The Tepe Murders — The Obsession No One Saw Coming
Just after midnight in Columbus, Ohio, two small children were sleeping in their beds.
Prologue: A Chilling Night in Columbus
December 30, 2025. 3:52 a.m. Columbus, Ohio.
Inside a quiet home in Vineland Park, two children—ages four and one—slept soundly in their beds. In the next room, their parents, Dr. Spencer Teepe and his wife Monnique, were shot to death. The killer left no weapon, no signs of forced entry, nothing stolen. Just two bodies, two orphaned children, and a mystery that would haunt a city and a family forever.
When police arrived hours later, they quickly realized this was not a random act of violence. It was the culmination of something that had been building for nearly a decade. The suspect: a successful vascular surgeon living more than 300 miles away in Chicago. A man with no criminal record, respected by colleagues, seemingly living a normal life. But investigators would soon discover what Monnique’s family had feared for years—Michael David McKe had never let go of his ex-wife.
Chapter 1: The Making of a Surgeon
Michael David McKe’s early life reads like an American success story. As a first grader in the 1990s, he won honorable mention in a state poster contest. At 13, he was recognized at Ohio Wesleyan University’s State Science Day. He won his city spelling bee, graduated fifth in his high school class, was named a National Merit Scholar, and joined the National Honor Society. He wasn’t just smart; he was driven. Football player, high achiever—the kind of person parents point to and say, “That’s who you should be like.”
He attended Ohio State University, then medical school. In 2014, he graduated from OSU’s College of Medicine and became a vascular surgeon—one of the most demanding surgical specialties. These are the doctors who perform life-or-death procedures on blood vessels, who make split-second decisions in operating rooms.
But high achievement and emotional stability are not the same thing. In fact, the very traits that make someone an exceptional surgeon—the need for control, the inability to accept failure, the capacity to compartmentalize—can become dangerous when applied to personal relationships.
Chapter 2: A Marriage in Pieces
On August 22, Michael McKe married Monnique Sabaturski. He was still in his residency, enduring the brutal years of medical training where doctors work 80-hour weeks and sleep in hospitals. But something was wrong almost immediately. The couple separated during much of their marriage—not after years of trying, but during. They were separated for significant portions of the time they were legally married.
In May 2017, Monnique filed for divorce using her maiden name. The divorce was finalized in June 2017—less than two years after they married, with only seven months of actual marriage. The records showed nothing remarkable: no restraining orders, no custody battles, no documented abuse, no police reports, no major asset disputes. On paper, it looked like one of the most amicable divorces you could have. Two young people who married too quickly, realized their mistake, and moved on.
But Monnique’s family knew something the court records didn’t show. When the murders happened seven years later, they weren’t shocked that it was McKe. A relative told the Daily Mail they had suspected for a while who was responsible. When McKe was arrested, they described it as a sigh of relief, not shock, but confirmation.
You don’t have that kind of certainty unless you know something. Unless someone—Monnique—told you something that scared you.
Chapter 3: Diverging Paths
After the divorce, their lives diverged, at least on the surface. McKe moved on with his career. He got licensed in California, Nevada, Illinois. He worked at OSF St. Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, Illinois. He had an apartment in downtown Chicago, made good money, owned a nice condo, and drove a nice car. His neighbor described him as friendly, normal, someone you’d barbecue with at the pool.
Monnique rebuilt her life in Columbus. In December 2020, she married Dr. Spencer Teepe, a dentist known for his kindness and dedication. Together, they had two children and bought a house in Vineland Park. By all accounts, they were genuinely happy—a family described as extraordinary, filled with love, joy, and deep connection.
Chapter 4: The Facade of Normalcy
For most divorced couples, the story ends here. One person moves to Illinois and becomes a surgeon; the other remarries, has kids, builds a new family. They never speak again. It’s over. But for Michael McKe, it was never over.
