(NewsNation) — The ex-husband of an Ohio woman charged this weekend with the murders of her and her husband waived his right to an extradition hearing Monday in Illinois.
Michael David McKee, 39, a doctor from Chicago, has been charged with premeditated aggravated murder in the shooting deaths of 39-year-old Monique Tepe, whom he divorced in 2017, and dentist Dr. Spencer Tepe, 37, in their Columbus home on Dec. 30.
McKee, the ex-husband of Monique Tepe, appeared in court in Winnebago County, Illinois, where he has been jailed since his arrest on Saturday. He appeared expressionless while he walked into the courtroom wearing a yellow jumpsuit with shackles around his wrists.
The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office will coordinate McKee’s return to Franklin County, where the trial will take place, according to Tom Jakeway, trial court administrator for the 17th Judicial Circuit Court of Illinois.
McKee, a vascular surgeon in Chicago without a criminal record, was arrested over the weekend after a days-long manhunt spurred by the shooting deaths of Tepe and her husband, Spencer. He is scheduled to appear in an Illinois court Monday afternoon for an extradition hearing.
Authorities said the Tepes’ children were home during the killings but were left physically unharmed.
McKee’s motive remains unknown, but police were able to zero in on the suspect after home surveillance video spotted a man walking in the area near the Tepes’ home around the time of the killings. According to an affidavit, police linked McKee to the crime by tracking him to his car in Rockford.
McKee and Monique Tepe divorced in 2017 and had no children together.
“This divorce happened about nine years ago. They were married for such a brief time, just seven months, and so that is strange, but I think it was a deep-seated resentment and hate,” said Jennifer Coffindaffer, former FBI special agent and NewsNation law and justice contributor.
Monique and Spencer Tepe married in 2020 and had two children, ages 1 and 4.
Shortly after the arrest, the victims’ family issued a statement thanking law enforcement and saying they “trust the justice system to hold the person responsible fully accountable.”
On Sunday, friends and family honored the couple in Columbus, nearly two weeks after they were found dead in their home and just a day after police made the arrest.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help support the couple’s children. Before the suspect’s arrest, the couple’s brother-in-law told NewsNation affiliate WCMH the kids are in good hands and have many people stepping up to help take care of them.