will continue to honor their lives and the
light they brought into this world.”
Dispatchers first received calls of concern when Spencer Tepe didn’t
show up on Dec. 30 at the dental practice where he worked in Athens, a
college town about 75 miles (120.70 kilometers) southeast of Columbus.
His manager told police his tardiness was “out of character.” It was
when Columbus police conducted a wellness check at the home later that
day that they discovered the couple's bullet-stricken bodies on the
second floor.
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Spencer and Monique Tepe's home in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday, Jan.
6, 2026. (AP Photo/Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos)
Official reports from the Franklin County Coroner’s Office won’t be
completed for several weeks, but a spokesperson said last week that
they died in an “apparent homicide by gunshot wounds.”
Police had released security footage on Tuesday of a person of
interest dressed in a dark hoodie and light colored pants walking in
an alley near the couple’s home between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. — the
window of time in which investigators believed the two were
attacked. The release generated dozens of tips and took the manhunt
across multiple state lines to McKee's apartment.
McKee and Monique Tepe, then-Monique Sabaturski, married in 2015,
according to Franklin County court records. They filed for divorce
two years later.
According to the Tepes' obituaries, Monique married Spencer Tepe in
2020. Family members described the couple as “extraordinary people
whose lives were filled with love, joy and deep connection to
others.”
Spencer Tepe was a graduate of the Ohio State University. He was a
member of the American Dental Association and had been involved with
the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. Monique Tepe was
described as a “loving, patient, and joyful mother,” an avid baker,
and a “thoughtful planner.”
___
AP reporter Mark Scolforo contributed to this report from
Harrisburg, Pa.
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