In a case that has gripped the nation, the ex-husband of Monique Tepe has publicly disclosed his motive for the cold-blooded double murder of Monique and her husband, Ohio dentist Dr. Spencer Tepe. The couple was found shot to death in their Columbus home on December 30, 2025, while their two young children—one and four years old—remained unharmed in the house, a detail that only deepened the horror.

Michael David McKee, 39, a vascular surgeon from the Chicago area, was arrested in Rockford, Illinois, on January 10, 2026, and charged with two counts of murder. Investigators tracked him through neighborhood surveillance footage showing a figure in light pants and a dark hooded jacket in an alley near the Tepe residence between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on the night of the killings. Further evidence linked McKee’s vehicle to the scene, tracing its movements over 500 kilometers from his home to Columbus and back.

The motive, now laid bare in McKee’s own words during interrogation, stems from deep-seated resentment and jealousy tied to the dissolution of his marriage to Monique in 2017. After the divorce, Monique rebuilt her life, remarrying Spencer in 2020 and starting a new family. Sources close to the investigation indicate McKee’s confession tape captures him detailing years of lingering bitterness, feelings of betrayal, and rage over Monique’s happiness with her new husband—a successful dentist known for his dedication to patients and community.

When the full audio was played back for officers, the room reportedly fell silent. The suspect’s calm, matter-of-fact delivery contrasted sharply with the savagery of the crime: Spencer was shot multiple times in a frenzied attack, while Monique suffered at least one gunshot to the chest. No signs of forced entry suggested the killer was someone familiar, and the children’s safety points to a targeted act rather than random violence.

Friends and colleagues remember Spencer Tepe as a devoted professional who never missed work—until that fateful morning when coworkers, worried after he failed to arrive, rushed to the home and discovered the nightmare scene through a window. 911 calls captured the panic as friends realized the couple was gone, leaving the little ones alone with tragedy.

McKee’s public admission has intensified scrutiny on domestic fallout and unresolved grudges. Forensic experts note that such confessions often reveal layered emotions: control, rejection, and a twisted desire to destroy what the ex-partner cherishes. Police have not released the full tape publicly, but its contents have left investigators visibly shaken, describing it as one of the most disturbing recordings they’ve encountered in recent cases.

As extradition proceedings move forward, the community mourns the loss of a kind-hearted dentist and a mother, while questions linger about how long-simmering anger escalated into unthinkable violence. The two orphaned children now face a future forever altered, a heartbreaking reminder of the devastating ripple effects of personal vendettas.