The surgeon accused of fatally shooting an Ohio dentist and his wife in a killing authorities described as a “targeted attack” pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of aggravated murder and burglary.
Michael McKee, 39, appeared via video from the Franklin County jail wearing a tan prison-issued shirt and a name tag.
Standing straight and looking directly at the camera, McKee let his lawyer enter his plea for him and stayed silent through the minuteslong hearing.
McKee was booked Tuesday into the jail in Columbus, Ohio, after his extradition from Illinois in connection with the Dec. 30 killing of Spencer Tepe, 37, and Monique Tepe, 39, at their Columbus home.
Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant has described the shooting as a “domestic violence-related attack.”
McKee was married to Monique Tepe for two years, roughly a decade ago. Their relationship ended because of “incompatibility,” divorce records show. A relative of Spencer Tepe’s has said McKee was emotionally abusive.
McKee’s lawyer, Diane Menashe, made no comment on the latest legal development Friday.
Earlier, a former medical school roommate of McKee’s, Jonathan Navar, told NBC News that he was shocked to learn of the arrest.
Navar lived with the former couple in 2013 and 2014 said McKee was “obsessed” with Monique Tepe, but added that he saw no abuse and no red flags.
He described McKee as a good fraternity brother and sociable friend who was fun to be around.
Spencer Tepe, who worked at a dental practice in Athens, Ohio, married Monique Tepe in 2021. They were found dead after a friend stopped by their home for a wellness check on the morning of Dec. 30 and found his body in a puddle of blood, according to a transcript of a 911 call released by the Columbus Division of Police.
The couple’s two young children were found unharmed in the home, authorities have said.
The Tepes’ relatives have said the couple shared a “beautiful, strong, and deeply happy relationship” and the family was heartbroken by their deaths.
“While no outcome can ever undo this loss, our family is committed to seeing this tragedy fully and fairly brought to justice, and to honoring Spencer and Monique by protecting the future of the children they loved so deeply,” the family said.
McKee, who lives in Chicago, was arrested Jan. 10 by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Rockford, Illinois, where he is listed as a vascular surgeon at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center.
Multiple firearms were seized from McKee’s property, including one of which police think is the murder weapon, Bryant, the police chief, told NBC News last week.
The five-count indictment handed down against McKee said that at the time of the killings he was armed with a weapon equipped with a silencer.
Erin McLaughlin and Jake Lubbehusen contributed.
