Ex-Husband Charged in shooting deaths of Columbus Dentist and Wife

Early on December 30, 2025, police responded to a request for a welfare check at the home of Spencer and Monique Tepe on the 1400 block of North 4th Street in Weinland Park, a neighborhood north of downtown Columbus.

The call was made by Spencer Tepe's coworker, who became concerned when he neglected to return multiple phone calls and failed to show up to his workplace.

Spencer, 37, was a dentist at Athens Dental Depot on 80 Columbus Road in Columbus, Ohio.

Multiple 911 calls were made that day regarding the welfare of the Tepes, including one from a friend saying he could hear crying children in the home but could not get into the residence, and an additional call from the same individual stating that he could see a body as well as blood and deliberated about breaking through the door of the home.

 

When officers entered the home, they found Spencer Tepe, and his wife Monique, dead inside, both with gunshot wounds.

On January 2, ABC6 reported that, per records, Spencer Tepe was shot "multiple times," and Monique "suffered at least one gunshot wound to the chest."

There were no signs of forced entry to the property.

Following the news of Spencer's murder, Athens Dental Depot closed temporarily to mourn his death. It was the dental practice owner, Mark Valrose, who made the call to Columbus police that morning at approximately 9.30am. He said it was extremely unusual for Spencer not to show up at work, and his colleagues said he loved his job and showed up every day without fail, always enthusiastic.

When he didn’t show up at work and hadn’t called, they knew something was wrong.

Valrose, calling from his Florida holiday home, told 911 dispatchers: “He is always on time and he would contact us if there were any issues. I don't know how else to say this but we are very, very concerned. This is very out of character for him. We can't get in touch with his wife which is probably the more concerning thing."

On the day of the initial welfare check, an officer knocked on both the front and back door of the home but received no answer. They came back an hour later where at least one co-worker, as well as a friend of Spencer’s, were at the property attempting to make contact. After hearing the couple’s children inside the house but not their parents, they called 911.

The children, 1 and 4, were found by police unharmed, and a therapy dog was brought to assist them.

Spencer and Monique Tepe had been married for several years. Both were described by friends as warm and loving people with a happy relationship.

Monique Tepe's family said of the couple: “Spencer and Monique shared a beautiful, strong, and deeply happy relationship. They loved to travel, to laugh, and to build a life rooted in love. They were proud parents of two beautiful children and their beloved Goldendoodle, and they created a home filled with warmth, happiness, and connection.”

Monique had previously been married to a man named Michael David McKee from 2015 to 2016, and the pair were officially divorced in 2017.

Police released images of an unidentified person captured on surveillance footage at the time they believed the murders happened, approximately between 2am and 5am on the day the bodies were found. The person in the footage was clad in a dark jacket with a hood and light coloured trousers and was captured walking down an alleyway near the Tepe's residence.

After hours of watching surveillance footage, police finally identified a person of interest.

39 year-old Michael David McKee was identified as a suspect and was arrested by police on January 10, 2026 and charged with the murders.

McKee's vehicle was tracked from the crime scene via surveillance footage. The footage allegedly showed McKee's vehicle pulling up to the Tepe's home before the murders and leaving afterwards.

Police say the vehicle was recovered in Rockford, Ill. and linked back to McKee.

McKee, a Chicago resident, is a medical doctor specializing in vascular surgery, with no criminal history other than a handful of traffic tickets.

He was once based in Ohio, and in 2014 he graduated from the Ohio State University College of Medicine. During the short period of time, he and Monique were married, they did not have children together.

Although police have not released specific details to the public, media outlets report that the deaths were a double homicide and not a murder-suicide, stating they will refrain from releasing details to the public to eliminate the possibility of the case being dismissed in court.

At the time of writing, McKee is being held in a Franklin County jail, where he will stay until he is extradited to Franklin County.

Police have not yet released a motive for the murders.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact the Columbus Police Homicide Tip Line at: 614-645-2228