An Illinois Surgeon Has Been Accused of Killing Spencer and Monique Tepe — Why?

The brutal murders of Spencer and Monique Tepe are almost too shocking to understand. The dentist and his wife were fatally shot in their home in Columbus, Ohio, on Dec. 30, 2025. Their two children, both under the age of 5, were found unharmed at the tragic scene.

Police were called to their Weinland Park house two times on the day their bodies were found. The first call was made by Spencer's coworkers, who were concerned when he didn't show up for work. After the police stopped by and left, neighbors walked over and called 911 after hearing the children crying from inside. Two weeks later, police arrested and charged Michael McKee with their murders. Who is he, and what is his possible motive? Here's what we know.

According to CNN, police have yet to comment on McKee's motive. What we do know is that it wasn't a totally random act. Columbus police Chief Elaine Bryant said at a news conference that this was a "targeted attack." McKee, a surgeon from Chicago, was previously married to Monique, per USA Today.

A search of McKee's condo resulted in the discovery of multiple guns, one of which is believed to be the murder weapon. Rob Misleh, Monique's brother-in-law, told NBC News that her marriage to McKee was bad. They divorced in 2017 after only two years, and were already living separately. "It was so impactful that she had to leave the relationship so abruptly and get out because she was so worried," said Misleh. Other family members said McKee was emotionally abusive.

Misleh also told USA Today that McKee had threatened his sister's life on multiple occasions. "She wasn't shy about talking to people about traumatic experiences she had with her ex and just how emotionally abusive he was to her," explained Misleh. "It affected her to this day."

Joey Jackson, a criminal defense attorney and CNN legal analyst, said prosecutors are not legally obligated to provide a motive. At the time of the trial, the state doesn't have to "establish why you did what you did — they just have to establish that you did it," said Jackson. The prosecution will undoubtedly put forth a motive. In this case, it will probably be McKee's history of abuse in his previous marriage.

McKee has been officially charged with premeditated, aggravated murder, which could land McKee life in prison without the possibility of parole. A trial date was initially scheduled for sometime in September 2026, but a court spokesperson told USA Today that it was "mistakenly set, due to a clerical error on the case's docket number." As of this writing, an actual date for the trial has not been scheduled.