Michael McKee stands accused of the murder of his ex-wife, Monique Tepe, and her husband, Spencer Tepe, with evidence suggesting he left shell casings at the scene, despite employing a silencer during the crime.

McKee faces charges including four counts of aggravated murder and one count of burglary, related to the tragic events of December 30. Authorities discovered the couple shot to death within their Columbus residence.

Upon investigation, police uncovered “three 9mm shell casings” at the location, ultimately leading to McKee’s arrest on January 10 in Rockford, Illinois.

The investigative team utilized the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), a database that archives images of shell casings, to trace back the markings to a firearm located in McKee’s Rockford apartment.

Joseph Scott Morgan, a Distinguished Scholar of Applied Forensics at Jacksonville State University, explained to “Crime Stories” host Nancy Grace that the “internal barrel” of the gun is crucial in determining the origin of the shell casings.

Despite this, McKee allegedly used a silencer, also known as a sound suppressor, during the crime, which is typically used to reduce a weapon’s noise.

Darryl Cohen, a Former Assistant District Attorney in Fulton County, Georgia, however, added that a silencer can play just as much of an important role when it comes to proving guilt.

“As a prosecutor, I loved silencers,” Cohen said. “That was an additional witness that was saying the owner of this silencer, muffler, suppressor, whatever you want to call it, is guilty.”

Investigators also tracked McKee’s vehicle to the couple’s neighborhood, after obtaining security footage from an alley, that showed him there at some point between 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. on December 30.

Police believe he carried out the killings at around 3:42 a.m. that morning.

McKee fled the scene but allegedly kept the weapon in his possession, according to the grand jury indictment.

He’s currently behind bars, awaiting extradition from Illinois to Ohio.

Check back for updates.

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[Feature Photo: Monique and Spencer Tepe/Handout]