A Chicago surgeon allegedly stalked his ex-wife for years before murdering her and her dentist husband in front of their two young children, revealing how dangerous domestic violence escalates when authorities fail to intervene.
Story Snapshot
- Spencer Tepe, 37, and Monique Tepe, 39, were shot 16 times combined in their Columbus home on December 30, 2025
- Michael McKee, Monique’s abusive ex-husband and a vascular surgeon, allegedly stalked the couple and planned the murders in advance
- Autopsy evidence reveals Spencer attempted to protect his wife during the attack, suffering seven gunshot wounds
- McKee faces four counts of aggravated murder after authorities found weapons in his condo and surveillance evidence linking him to the scene
Premeditated Attack Shows Pattern of Escalating Violence
Michael McKee, 39, allegedly executed a calculated plan to murder his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband Spencer at their Columbus, Ohio residence. The Franklin County Coroner’s office released autopsy reports February 3, 2026, showing Spencer was shot seven times and Monique nine times. Both victims died within seconds to minutes of the attack. The couple’s two children, both under age five, were present but physically unharmed. McKee remains jailed without bail at James A. Karnes Corrections Center, having pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Forensic Evidence Documents Victims’ Final Moments
Spencer Tepe sustained fatal wounds to his brain and lungs, with additional injuries to his left ear, left hand, chest, neck, and right arm. The injury pattern suggests he attempted to shield his wife from the gunfire. Monique suffered wounds to her right cheek, forearm, hand, and torso, including three chest shots and two upper left arm wounds. Toxicology reports showed neither victim had drugs or alcohol in their system, aside from Monique’s prescribed antidepressant and antihistamine. The forensic details paint a horrific picture of a young family’s last moments together.
History of Abuse Preceded Double Homicide
McKee and Monique married in 2015 but divorced by 2017 after a tumultuous relationship marked by abuse. Following the divorce, McKee allegedly continued threatening his ex-wife. On December 6, 2025, security footage captured McKee visiting the Tepes’ home while they attended the Big Ten Championship game in Indianapolis. During halftime, Monique returned to her hotel room upset about something involving her ex-husband, according to Spencer’s account to friends. This surveillance visit demonstrates McKee’s obsessive behavior and premeditation, classic warning signs that should have triggered protective interventions.
Investigation Reveals Extensive Planning and Preparation
ATF agents arrested McKee on January 10, 2026, at a Chick-fil-A near his workplace in Rockford, Illinois, where he practiced as a vascular surgeon at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center. Investigators discovered multiple weapons in McKee’s Lincoln Park condo, including the gun believed used in the homicides. Evidence included security footage, a silver SUV with stolen license plates and distinctive window sticker linked to McKee, and neighborhood surveillance video. The absence of forced entry suggests McKee gained access through deception or unlocked doors. A Franklin County grand jury indicted him January 16, 2026, on four aggravated murder counts and one aggravated burglary count.
Tepe Murders: Autopsies Reveal Ohio Dentist & Wife Shot 16 Times in Home, Allegedly by Stalker Ex https://t.co/obNYE4r0mC via @crimeonlinenews
— Crime Online (@crimeonlinenews) February 3, 2026
Case Exposes Failures in Domestic Violence Protection
This tragedy illustrates how restraining orders and divorce decrees provide inadequate protection when determined abusers escalate to violence. McKee possessed the resources, intelligence, and freedom to stalk his victims across state lines for years. Two innocent children now face life without parents because the system failed to recognize and stop an obvious threat. McKee faces life in prison with minimum parole eligibility after 32 years if convicted, but no sentence can restore what these children lost. The case demands serious questions about whether medical institutions or law enforcement missed warning signs that could have prevented this preventable horror.
Sources:
Tepe Murders: Autopsies Reveal Ohio Dentist & Wife Shot 16 Times in Home, Allegedly by Stalker Ex
IL Surgeon Was Stalking Ex-Wife Prior Double Murder: Report
