An Ohio man is facing aggravated murder charges after authorities say he killed his ex-wife and her husband in their Columbus home last month.
Monique Tepe, 39, and her husband, dentist Spencer Tepe, 37, were found fatally shot inside their residence on Dec. 30.
Police arrested Monique’s former husband, Michael David McKee, on Saturday, Jan. 10. He was initially charged with two counts of murder, but those charges have since been upgraded to aggravated murder. At a court appearance on Jan. 12, McKee’s public defender said he plans to plead not guilty.
Court records show Monique — who previously used her maiden name, Sabaturski — married McKee in August 2015. In June 2017, she filed for divorce, citing that the couple was “incompatible,” and the filings indicate they were living separately at the time. The two did not have children together.
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Monique and Spencer were married about five years and were described by a friend as still “madly in love.” The couple’s two children, ages 4 and 1, were inside the home when the bodies were discovered.
A friend who called 911 to request a welfare check said he could hear the children crying while he waited outside the residence. The children are now in the care of extended family members.
A motive has not been publicly identified.
During a court appearance on Monday, Jan. 12, McKee waived his right to an extradition hearing, allowing him to be extradited to Franklin County, Ohio, where the killings occurred.
In a statement on Monday, McKee’s employer, OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center, said it is cooperating with authorities. It remains unclear whether McKee has retained private counsel to speak on his behalf.