The murder weapon allegedly used to kill Ohio dentist Spencer Tepe and his wife, Monique Tepe, has reportedly been identified.
According to prosecutors, Michael McKee, 39, allegedly used a gun with a muffler attached to it in the brutal slayings, per a grand jury indictment obtained by People and published on Friday, January 16. Earlier this week, Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant additionally claimed “multiple weapons” had been found on McKee’s property during a recent search.
On Friday, the former vascular surgeon was officially indicted on four counts of aggravated murder and one count of aggravated robbery.
As Us Weekly previously reported, the Tepes’ bodies were discovered upstairs in their Ohio home on December 30 after one of Spencer’s coworkers called 911 and requested a welfare check. The coworker had become progressively more concerned when, without warning, Spencer, 37, didn’t come into work and could not be reached by phone for several hours.
The couple’s two young children and their dog were found at the home, but they were thankfully unharmed in the attack.
McKee — who was married to Monique, 39, from 2015 until she filed for divorce in 2017 — was arrested in connection with their deaths and charged with murder on January 10. Authorities were able to identify Monique’s ex as a potential suspect after they saw his vehicle arrive at the Tepes home “just prior to the homicides” and depart “shortly after” using neighborhood surveillance.
During a recent appearance on Good Morning America, Monique’s brother-in-law, Rob Misleh, claimed McKee would “torment” her throughout their marriage.
“Myself and many others were well aware of, kind of, the negative impact that he had on her. And the abuse that he put her through, the torment that he put her through,” he said at the time. “She was willing to do anything to get out of there.”
Spencer Tepe, Monique Tepe Courtesy of Rob Misleh
Another family member claimed they “all expected” McKee to be connected to the crimes, but waited to speak publicly about their suspicions because they “didn’t want to compromise the investigation,” per the Daily Mail.
“We are all breathing a bit of a sigh of relief, because they got him,” they added.
However, one person who was left taken aback by McKee’s alleged connection with the murders was his neighbor, Gera-Lind Kolarik, who 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,” she explained, “and then he turns out to be [charged as] a killer. It’s kind of shocking.”
A celebration of life for the Tepes was held on Sunday, January 11.
“Spencer and Monique met online and quickly grew their relationship into a solid foundation of love and respect with a side of goofiness,” their obituary read. “[They] were the life of the party, holding many family and friend gatherings. They were generous with kind hearts. Spencer and Monique will be deeply missed by their family, friends, and all who knew them.”
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