Spencer and Monique Tepe's relative sheds light on Michael McKee's arrest, ‘Not a shock to anybody…’

The grieving family Spencer and Monique Tepe, who were shot dead at their home, said that they “all expected” the slain woman’s ex-husband’s arrest.

Published on: Jan 12, 2026, 11:18:38 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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The grieving family of an Ohio dentist and his wife, both of whom were shot dead at their home, said that they “all expected” the slain woman’s ex-husband’s arrest, according to the New York Post. They said they were quiet throughout the probe as they did not want to “compromise the investigation.”

Spencer and Monique Tepe's relative says Michael McKee's arrest ‘not a shock’ (Winnebago County Sheriff's Office, GoFundMe)

Spencer Tepe, 37, and his wife, Monique, 39, were murdered sometime between 2 am and 5 am on December 30 in the upstairs of their residence. Their two children and a dog, who were inside, remained unharmed.

Spencer, who worked at the Athens Dental Depot, was found with multiple gunshot wounds. Monique suffered at least one shot to the chest, police records showed, according to the New York Post.

Michael David McKee, 39, Monique’s former husband and a doctor from Chicago, was arrested days later in connection with the brutal murders.

The next day, Spencer and Monique’s friends and extended family hosted a gathering. There, one anonymous relative opened up about McKee’s arrest.

‘It was absolutely not a shock to anybody’

“It was absolutely not a shock to anybody, we had all expected it, but we weren’t saying that, because we didn’t want to compromise the investigation,” the relative told the Daily Mail. “We are all breathing a bit of a sigh of relief, because they got him.”

The relative said that as far as they were aware, the couple had not raised any issues they were having with McKee in the weeks leading up to their murders. McKee and Monique divorced after a short-lived marriage in May 2017, but their separation was amicable, records show, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

A motive for the murders remains unknown. McKee, who is behind bars in Illinois, will eventually be extradited to Ohio.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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