Monique Tepe: Why McKee's Not Guilty Plea May Be Strategy, Not Surrender

The evidence against Michael McKee looks damning. Surveillance footage allegedly linking his vehicle to the Columbus home where Spencer and Monique Tepe were found shot to death. A firearm from his Chicago condo matched through national ballistics databases. Witnesses describing years of alleged threats—that he could "kill her at any time," that Monique would "always be his wife." His phone going silent during the murder window.

Yet McKee pleaded not guilty. He waived extradition immediately. He waived his bail hearing while reserving future rights. Most people see surrender. Defense attorneys see something else.

Bob Motta breaks down what a defense lawyer actually sees when examining this case. The surveillance footage—how reliable is it? The hearsay testimony from friends—Monique's not alive to testify, so can prosecutors even use it? The phone going dark sounds damning, but digital evidence cuts both ways.

Then there's the psychology. Forensic experts call defendants who view prosecution as competition rather than consequence the "game player"—the pattern seen in Scott Peterson, Chris Watts, Ted Bundy. Men facing overwhelming evidence who refused to fold. The same detachment that allows someone to treat a murder trial as an intellectual exercise may enable the crime itself. For the game player, other people aren't pieces. They're not fully real. The trial isn't punishment—it's the championship round.

This is an aggravated murder charge. Prosecutors must prove premeditation—not just that he did it, but that he planned it. Eight years passed between the divorce and the murders. That timeline cuts both ways.

Spencer and Monique Tepe were found shot to death in their Weinland Park home on December 30th, 2025. Their two young children were found unharmed. McKee has pleaded not guilty and is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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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.