Ohio dentist’s Infant Son Left Crying after Parents’ Fatal Shooting; Ex-Husband Charged with Murder
A one-year-old boy was likely left alone and crying for hours in his crib after his parents, Spencer and Monique Tepe, were fatally shot in their Columbus, Ohio, home on December 30. authorities have now charged Monique’s ex-husband, Michael McKee, 39, with aggravated murder in connection with the deaths, bringing a measure of accountability to a horrific tragedy.
The harrowing discovery unfolded when a friend of Spencer Tepe, 39, arrived at the couple’s residence concerned that he had not shown up for work. The friend reportedly told a 911 dispatcher he could hear children crying inside the $700,000 home. Rob Misleh, Spencer’s brother-in-law, believes the friend overheard 17-month-old beckham Tepe crying in his crib. “[He] was in the crib and was unable to get out of the crib on his own and also it was at a time he would’ve been well awake by this time,” Misleh explained,adding that the child had not been fed for some time by the time authorities arrived. Fortunately, Misleh stated that neither Beckham nor his three-year-old sister, Emilia, are believed to have witnessed the violence, as they were in their own bedrooms.
Investigators determined that McKee entered the Tepe home in the early morning hours of December 30 and opened fire, fatally striking Spencer multiple times and Monique at least once in the chest. McKee was apprehended at a fast-food restaurant near Chicago on January 10 and formally indicted in Franklin County, Ohio, on Friday. He now faces four counts of aggravated murder with the use of an automatic firearm with a silencer, and one count of aggravated burglary.
After waiving his extradition hearing in Illinois on Monday, McKee was transported to Ohio and booked into the Franklin County Jail on Tuesday, according to WHIO. Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant revealed that surveillance footage tracked McKee from the crime scene to a vehicle he owned,and that he had been observed purchasing a silencer for a firearm in november. McKee’s history also reveals a pattern of legal troubles. Prior to the Tepe’s deaths, he was embroiled in several medical malpractice and negligence lawsuits. A civil rights and medical negligence lawsuit was filed against him on June 7, 2024, in the US District Court for the District of Nevada. Additionally, he is the primary defendant in an active medical malpractice suit scheduled for a jury trial in Clark County, Nevada. Attempts to contact McKee regarding a separate lawsuit alleging he failed to adequately train a physician’s assistant who injured a patient in 2023 were largely unsuccessful, with a Las Vegas attorney documenting nine failed attempts to reach him. A judge ultimately allowed McKee to be served via newspaper notice due to the lack of valid contact details. Forensic scientist Joseph Scott Morgan speculated to Fox News that McKee’s efforts to obscure his whereabouts suggest a deliberate attempt to evade investigators or legal proceedings.
As McKee faces charges for the double homicide, family members caring for Emilia and Beckham are grappling with how to explain the tragedy to the children. Spencer’s cousin,Audrey Mackie,told PEOPLE that they will encourage Emilia to talk about her feelings,utilizing professional guidance and resources like books on grief. Tho, Misleh believes the children do not yet fully comprehend the permanence of their parents’ loss. “I really don’t think that a four year old can grasp [what] is hard for us to even grasp,” he said. “It’s going to be years and years of processing.”
The Tepes are remembered as devoted parents “whose lives were filled with love, joy and deep connection to others.” Spencer, a graduate of Ohio State University and member of the American Dental Association, worked at Athens Dental Depot and was a passionate fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes and Cincinnati Bengals. Monique, also an Ohio State University alumna with a background in education, was described as a “loving, patient, and joyful mother.”
A GoFundMe campaign established to support the two young children has raised over $233,000 as of Wednesday night. “The abrupt loss of Spencer and Monique has changed daily life in ways that are still unfolding,” the GoFundMe page states. “This fund exists to help provide stability and care for their children and the immediate family members who are supporting them during this time.”
