Neighbors of the Chicago surgeon suspected of gunning down his ex-wife and her dentist husband were shocked to learn the man they shared their luxury apartment complex with is an alleged “serial killer.”
Michael David McKee was arrested in Rockford, Illinois Saturday and is accused of fatally shooting Spencer and Monique Tepe inside their upscale four-bedroom Columbus, Ohio, home on Dec. 30.
Gera-Lind Kolarik said that the 39-year-old vascular surgeon, who was married to Monique Tepe, 39, from 2015 and 2017, did not give off any suspicions when they would see each other on the same apartment block of their ritzy Lincoln Park neighborhood.
“He did not seem like somebody that would do something like this,” Kolarik told ABC 7 Chicago. “You never know. You meet people everywhere, and you don’t know if they’re a serial killer.”
Kolarik recalled that her interaction with her neighbor was on a friendly occasion and the two would make small talk.
“I sat down with this man, and talked with him at the pool, barbecuing, about what a beautiful day it is, and then he turns out to be a killer. It’s kind of shocking,” Kolarik told the outlet.
The violent attack happened between 2 and 5 a.m. in the upstairs of the couple’s home north of Columbus. No gun was discovered at the scene and there was no sign of forced entry, police said.
The Tepes were found on the second floor of their home suffering from apparent fatal gunshot wounds while their 4-year-old daughter, 1-year-old son and pet dog were not physically harmed in the shooting.
“How do you explain to a child that mom and dad are here one day and gone the next… Those are the real victims of this whole case, are the children,” Kolarik said.
Spencer Tepe’s employer called 911 after becoming alarmed that he hadn’t shown up for work on Dec. 30, according to audio obtained by Fox News Digital.
Another worried caller contacted police later that morning to report that they could hear the Tepes’ children inside the home before a family friend discovered a body inside the house during a wellness check.
Eerie surveillance footage released by authorities showed a “person of interest” walking down an alley near the couple’s home in the early hours on the day of the deadly shooting.
More coverage on the deaths of the slain Ohio dentist and his wife
Columbus officials tracked a vehicle in the Weinland Park neighborhood where the couple lived before the double killing and later left for Rockford, Illinois.
McKee was identified as the owner of the car, the Columbus Dispatch reported.
Monique Tepe filed for divorce from McKee in May 2017, in an amicable split while the couple lived in Virginia.
Spencer, 37, and Monique, 39, were reportedly killed one month shy of their five-year anniversary.
“Nothing can undo the devastating loss of two lives taken for too soon,” the Tepe family said in a statement after McKee’s arrest, according to ABC 7 Chicago.
“We thank the community for the continued support, prayers and compassion shown throughout this tragedy. As the case proceeds, we trust the justice system to hold the person responsible fully accountable.
“Monique and Spencer remain at the center of our hearts, and we carry forward their love as we surround and protect the two children they leave behind. We will continue to honor their lives and the light they brought into this world.”
McKee has been charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of the Tepes and is being held at the Winnebago County Jail, according to court records.
He is expected to appear in court on Monday.
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