A former prosecutor has raised concerns about the evidence against surgeon Michael McKee, who is charged with murdering his ex-wife and her dentist husband in their Ohio home last month — after it took 11 days to arrest him.
McKee was arrested on Saturday, ending a frantic multi-day manhunt for the shooter who allegedly killed Monique Tepe, 39, and her husband Spencer Tepe, 37. He was apprehended after police traced his vehicle to the Columbus house the night of the murders.
Former prosecutor Matt Murphy expressed his thoughts on the case, stating that investigators are now sifting through “an avalanche of evidence” but noted that McKee had ample time to try to cover his tracks since the December 30th slayings. Murphy mentioned that McKee, being a vascular surgeon, would be familiar with DNA and could have taken steps to clean up any evidence.
However, Murphy also pointed out that mistakes could have been made in the process. He mentioned that for the majority of murderers, it is often their first time committing such a crime, which could lead to errors. In this case, a key piece of evidence might be footprints outside the house and the shoes McKee wore during the alleged break-in and shooting.
The charging documents mentioned that McKee’s car arrived just before the homicides and left shortly after, with the vehicle later being found near his workplace in Rockford, Illinois. Detectives are likely to examine the shoes worn by McKee for gunshot residue as part of the investigation.
McKee and Tepe were previously married from 2015 until their divorce in 2017, which was believed to be amicable. The motive for the killings has not been disclosed by the police, but relatives of the Tepes expected McKee to be arrested.
McKee is facing two counts of murder and is expected to be extradited to Ohio for a court hearing. The couple was found shot to death after Spencer’s colleague became concerned when he didn’t show up for work, leading to a wellness check that uncovered the tragic scene.
The Tepes had two young children, ages 1 and 4, who were found unharmed in the home after the murders. McKee’s arrest has brought some closure to the case, but the investigation into the motive and details of the crime continues.
