A former law enforcement leader has shed light on the possible motivations behind the alleged murder of an Ohio dentist and his spouse by an ex-husband, suggesting that a recent event might have been the catalyst.

Michael David McKee, aged 39, was taken into custody in Rockford, Illinois, under suspicion of fatally shooting Spencer Tepe, 37, and his wife Monique Tepe, 39, on December 30. The couple was discovered deceased from gunshot wounds at their residence in Columbus, Ohio. Court documents identify McKee as Monique’s former spouse.

According to court filings, Monique initiated divorce proceedings in 2017, merely two years after their marriage on August 22, 2015. Since 2020, McKee has resided in multiple states, including Virginia, Nevada, and Illinois, as per public records. Recently, he relocated to Chicago, Illinois, and was employed as a vascular surgeon in the Rockford area.

During a court appearance in Rockford, Illinois, McKee waived his rights to extradition, and his lawyer signaled an intention to plead not guilty upon his return to Ohio. He faces two counts of premeditated aggravated murder for the deaths of Spencer and Monique. According to jail logs, McKee was processed at the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office in Illinois just before noon on Saturday.

On December 30, 2025, Dr. Spencer Tepe, a dentist, and his wife Monique were tragically shot and killed in their Columbus, Ohio home. Monique’s ex-husband, Michael David McKee, has been apprehended and charged with their murders. (Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office/Rob Misleh)

McKee appeared emotionless when he entered the courtroom on Monday, only saying “Yes” to the judge when asked by the judge to confirm his identity.

Court documents say police identified McKee by linking him to a car that arrived in the Tepes’ neighborhood shortly before the murders and left just after the homicides. That car was located in Rockford, Illinois, and authorities found evidence linking it to McKee. While McKee worked at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, he had an apartment in downtown Chicago.

Former Fort Worth Police Chief Jeffrey Halstead and Genasys spokesman told Fox News Digital there’s a “multitude of reasons” McKee may have killed Monique almost nine years after the couple got divorced. Halstead said he has worked with Columbus police in the past.

Michael McKee appears in court at Winnebago County Justice Center, Monday, January 12, 2026, Rockford, Illinois. McKee is facing extradition to Ohio for the murder of his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband, Spencer Tepe. (WIFR via Pool)

“I think what’s going to be critical for the investigators is a lot of the online search capacity, a lot, are there any recent chats? Were there any changes in the suspect’s demeanor in the last few months, last few years that could start delineating some type of frustration, revenge, outrage, jealousy, depression, anything, but usually the long-standing separation from the relationship, something had to trigger,” Halstead said. 

Halstead said in similar cases he’s covered, there was financial strain or some type of jealousy issue, but said McKee’s alleged murders of Spencer and Monique goes well beyond that.

Spencer and Monique Tepe were preparing to celebrate their five-year wedding anniversary. (Rob Misleh)

“I’ve seen these in times, in cases before, sometimes it’s relative to financial strain, financial hardship or something that the divorce was causing. This does not look like it would be the case here, but investigators are gonna have a lot of digging to find out potential motive other than just an ex-husband or jealousy,” he said.

However, Halstead said something recently had to have triggered McKee to allegedly kill the couple, and says it’s not “random.”

WATCH: Inside the hearing for suspect in killing of Ohio dentist and wife

“I think it’s going to be a recent event that triggered the anger which started this planning. It’s not random by any means. There was something that happened, whether it’s an episode or an argument or something that motivated this person to plan this and then carry it out,” Halstead said.

The couple was killed one month short of celebrating their five-year wedding anniversary, Rob Misleh, Spencer’s brother-in-law, told WSYX.