On the outside, McKe’s life appeared enviable. He was a successful vascular surgeon, respected by colleagues, and living in a vibrant city. Friends and neighbors described him as sociable, someone you’d invite to a poolside barbecue. At work, he was calm under pressure, capable of making life-or-death decisions in the operating room. But behind closed doors, a silent obsession had taken root—a fixation that would ultimately destroy more than just his own life.
Monnique, meanwhile, flourished in Columbus. Her wedding vows to Spencer Teepe hinted at years of searching for happiness: “Countless bad bumble dates, wrong relationships, and waterfalls of tears. But it was worth every cringing second because it led me to you.” Together, they built a life filled with joy, purpose, and family. Spencer, a dentist at Athens Dental Depot, was beloved in his community, mentoring youth and serving the underserved. Their two children became the center of their world.
Chapter 5: The Digital Trail
When investigators arrested McKe and seized his devices, they found something that changed everything: his search history. For nearly seven years, McKe’s online activity regarding Monnique and Spencer was minimal—almost nonexistent. Then, in November 2025, something changed. Former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindafer told NewsNation, “Spencer Teepe’s name spiked in McKe’s Google searches in November 2025. Everyone’s flatlined and then all of a sudden he spikes.”
This digital signature was the mark of escalation. McKe wasn’t casually curious; he was researching, planning, obsessing. Investigators believe he looked up Spencer’s dental practice, his schedule, his commute route, real estate records, maps of the neighborhood, and even the layout of Vineland Park. They began scouring McKe’s phone records, movements, and social media activity, looking for evidence of stalking or reconnaissance.
Podcast host Gigi McKelie raised a haunting question: “How often was he stalking them? Was he seeing her public profiles of a very happy marriage? Then come the children and think, ‘That should have been me.’” For seven years, McKe could have watched Monnique’s life unfold online—engagement announcements, wedding photos, pregnancy news, baby pictures, family vacations, every milestone, every smile. Every piece of evidence that she was happier without him.
Chapter 6: The Psychology of Obsession
What made McKe’s obsession particularly dangerous was his ability to compartmentalize. By day, he was Dr. Michael McKe, performing complex surgeries, maintaining composure in operating rooms. By night, he was obsessively Googling his ex-wife’s new husband, studying their lives, planning.
His neighbor in Chicago had no idea, describing shock when McKe was arrested: “I sat down with this man and talked with him at the pool, barbecuing about what a beautiful day it is—and then he turns out to be a killer.” His colleagues at OSF St. Anthony Medical Center were blindsided. The hospital issued a statement expressing complete surprise and cooperation with authorities.
This ability to maintain a normal facade while harboring obsessive, violent thoughts is what makes certain perpetrators so frightening. The surgeon’s training—the ability to remain calm under pressure, to separate emotion from action, to plan meticulously—had been weaponized.
Chapter 7: The Family’s Unspoken Fears
But Monnique’s family wasn’t fooled. When Spencer’s brother-in-law, Rob Misler, spoke to NBC News, he said the family quickly believed McKe was responsible—not suspected, not wondered, believed. A relative told the Daily Mail they had their suspicions for a while but consciously chose not to say so publicly during the investigation, not wanting to jeopardize the case.
That level of restraint requires absolute conviction. What did they know? The relative said there were no recent problems between the Teepees and McKe before the murders, but their certainty suggested they knew something deeper—something from the past that made them always worry about McKe. The most likely scenario: Monnique had confided in her family at some point, perhaps during the marriage, the divorce, or in the years after, telling them something that made them afraid.
Chapter 8: The Trigger
For years, Monnique’s family lived with quiet dread. They trusted her judgment, respected her privacy, but always wondered if the past would return. And then, in November 2025, something shifted.
Former police chief Jeffrey Holstead told Fox News, “Usually with long-standing separation, something has to trigger. Are there any recent chats? Any changes in the suspect’s demeanor?” Investigators considered several possibilities:
Anniversary Timing: The Teepe’s fifth wedding anniversary was approaching—a milestone longer than Monnique’s entire relationship with McKe. For someone who never let go, this could have been unbearable.
