Serialously with Annie Elise – Episode 357

Title: Spencer & Monique Tepe | The Truth About Her Ex & The Full Story
Date: January 19, 2026
Host: Annie Elise
Topic: The double homicide of Spencer and Monique Tepe, the botched police response, the shocking arrest of Monique’s ex-husband, and unraveling the deeper story.

Episode Overview

This episode provides a deep-dive investigation into the tragic murder of Spencer and Monique Tepe in Columbus, Ohio, just before New Year's Eve 2025. Annie Elise reconstructs the sequence of events, focusing on the overlooked police errors, the family’s desperate attempts to get help, and the ensuing arrest of Monique’s ex-husband, Michael McKee. The episode also explores the couple's personal histories, theories swirling online, and outstanding mysteries in the case.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Timeline of Discovery: Multiple 911 Calls and Police Missteps

• First Call (8:58 a.m., Dec 30, 2025): Spencer's absence at work prompts concern, leading to a wellness check request. He’s described as obsessively reliable, making his no-show extremely alarming ([05:46]).
• Police Go to Wrong Address: The initial responding officer mistakenly checks a different house, not the Tepe home, unbeknownst to all involved ([15:50]).
• Escalation (10 a.m. and after): Multiple associates and friends, physically at the correct house, call 911 with increasing desperation, indicating they can hear the Tepe children inside, but nobody answers the door ([10:43], [11:51]).
• Discovery: Finally, an acquaintance peers through a window and sees Spencer’s body, triggering a confirmed emergency response ([13:34]).

“This was a guy who was very dependable. So when the office realized that Spencer... gave no heads up, no text, no call, it wasn't just inconvenient, it was alarming.” – Annie Elise ([05:46])

“The officers went to the wrong address entirely... So at the time that these calls were coming in, everybody was operating under a false sense of reassurance.” – Annie Elise ([15:48])

2. Crime Scene and Immediate Reactions

• Scene Details: Both adults, Spencer and Monique, are found shot (multiple times for Spencer, at least once in the chest for Monique). Their two young children (ages 4 & 1) are found unharmed in the home ([17:05]).
• Initial Theory Debunked: Despite initial speculation about murder-suicide, it’s ruled out due to the lack of a weapon at the scene ([17:05]).

“There was absolutely no murder weapon at the scene. So that single fact... changed the entire direction of this case.” – Annie Elise ([17:05])

3. Public Theories and Early Leads

• Burglary Ruled Out: No signs of forced entry or missing valuables.
• Targeted Attack?: The manner of the crime (in the bedroom, children unharmed) felt personal, but the couple was universally described as loving, community-minded people with no known enemies ([22:00-24:00]).

“Who goes into a family's home... shoots both of the adults and leaves without taking anything, and leaves the children unharmed and alive?” – Annie Elise ([22:24])

• Surveillance Image Released (Jan 5): Person in dark hoodie seen in a nearby alley on the night of the murders, but with no firm identifying features ([27:00]).

4. Mysterious 911 Calls – Earlier Red Flags?

• April 2025 Anonymous Call: A distressed woman calls 911 from Tepe home, but hangs up. The returned call reveals a crying woman who denies being Monique; later confirmed by police not to be her ([31:45]).
  • Family insists the voice is not Monique’s.
  • No clear explanation ever given.

“That's not Monique's voice. It doesn't sound like her. It's not her tone, it's not her cadence... nothing about it matched.” – Annie Elise ([31:45])

• Neighbor’s Call Right Before Murders: Days before, a neighbor reports a strange man banging on her door at 2:31 a.m.—the same time frame as the murders ([33:51]).

5. The Arrest: Monique’s Ex-Husband Revealed as Suspect

• Michael McKee Arrested (Jan 10, 2026): A 39-year-old Chicago surgeon, Monique’s former husband, is charged with two counts of murder, later upgraded to aggravated murder ([45:00]).
• Police Track Vehicle: License plate camera links McKee’s car to the area at the relevant time ([45:30]).
• Community Reaction: The revelation is both shocking and oddly “predictable” to some relatives, who mention a troubled marital history ([45:30], [53:20]).

