Surgeon's First Moments in Custody Revealed in Ohio Double Homicide Case
Newly released footage has provided a stark glimpse into the initial incarceration of a surgeon accused of a brutal double murder in Ohio. The video, obtained by Fox News, captures Michael McKee, aged 39, during his first few moments behind bars at the Franklin County Corrections Center.
McKee faces serious charges following the deaths of his ex-wife, Monique Tempe, 39, and her husband, Dr. Spencer Tepe, 37. The couple was found fatally shot in their Ohio home in the early hours of December 30.
Footage Details and Legal Proceedings
The video shows McKee being processed into custody. He appears calm as officers pat him down while he wears a blue t-shirt and red shorts. Led by officers in handcuffs and a blue zip-up jacket, he is given jail-issued tan coloured slides before being formally taken into custody.
McKee was arrested on January 10 in Rockford, Illinois, before being extradited to Ohio. He now faces four charges of aggravated murder and an additional charge of aggravated burglary in Franklin County. The surgeon has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
Investigation and Evidence
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by the Columbus Dispatch, investigators pieced together a timeline leading to McKee's arrest. Surveillance camera footage allegedly showed the surgeon outside his ex-wife's home in Weinland Park, a neighbourhood outside downtown Columbus, on December 6. This was approximately three weeks before the Tepes were found dead.
The couple had been away that weekend to attend a Big Ten Championship Game in Indiana. Investigators noted that McKee had allegedly been driving a silver SUV, which was spotted multiple times near his ex-wife's home before the murder. The affidavit revealed that the SUV had a sticker on the window with a stolen Ohio license plate.
Further investigation linked the vehicle's registration to past addresses where McKee had lived and a hospital where he previously worked. Investigators also discovered that McKee's phone showed no activity from December 29 until after noon on December 30. Law enforcement believes the couple was killed just before 4am, with their bodies discovered around six hours later.
Victims and Crime Scene Details
Monique Tempe was found with a gunshot wound to her chest, while Spencer Tepe suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Tragically, their one-year-old son, four-year-old daughter, and family dog were found in the home unharmed.
Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant addressed the case at a press conference following McKee's arrest. She confirmed that McKee had a gun with him when detained and that multiple weapons were taken from his property. Chief Bryant stated there is a preliminary link between one of these weapons and the homicides.
'What we can say, this was a targeted attack. This was a domestic violence-related attack, as we know McKee is the ex-husband of Monique Tepe,' Bryant explained. She added, 'We believe at this point we have the person responsible for the murders of Monique and Spencer Tepe, and that person is Michael McKee.'
Background and Family Response
McKee and Monique Tempe were briefly married and divorced in 2015. Court records previously seen by the Daily Mail indicate that in her complaint for divorce, Monique stated she was 'incompatible' with her then-husband.
Ahead of a memorial service for the couple, a relative told the Daily Mail that McKee's arrest was 'absolutely not a shock' to the family, who had been expecting it. 'We are all breathing a bit of a sigh of relief, because they got him,' the relative added.
Michael McKee remains in custody at Franklin County Corrections Center and is being held without bond as the legal proceedings continue.
