🚨 “WE WERE WARNED — AND MISSED IT.”
After rewatching the wedding video from 5 years ago of dentist Monique Tepe and her ex-husband, investigators say a chilling motive suddenly became clear. One gesture. One moment caught on camera. At the time, no one questioned it. Now police admit it may have been the earliest warning sign — and the one detail everyone overlooked could change how the entire case is understood. 👀👇

Monique Tepe and Her Ex Separated After 8 Months of Marriage. Nearly 10 Years Later, He’s Charged with Murdering Her and Husband

Authorities allege a vehicle connected to Monique Tepe’s ex-husband Michael David McKee was seen near her Ohio home around the time of the killings

NEED TO KNOW

The investigation into the slayings of Monique and Spencer Tepe last month took a turn over the weekend as police arrested a suspect
Michael David McKee is facing murder charges in connection to the crime
McKee was previously married to Monique, and the couple began living separately just months into their marriage

The man charged in connection with the murders of a beloved Ohio dentist and his wife was once married to one of the victims for less than two years.

Michael David McKee, 39, has been arrested on murder charges in connection with the Dec. 30 killings of Monique and Spencer Tepe in Columbus, Ohio.

Monique, 39, was briefly married to McKee over a decade ago before she filed for divorce in June 2017, according to court filings reviewed for PEOPLE. The couple had wed in August 2015.

The filings reveal the former couple lived together for only eight months of that marriage, separating in March 2016.

In a divorce petition filed by Monique in June 2017, Monique claimed the two were “incompatible.”

Michael McKee court (left); and Monique Tepe and Spencer Tepe.WBNS 10TV/YouTube; Rob Misleh

Monique was found fatally shot alongside Spencer, 37, just feet away from their young children, ages 4 and 1.

The kids were physically unharmed, and their extended family previously shared with PEOPLE that they are grappling with how to explain to them the circumstances of their parents’ killings.

Michael McKee, Accused in Ohio Couple’s Murders, Expected in Court

Authorities have not publicly stated a possible motive behind the killings, or whether there were any concerns the couple had regarding McKee prior to the crime.

McKee was initially charged with two counts of murder following his arrest on Saturday, Jan. 10.

This came after an investigation using neighborhood video surveillance led police to a suspect — who they tracked to a car that arrived before the deaths and left shortly after, PEOPLE previously reported, citing a criminal complaint.

Authorities were able to track the vehicle and link it to McKee, and once the car was located, police found evidence that McKee was “in possession of the vehicle prior to and after the homicides,” the complaint states.

The charges against him were soon upgraded to aggravated murder, according to a Jan. 11 court filing obtained by PEOPLE.

Michael David McKee (left); and crime scene outside the home of Monique and Spencer Tepe.Winnabago County Sheriff’s Office; Doral Chenoweth/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

McKee appeared in an Illinois court on Monday, Jan. 12, and his lawyer said that he plans to enter not guilty pleas to the charges, court officials told PEOPLE.

Clad in yellow and appearing grim, McKee also waived his right to an extradition — paving the path for his return to Ohio to face the charges, the Rockford Register Star reported.

The Overlooked Vow

🚨 “WE WERE WARNED — AND MISSED IT.”

After rewatching the wedding video from five years ago of dentist Monique Tepe and her husband Spencer Tepe, investigators and experts say a chilling detail suddenly snapped into focus. One moment. One set of words spoken through tears. At the time, it seemed like nothing more than emotional wedding vows—beautiful, even. Now, police and former FBI agents admit it may have been the earliest public warning sign of deep-seated resentment that festered for nearly a decade.

And the one detail everyone overlooked could explain why her ex-husband, Michael David McKee, allegedly drove hundreds of miles to end their lives.

Monique and Spencer Tepe were found shot to death in their Columbus, Ohio, home on December 30, 2025—just weeks before what would have been their fifth wedding anniversary. Their two young children, ages four and one, were unharmed inside the house. No forced entry. No gun recovered at the scene. The case exploded into national headlines as a baffling double homicide.

For days, police released grainy surveillance video of a “person of interest” walking through a snowy alley near the home between 2 and 5 a.m.—head down, dark hoodie, light pants. Tips flooded in. Theories swirled: home invasion, random violence, even questions about the marriage itself.

Then came the arrest.

On January 10, 2026, authorities arrested 39-year-old Michael David McKee, Monique’s ex-husband, in Rockford, Illinois. A vascular surgeon by profession, McKee was charged initially with two counts of murder, then upgraded to premeditated aggravated murder—carrying the possibility of life in prison or the death penalty. He waived extradition and is expected to face trial in Ohio, where he reportedly intends to plead not guilty.

McKee and Monique had married in August 2015. The union lasted less than two years—they separated after just eight months, and Monique filed for divorce in June 2017 citing “incompatibility.” Court records show a short, troubled marriage: she bought her own wedding and engagement rings, and there were allegations of emotional abuse and threats to her life during their time together, according to family members who spoke to NBC News.

Her brother-in-law described McKee as having threatened her life on multiple occasions. He allegedly sent written correspondence years after the divorce, still calling her his wife and insisting she would “never get rid of him.” Some reports suggest obsessive behavior persisted—stalking-level fixation.

But the piece that investigators reportedly revisited—and that has stunned true crime watchers—was Monique’s own words in the wedding video, publicly shared and viewed by thousands.

In her vows to Spencer, delivered through visible emotion, Monique said something along these lines (paraphrased from multiple accounts and analyses):

“I had quite a journey to get to you—countless bad Bumble dates, wrong relationships, and waterfalls of tears—but it was worth every cringing second because it led me to you.”

She began to cry as she spoke about the “wrong relationships” and the “waterfall of tears” that preceded her happiness with Spencer. At the time, it read as romantic vulnerability—the classic “I kissed a lot of frogs” wedding trope.

Now, rewatched in the shadow of the murders, experts see something darker.

Former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer, speaking on NewsNation, pointed to those exact lines as potentially revealing. The tears, the reference to past pain, the emphasis on how long and hard the path was to this “right” relationship—could it have been read by McKee as a public dismissal? A declaration that their brief marriage was one of the “wrong” ones? A final, humiliating nail in the coffin of his ego?

Analysts speculate that McKee may have obsessively rewatched the video in the days leading up to the killings—internet activity reportedly showed repeated views of the uploaded ceremony, along with searches for the couple’s names. The short marriage, the quick divorce, the fact that Monique moved on to build a new life, a new family, a thriving dental practice with Spencer—all while McKee allegedly carried lingering rage.

A former police chief speaking to Fox News described a “multitude” of possible motives: jealousy, inadequacy, resentment built over years. The killings happened just after the couple’s near-fifth anniversary—a milestone McKee never reached with her. In his mind, extinguishing their happiness may have felt like reclaiming control.

The family released a statement after the arrest: “Today’s arrest represents an important step toward justice for Monique and Spencer. Nothing can undo the devastating loss… but we are grateful to the Columbus Police Department.”

As of mid-January 2026, McKee remains in custody pending transfer. The motive has not been officially confirmed by investigators—likely to be revealed in discovery—but the wedding vows have become a haunting centerpiece in public discussion.

One gesture. One tearful sentence about “wrong relationships” and “waterfalls of tears.” Spoken in joy. Heard, perhaps, as rejection.

We were warned—years ago, on camera, in front of family and friends. And we missed it.

The case continues to unfold. But for the Tepe family, the children left behind, and a community in shock, the questions are no longer “who” or even fully “why.” They are: How long was this pain waiting to explode? And how many other warning signs hide in plain sight?