“It was absolutely not a shock to anybody. We had all expected it, but we weren't saying that because we didn't want to compromise the investigation.” – Anonymous relative ([52:28])

6. Peeling Back the Past: Who Is Michael McKee?

• Brief, Turbulent Marriage to Monique: Married in August 2015, separated after 7 months, official divorce filed May 2017. No children together.
• Restraining Order: Mutual restraining orders issued—uncommon unless serious issues documented.
• Divorce Details: Court filings show pettiness (e.g., haggling over jewelry and minor debts with high interest), suggesting underlying animosity.
• No Criminal Record: McKee is a surgeon with licenses in several states, but no criminal past.

“From what I can gather, restraining orders aren't just handed out like candy... so the fact that there was this mutual restraining order... it tells me at least that there had to be clear, concrete reasons for it.” – Annie Elise ([45:30])

• Recent Personal Downturns: Malpractice complaint filed in Sept 2025, followed by attempts to evade service; he subsequently relocates ([48:00]).
• Family Dynamics: Allegedly adopted, estranged from adoptive parents, with no family defense forthcoming after his arrest ([56:54]).

7. Motive and Psychological Dynamics

• Lingering Obsession?: Michael never dated or remarried post-divorce; Monique’s visible happiness and family with Spencer may have acted as triggers.
• Family’s Fear: Relatives recall Monique referencing threats and abuse from Michael during their short marriage ([53:43]).

“She was terrified because he had threatened her life on multiple occasions when they were married... If any of us had known that these threats were actually grounded in possibility, we all would have acted differently.” – Brother-in-law ([53:43])

• Online Speculation: Some theorize McKee left the children alive to replicate his own adoption trauma; most agree any rational motive is elusive ([57:54], [61:08]).

8. Recent Developments & Legal Updates

• Weapons Discovery: Multiple firearms found at McKee’s residence, with one believed to match ballistics from the murder scene ([63:13]).
• Use of Silencer: This could explain why neighbors did not hear shots, despite previous experiences with gunfire in the area ([63:20]).
• First Court Appearance: McKee appears emotionless, waives extradition ([63:30]).

“One of them is allegedly connected to the murders, meaning he had a gun that matches the evidence that was found at the crime scene... He used a silencer...” – Annie Elise ([63:13])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the initial response:
  “So even after knocking multiple times, nobody comes to the door. The officer doesn’t just knock and leave either... But still nothing. No movement, no voices, nobody stepping outside to say that everything’s fine. And then the officer leaves.” – Annie Elise ([07:00])

• On police mistakes:
  “The officers went to the wrong address entirely...” – Annie Elise ([15:48])

• When motive is discussed:
  “Why would a successful surgeon who is living in a completely different state come all the way back to Ohio to allegedly murder his ex wife and her now husband... nearly 10 years after the divorce was finalized? I mean, why now?” – Annie Elise ([45:30])

• Family context:
  “Their two young children... they are now in the care of family members, which... always guts me. No matter the case, no matter the age of the children, it always gets to me.” – Annie Elise ([64:00])

• On the investigation's future:
  “We currently right now are doing a really big research into Michael and his history... definitely expect a follow up episode.” – Annie Elise ([66:00])

Important Timestamps

• [04:45]: Explanation of Spencer’s reliability, why his absence was a red flag.
• [09:16]: Police (incorrectly) arrive at the wrong address for the welfare check.
• [13:34-13:52]: Discovery of a body in the house.
• [15:50]: The critical police error (wrong house for wellness check).
• [17:05]: Initial murder-suicide theory and why it was rejected.
• [22:24]: Theories about motive - was this a random act?
• [30:43-31:45]: 911 call from April 2025 (unknown woman’s voice).
• [33:51-34:19]: Neighbor’s 911 call about a suspicious man before the murders.
• [45:00]: Arrest of Michael McKee is announced.
• [53:43]: Family member describes history of threats from McKee to Monique.
• [63:13-63:20]: Discovery of murder weapon and use of silencer.
• [64:00]: Update on children’s welfare.

Conclusion & Continuing Questions

• Unanswered Questions:
  • Why did McKee act nearly a decade after the divorce?
  • How did he gain access to the Tepe home?
  • What was the significance of the 911 calls and odd events in the days leading to the murders?
  • Was there digital evidence or renewed contact leading up to the crime?
• Ongoing: The case is still under investigation. Annie promises follow-up episodes as more is uncovered.

Annie’s final thoughts:
“I am so glad that [whoever committed this crime] left the children unharmed... But I can’t even imagine trying to grapple with what their family is going through right now. ... Be nice. Don’t kill people, don’t threaten people. And if your gut is telling you something is wrong, make the phone call and check on a friend or a family member.”

End of Summary