Michael McKee — the vascular surgeon who has been accused of killing his ex-wife, Monique Tepe, and her husband, dentist Spencer Tepe — attended his first court hearing on Monday, January 12, appearing motionless as he stood before an Illinois judge.
McKee, 39, dressed in a yellow jumpsuit, appeared next to his attorney, who spoke on his behalf throughout the appearance. He remained silent and still, footage from the proceedings showed.
“At this time, your honor, on behalf of Mr. McKee, I will assert his right to counsel. I will assert his right to remain silent. And Mr. McKee believes that the most expeditious manner in which he may defend himself against the charges pending in Ohio and to plead not guilty would be to waive his right to an extradition hearing and to have a governor’s warrant and to agree to his immediate transportation to Ohio,” McKee’s attorney said in court, according to footage shared by Court TV.
By waiving his right to an extradition hearing, McKee voluntarily consented to being transferred from where he was arrested in Illinois back to Ohio, where the murders took place.
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The initial hearing concluded with the judge saying that McKee is scheduled to next appear in court on Monday, January 19, to discuss the transfer.
Monique, 39, and Spencer’s bodies were found when his coworker requested a welfare check after he didn’t show up to work and was not responding to his calls. Upon the police officers’ arrival, the couple was discovered dead upstairs in their Columbus, Ohio, home. Spencer, 37, was found with multiple gunshot wounds, while Monique was shot at least one time in the chest.
The couple’s two children and their family dog were also found in the house. However, they were all found unharmed.
Amid the investigation, police released surveillance footage on January 5, that showed a figure in a dark hoodie walking nearby the crime scene. At the time, authorities said that the individual was a “person of interest” in the case.
McKee — who divorced Monique in 2017 following a brief marriage — was later identified as a suspect after authorities saw his car near the Tepes’ home, which was captured by surveillance footage. Detectives said that the vehicle “arrived just prior to the homicides and left shortly after,” according to court documents viewed by People. He was then arrested after it was confirmed that he owned the vehicle and was its only driver at the time of the murders.
He was initially arrested on murder charges on Saturday, January 10, according to the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office. However, his charges were later upgraded to aggravated murder on Sunday, January 11, according to court documents obtained by People.
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Following McKee’s arrest, the Tepe family issued a statement regarding the major case update.
“Today’s arrest represents an important step toward justice for Monique and Spencer. Nothing can undo the devastating loss of two lives taken far too soon, but we are grateful to the City of Columbus Police Department, its investigators, and assisting law enforcement community whose tireless efforts helped to capture the person involved,” the family said, per ABC 6.”We thank the community for the continued support, prayers, and compassion shown throughout this tragedy. As the case proceeds, we trust the justice system to hold the person responsible fully accountable.”
