Monique Tepe Left Friends in Panic After Michael McKee Incident—Just Weeks Before Her Murder.

A newly unsealed affidavit filed in the first-degree murder case against Michael McKee has revealed that Monique Tepe abruptly left a social outing with friends three weeks before her death due to an unsettling encounter or communication involving the man now accused of killing her. The document, made public January 29, 2026, provides the first glimpse into a previously unreported incident that friends and investigators believe may have been an early sign of escalating danger.

According to the affidavit, on the evening of October 18, 2025, Tepe—then 32 and working as a marketing coordinator in Raleigh—met several friends at a popular downtown bar for drinks after work. Witnesses interviewed by detectives stated that Tepe arrived in good spirits, laughing and sharing stories as usual. Around 9:40 p.m., however, her demeanor changed abruptly after she checked her phone. Friends described her face going pale; she excused herself to the restroom and returned visibly shaken.

One friend, who spoke to police under condition of anonymity, recalled Tepe saying quietly, “I have to go. Something’s wrong with Michael.” When pressed, she only repeated that she needed to leave immediately and would explain later. She left without finishing her drink, paid her tab quickly, and walked to her car alone despite friends offering to escort her. None of them saw her again alive.

Tepe was found dead in her apartment on November 8, 2025, after coworkers reported her missing following several days of unreturned calls and texts. She had been stabbed multiple times in what police described as a “frenzied attack.” Michael McKee, 35, a former coworker with whom Tepe had a brief romantic relationship that ended acrimoniously in early 2025, was arrested two days later after DNA from under her fingernails matched his profile and surveillance footage showed his vehicle near her building the night of the murder.

The affidavit states that investigators obtained phone records showing McKee had sent Tepe a series of increasingly hostile messages in the weeks leading up to her death. On the night of October 18, he allegedly sent a photo of himself standing outside the bar where Tepe was socializing, accompanied by the message: “I see you’re having fun without me.” Friends confirmed Tepe showed them the photo and text before leaving; she appeared frightened and told them she did not know how he had found her location that evening.

Detectives believe the October 18 incident was part of a pattern of stalking behavior. Additional records show McKee had followed Tepe on multiple occasions after their breakup, appeared uninvited at events she attended, and sent messages referencing details of her daily routine that she had not shared with him. Tepe had confided in at least two friends that she felt “watched” and had considered filing a restraining order but worried it would escalate the situation.

The affidavit also details physical evidence recovered from Tepe’s apartment: a broken necklace chain matching one McKee had given her during their relationship, a partial fingerprint on a kitchen drawer handle, and blood spatter consistent with defensive wounds on her hands and arms. Security camera footage from the apartment complex shows a hooded figure matching McKee’s build entering the building shortly after 11 p.m. on November 7 and leaving approximately 40 minutes later. The figure was carrying what appeared to be a dark bag; no weapon was recovered, but the medical examiner concluded the wounds were inflicted with a single-edged knife similar to a common kitchen or utility blade.

McKee was arrested at his Raleigh residence on November 10, 2025. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bond. His defense attorney, Jennifer Hale, issued a statement saying her client “categorically denies any involvement in Ms. Tepe’s death” and that “many of the allegations in the affidavit are circumstantial and subject to challenge.” Prosecutors, led by Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman, have indicated they will seek the death penalty if convicted.

For Tepe’s family and friends, the affidavit has reopened wounds that had barely begun to heal. Her mother, Lisa Tepe, spoke briefly outside the courthouse after the document was unsealed: “We always knew Monique was afraid of him. She told us she felt like she was being followed. Now we know how close she came to getting help—and how little time she had left. Three weeks. That’s all the warning she got.”

Tepe’s coworkers remember her as warm, creative, and always willing to help others. She had recently been promoted and was planning a trip to visit family in Colorado over the holidays. Friends have set up a memorial fund in her name to support domestic violence awareness and victim services in the Triangle area.

The case has renewed attention on stalking laws in North Carolina. Advocates note that while Tepe had considered a protective order, she hesitated because she feared it would provoke McKee further—a common concern among victims. The October 18 incident is now being examined as a missed opportunity for earlier intervention.

As the trial date approaches in late summer 2026, prosecutors say they are prepared to present a timeline of escalating harassment culminating in the night of November 7–8. For the family, the unsealed affidavit is painful proof of what they long suspected: Monique Tepe knew she was in danger, tried to protect herself, and still could not escape the threat.

Her father’s words from the day her body was found still echo: “She was the light in every room. Whoever took her light from us needs to face the full consequence of what they stole—not just a life, but every tomorrow she should have had