Fmr police chief outlines possible motives in ex-husband's alleged murder of Ohio dentist and wife
Former Fort Worth Police Chief Jeffrey Halstead and Genasys spokesman told Fox News Digital there's a "multitude" of possible motives for why Michael McKee may have allegedly murdered Spencer and Monique Tepe.
Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant revealed on Wednesday that investigators recovered a weapon from the property of 39-year-old Michael McKee that is preliminarily linked to the homicides of Spencer and Monique Tepe.
"What we can say, this was a targeted attack. This was a domestic violence-related attack. As we know, McKee is the ex-husband of Monique Tepe," Bryant said in a news conference in Columbus, Ohio, Wednesday.
"We can also say that multiple weapons were taken from the property of McKee. And there's a preliminary link from our NIBIN [National Integrated Ballistic Information Network] to one of the weapons that ties it to the homicides."
Bryant did not specify what kind of weapons were recovered. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Columbus Police Department.
Ohio dentist Dr. Spencer Tepe and his wife, Monique Tepe, were found shot to death inside their home in Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. While their two children were discovered unharmed, authorities reportedly believe their deaths were not the result of a murder-suicide. (Athens Dental Depot)
The preliminary link comes as the Tepes' family revealed that they "quickly believed" that McKee was somehow involved in their deaths. Misleh also told NewsNation’s Ashleigh Banfield last week that McKee threatened her life while the two were married.
"He was an emotionally abusive person when they were together, that is all I know," Misleh said.
Separate court filings show that McKee was facing several allegations of medical malpractice and negligence in the months prior to being charged in the deaths of an Ohio dentist and his wife.
Federal court records reveal that McKee, a 39-year-old vascular surgeon, was named as a defendant in a civil rights and medical negligence lawsuit filed June 7, 2024, in U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. In a separate matter, state court records in Clark County show that McKee is also the primary defendant in an active medical malpractice lawsuit slated for a jury trial.
According to Las Vegas-based lawyer Dan Laird, McKee managed to evade legal justice before he allegedly killed his ex-wife, Monique Tepe, 39, and her husband, Spencer Tepe, 37.
"They tend to be highly responsible people," he told WSYX. "They’re not the kind of people who just disappeared suddenly, and this was very surprising to us."
Michael David McKee, a 39-year-old from Chicago, is charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of Dr. Spencer Tepe and his wife, Monique Tepe. (Winnebago County Sheriff's Office)
Laird told WSYX that in a 2023 lawsuit, reviewed by Fox News Digital, McKee allegedly failed to train a physician’s assistant, leading to a patient being injured during treatment and needing emergency surgery.
The lawyer said that he was duped when McKee allegedly gave fake addresses and "questionable" state-issued phone numbers.
"Interestingly, the address that was given to us by the surgery group that he worked for turned out to be a fake address," Laird told the local outlet, referencing Las Vegas Surgical Associates LLP. "It was an address that doesn’t exist."
Laird shared that he repeatedly, for years, made efforts to contact McKee, even going to former colleagues, including Dr. Peter Caravella, who is also listed in the malpractice suit. Fox News Digital has reached out to Laird for additional details.
"He said he has no idea where Dr. Michael McKee is now," Laird said. "He just disappeared."
He just disappeared.
READ THE LAWSUIT – APP USERS, CLICK HERE
Attorney Lindsay Richards, a former prosecutor, told Fox News Digital that while the civil lawsuit provides context since it appears that "his life was certainly spiraling out of control."
"The prosecutor will likely only look to the civil cases to see if there is any overlap in behavior or if it caused mounting pressure or stress for this suspect. It puts his life in context to paint a picture for a jury. Likely this won’t have much influence, if any, on the criminal case beyond just understanding circumstances."
"It does look like his life was certainly spiraling out of control, which is likely the only reason the prosecution would use these civil cases," she said.
Spencer and Monique Tepe were preparing to celebrate their five-year wedding anniversary. (Rob Misleh)
McKee was arrested after allegedly killing the couple on Dec. 30, according to records. Police officers responded to a house located in Columbus' Weinland Park neighborhood around 10 a.m. Dec. 30 and found the couple, both dead with gunshot wounds.
FRANTIC 911 CALLS DETAIL MOMENTS BEFORE COLUMBUS DENTIST AND WIFE FOUND DEAD: 'THERE'S A BODY'
In the Nevada lawsuit, an incarcerated man alleges that McKee, while serving on the Nevada Department of Corrections’ Medical Review Panel, knowingly delayed medical care for a serious condition.
According to the complaint, reviewed by Fox News Digital, the plaintiff experienced ongoing pain and complications over an extended period and underwent multiple procedures that were allegedly ineffective.
Timeline of key events in the murder of Spencer and Monique Tepe. (Fox News)
SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER
The lawsuit claims approval for appropriate specialist care was repeatedly delayed despite the plaintiff’s worsening condition. As a result, the complaint alleges, the plaintiff ultimately suffered permanent injury, including the loss of a testicle. McKee and the other defendants named in the federal case deny the allegations. The claims have not yet been ruled on by the court.
Neither the federal civil rights lawsuit nor the state malpractice case has reached a resolution.
Michael McKee appears in court at Winnebago County Justice Center, Monday, January 12, 2026, Rockford, Illinois. McKee is facing extradition to Ohio for the murder of his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband, Spencer Tepe. (WIFR via Pool)
Both Nevada cases were active during roughly the same period that McKee would later be charged in Ohio in connection with the deaths of his ex-wife and her husband. Authorities in Ohio have charged McKee with two counts of murder.
LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? FIND MORE ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB
McKee was booked at the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office in Illinois just before noon Saturday.
He's facing upgraded premeditated aggravated murder charges in Ohio in relation to Spencer and Monique's deaths.
General view of Winnebago County Justice Center, Monday, January 12, 2026, Rockford, Illinois. (Kamil Krzaczynski for Fox News Digital)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
According to a document obtained by Fox News' Bryan Llenas, McKee will not be transported to Franklin County, Ohio, by Monday, Jan. 19. The document said that the transport "will not be feasible," and the court date previously set for Monday, Jan. 19, at 2 p.m. is canceled. A new date has been tentatively set for Jan. 23 at 2 p.m.
FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X
Fox News Digital's Adam Sabes and Bryan Llenas contributed to this report.
True Crime
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.
