The chilling details emerging from the December 30, 2025, double homicide of Monique Tepe, 39, and her husband Spencer Tepe, 37, in their Columbus, Ohio home continue to reveal a pattern of alleged controlling behavior by Monique’s ex-husband, Michael David McKee, 39, the vascular surgeon now charged with four counts of aggravated murder and aggravated burglary.

Sources close to the family and friends of Monique have shared intimate glimpses into her life before and after her brief, tumultuous marriage to McKee (2015–2017). One particularly telling habit highlighted by those who knew her: after marrying Spencer Tepe in December 2020, Monique began leaving her phone openly on her bedside table again—for the first time in years. This simple act symbolized the peace and trust she found in her new marriage, a stark contrast to the fear and control she reportedly endured during her time with McKee.

Here are touching family photos of Monique and Spencer Tepe, capturing the joyful, loving life they built together with their two young children:

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Friends recount that during her marriage to McKee, he always placed his phone on the bedside table before midnight, a ritual that allegedly served as a tool of surveillance and intimidation. Monique felt compelled to hide her own phone while she slept—tucking it away in drawers, under pillows, or elsewhere out of reach—to prevent him from checking her messages, calls, or location at any hour. This behavior, described by loved ones as part of a broader pattern of emotional abuse, jealousy, and coercive control, left Monique feeling constantly monitored and unsafe.

Rob Misleh, Spencer’s brother-in-law, has been vocal about Monique’s past, telling media outlets that she confided in family about McKee’s threats to her life “many times” and the emotional torment she endured. She was “willing to do anything to get out of there,” Misleh said, emphasizing how the marriage’s incompatibility stemmed from deep-seated control issues rather than simple differences.

Monique’s wedding vows to Spencer, shared in tributes after the tragedy, referenced overcoming “wrong relationships” and a “waterfall of tears”—words now seen by many as allusions to the pain inflicted by McKee. In her new life, the freedom to leave her phone bedside represented reclaiming autonomy, trust, and a “pleasantly quiet” existence free from fear.

Here are images of Michael McKee from his mugshot and court appearances, the accused ex-husband whose alleged resentment culminated in the tragic events:

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The broader pattern of control

Experts and friends have pointed to coercive control as a key element in Monique’s first marriage—subtle but persistent behaviors like monitoring communications, dictating routines, and instilling fear. McKee reportedly struggled to accept her happiness with Spencer, with one friend telling outlets that seeing her thrive “destroyed his fragile little ego.” A clerical error briefly reopening their 2017 divorce case on the docket in June 2025 (later dismissed) may have further fueled his fixation.

The crime itself—targeted, with no forced entry, a silenced firearm for quiet execution, and the children left unharmed—underscores the personal, calculated nature. Surveillance placed McKee near the home, ballistics linked a weapon from his property, and he was arrested after fleeing to Illinois.

As the case heads toward trial, these small but symbolic details—like the bedside phone—paint a heartbreaking picture of a woman who finally found safety and love, only to have it violently stolen. The Tepe children, now with family, remain the focus of community support amid ongoing grief.