Man Accused of Murdering Ex-Wife and Dentist Husband in Ohio Allegedly Killed the Couple Days After Their 5th Wedding Anniversary

The fatal shooting of an Ohio dentist and his wife happened just days after they marked five years of marriage.

Spencer and Monique Tepe were found dead inside their Columbus home on Dec. 30. In court documents, investigators said they identified Michael David McKee — Monique’s 39-year-old ex-husband — as a suspect after tracking his vehicle using neighborhood surveillance footage near the home.

According to the couple’s obituary, Spencer, 37, and Monique, 39, met online and married during a private family ceremony on Dec. 13, 2020.

“They had two precious children together who were loved dearly,” the obituary read. “Spencer and Monique were the life of the party, holding many family and friend gatherings. They were generous with kind hearts.”

McKee, whose divorce from Monique was finalized in June 2017, was arrested on Jan. 10 and charged with two counts of murder in connection with the couple’s deaths, according to Franklin County Municipal Court documents.

An incident report from Columbus Police said the couple was discovered with apparent gunshot wounds during a welfare check after Spencer did not arrive for work at Athens Dental Depot.

When an officer went to the home around 9:22 a.m. local time, no one answered the door, WSYX reported. At 9:57 a.m., a friend called police again, saying they could hear children crying inside and that no one was responding. The friend allegedly told dispatchers they could see Spencer’s body inside and that he “appears dead.”

Spencer and Monique were pronounced dead at the scene. Their two children, ages 1 and 4, were physically unharmed and have since been cared for by extended family.

“We have had them for the past couple of days … they were just as happy and, unfortunately, unaware as they ever could be,” Rob Misleh — who is married to Spencer’s sister — told NewsNation’s Ashleigh Banfield. “But they’re in loving hands, and even more people are coming by their side to make sure that they’re taken care of.”

“I don’t think that they saw what happened,” he added, “or at least I want to believe that with my heart.”

A friend of the couple said Spencer and Monique were “madly in love” and devoted to their children, adding, “They still acted like newlyweds.”

A neighbor of McKee, Gera-Lind Kolarik, called the case “shocking” and told ABC 7 Chicago that he “did not seem like somebody who would do something like this.”

“I sat down with this man and talked with him at the pool, barbecuing, about what a beautiful day it is — and then he turns out to be [charged as] a killer,” she said. McKee has not been convicted of any crimes. “It’s kind of shocking.”

A joint funeral for Spencer and Monique is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 11, at Schoedinger Northwest, followed by a celebration of life.