An Illinois doctor has been charged in the fatal shooting of his former wife and her husband while they were at home with their two young children in Columbus, Ohio, last month.
The doctor, Michael McKee, 39, of Chicago, was arrested on Saturday in Rockford, Ill., and has been charged with aggravated murder in the deaths of Monique Tepe, 39, and Spencer Tepe, 37.
The police were called to the Tepe home at about 10 a.m. on Dec. 30 after Mr. Tepe, a dentist, did not show up for work. An officer initially went to the wrong address, the police said, before officers went to the right address about 40 minutes later and found the couple with gunshot wounds. Medical personnel pronounced them dead on the scene. The couple’s two children were found in the home, unharmed. They were 4 and 1 at the time, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
Detectives used neighborhood surveillance video to track Mr. McKee to a vehicle that had arrived just before the homicides and left shortly after, the police said in an affidavit. Detectives linked the vehicle to Mr. McKee and located it in Rockford, along with evidence that he had been “in possession” of it before and after the fatal shootings, according to the affidavit.
Last week, the police released surveillance video showing a person of interest walking near the Tepe home, wearing a dark jacket or sweatshirt, with the hood pulled up.
During a brief court hearing in Rockford on Monday, Mr. McKee appeared in shackles with a lawyer, who said that he had agreed to be transported to Ohio for a court hearing and intended to plead not guilty. The authorities have not released any information about a possible motive.
Mr. McKee is a vascular surgeon, with active medical licenses in Illinois and California, records show. He and Ms. Tepe were married in 2015 and divorced in 2017, Ohio court records show. They did not have any children together, according to court filings. Monique and Spencer Tepe were married in December 2020, records show.
The Tepe family said in a statement to The Columbus Dispatch that Ms. Tepe was a “loving, patient, and joyful mother whose warmth defined her.”
“With a background in childhood education, she brought care and intention into everything she did,” the statement said. “She was an excellent baker, a thoughtful planner, and someone who found joy in bringing people together.”
Mr. Tepe was a proud father and loving partner, the family said. He was fluent in Spanish, worked with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and was a huge fan of the Cincinnati Bengals and the Ohio State Buckeyes, the statement said.
After Mr. McKee was arrested, the Tepe family thanked the Columbus police for their work on the case.
“Nothing can undo the devastating loss of two lives taken far too soon,” the family said. “We thank the community for the continued support, prayers and compassion shown throughout this tragedy. As the case proceeds, we trust the justice system to hold the person responsible fully accountable.”
Michael Levenson covers breaking news for The Times from New York.
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