"She Just Had to Get Away From Him" — Family Speaks for First Time on Tepe Murders

"She just had to get away from him."

For the first time since the murders, Spencer Tepe's brother-in-law Rob Misleh went on national television and said what the family had been holding back. Monique told them Michael McKee was emotionally abusive. That he tormented her. That she was willing to do anything to escape.

She did escape. Filed for divorce after seven months. Left Virginia. Moved back to Ohio. Started over.

She married Spencer Tepe in late 2020 and had two children. In her wedding vows, she spoke about "wrong relationships" and "waterfalls of tears" — but said it was all worth it because it led her to him.

Eight years passed. She built the life she wanted.

Then, according to police, at 3:52 in the morning on December 30, 2025, the man she fled allegedly drove from Illinois to Columbus and shot Monique and Spencer dead while their children slept in another room.

Columbus police have now confirmed this was a targeted domestic violence attack. They recovered multiple firearms from McKee's residence. Ballistics show a preliminary link to the murders.

Over 1,000 people attended Spencer and Monique's funeral. Misleh said the family wants one thing: justice. For Monique. For Spencer. For the two children who no longer have parents.

McKee maintains his innocence. He plans to plead not guilty to two counts of premeditated aggravated murder.

She got out. She did everything right. It just wasn't far enough.

#HiddenKillers #TepeMurders #MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #DomesticViolence #EmotionalAbuse #TrueCrimePodcast #ColumbusOhio #SurvivorStory

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This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.