Personal Collapse: Perhaps something in McKe’s own life destabilized—a failed relationship, professional stress, financial trouble.
Social Media Post: Maybe a family photo, a vacation, or an anniversary post triggered him.
Children’s Ages: By late 2025, the Teepe children were four and one, a settled, permanent family—a reality McKe couldn’t escape.
Whatever the trigger, November’s spike in searches led directly to planning. This was not impulsive—it was methodical.
Chapter 9: The Crime
On December 30th, 2025, between 2 and 5 a.m., Spencer and Monnique Teepe were murdered in their home. Police determined the exact time—3:52 a.m.—through phone data and surveillance. There were no signs of forced entry. Did McKe have an old key? Did he pick the lock? Did someone let him in? The details remain unreleased.
No weapon was found at the scene. McKe brought it and took it with him. Investigators tracked a vehicle arriving before the homicides and leaving shortly after. It was found in Rockford, Illinois, registered to McKe. Surveillance footage showed a figure in light pants and a dark hooded jacket walking in the alley behind the Teepe home.
The children slept through the tragedy, or were too young to understand. The family dog was unharmed. By sunrise, McKe was back in Illinois.
Chapter 10: The Aftermath
At 8:58 a.m., Spencer’s boss called 911—Spencer hadn’t shown up for work, and neither had Monnique. A police officer was dispatched for a wellness check but went to the wrong address, a critical error. An hour later, a friend arrived at the correct house and saw the bodies through a window. The 911 call was chilling; children’s cries echoed in the background.
Columbus police worked the case for nearly two weeks, releasing surveillance footage but never publicly naming McKe. Behind the scenes, they built a case: geofencing phones near the property, tracking the vehicle, analyzing footprints, and crucially, McKe’s Google searches.
On January 11th, 2026, police arrested Michael David McKe in Rockford, Illinois. He appeared in court days later, emotionless, shackled, saying only “Yes” to confirm his identity. His public defender asserted his right to remain silent and to plead not guilty. McKe waived extradition, agreeing to be sent to Ohio to face charges of premeditated aggravated murder—a charge requiring proof of prior calculation and design.
Chapter 11: The Evidence and Unanswered Questions
As the case moves toward trial, key pieces of evidence will emerge:
Search History: What exactly was McKe researching? Maps, schedules, murder methods?
Phone Data: Where was McKe on December 30th? Did he try to create an alibi?
Social Media: Was he monitoring Monnique and Spencer for years?
Communications: Any messages, threats, or attempts at contact?
Weapon: Will ballistics link the crime to McKe if the gun is found?
Home Surveillance: Did baby monitors or smart devices capture anything?
Despite the avalanche of evidence, the fundamental questions remain. What did Monnique tell her family that made them immediately suspect McKe? What warning signs did they see that the rest of the world missed? What specifically happened in November 2025 to trigger McKe’s escalation?
Chapter 12: Could This Have Been Prevented?
Monnique did everything right. She left the marriage, moved on, built a new life far from her ex-husband, had no children with him, remarried, and seemed happy. But none of it was enough protection against someone who never let go.
The tragedy of the Teepe murders isn’t just that two people died—it’s that their family saw this coming, and there was nothing they could do. The divorce was amicable on paper. McKe had no criminal record. There was no obvious legal mechanism to stop him.
Now, two children—ages four and one—grow up without parents. They’ll eventually learn that their mother’s ex-husband, a man she divorced before they were born, took everything from them. And somewhere in a jail cell, Michael McKe sits silently, offering no explanation, no remorse, no answers to the question that haunts everyone who knows this story.
Epilogue: The Unanswered “Why?”
In the end, the story of Dr. Michael McKe is not just about obsession and violence. It’s about the silent dangers lurking beneath the surface of ordinary lives, the warning signs that go unnoticed, and the heartbreak of families who saw it coming but could not stop it.
The courtroom will decide McKe’s fate, but the most important questions may never be answered. Why did he never let go? What was the final trigger? And how many more tragedies like this remain hidden behind the facades of success and normalcy?
