Hidden True Crime - The Final Moments of Spencer & Monique Tepe — According to the Evidence

Episode Date: February 11, 2026

Newly released autopsy and coroner reports in the murders of Spencer and Monique Tepe reveal critical forensic details that dramatically shift how this crime is understood. In this episode, we carefully break down what the medical evidence actually shows — including what the wounds, trajectories, and toxicology reports confirm about intent, awareness, and the level of violence involved. We also discuss the recent Hulu special The Perfect Couple: Inside the Ohio Murders and what it covered — and what it left out. Sponsor: Switch to Mint Mobile and get unlimited premium wireless for just $15/month for a limited time at mintmobile.com/HIDDEN. About Hidden True Crime What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling. Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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and we remain grateful for the many reporters on the ground and investigators working to bring her home. And as soon as important updates come in, we will continue to break them down here at Hidden 2 Crime. We'll do so carefully, responsibly. But today, we also have deeply disturbing new information in the Spencer and Monique Tepe case, a case that we have been following from the very beginning.

It's the newly released autopsy and coroner reports that lay out in clinical detail what happened in the moments after their killer entered the bedroom. And these are difficult documents to hear. But they are critical because what's described shows an extraordinary level of violence that changes how this crime is going to be understood moving forward. And we're going to break down exactly what these reports say, why they matter, and what they reveal that hasn't been publicly discussed. So you can understand the full scope of what happened. And as we know, investigators believe Monique's ex-husband, Michael McKee, is responsible, but it's critical to remember that he is innocent until proven guilty. What we are talking about

here is the documented medical evidence, publicly released records, as well as a new Hulu episode that has already aired on this case. And that Hulu episode is called the Perfect couple inside the Ohio murders and it is part of the impact by Nightline series. And when the episode was first announced, honestly, a lot of people were skeptical and that skepticism made sense. The case is still ongoing. It's fresh. There hasn't been a trial, not even close to something that's a trial. And some people worried that the episode would feel rushed, exploitative, or like another piece of content trying to capitalize on this tragedy. And I honestly, I had some of those concerns going into watching this.

But after watching it, I no longer feel that way. I thought the episode was respectful and thoughtfully well done. It didn't sensationalize the violence and it didn't turn Spencer and Monique into characters in a story that said. I also felt that it did leave out quite a bit of information. some of which we are going to talk about today. Overall, though, I felt the tone and intent were both very careful and considerate. So before we get into the forensic detail, the Hulu episode did add some personal context about Spencer and Monique that I really think matters in this case. We learned that they met online and that their first date was at a bar where they talked for hours.

And according to people close to the couple, it really did feel like a love at first sight. sort of story. Things moved quickly in the relationship, but it wasn't reckless. Their loved ones describe the relationship as affectionate, genuine, and very real. And I find that incredibly moving, especially knowing what Monique had been through in her previous marriage, the fear, the trauma, and the things that she carried quietly in the background that she ended up desperately trying to escape. And the fact that her heart was still open, that she was still willing to trust and have hope for something more and believe that the right person was out there and that love could be safe again, that is not a weakness, that is strength. And I think that part of

her story deserves to be remembered just as much as anything else. I also think it says a lot about Spencer. Spencer came into Monique's life knowing that she carried trauma and probably had trust issues from her past. But instead of being intimidated or pulling away, he showed up in a way that made her feel safe. And through their love, they were able to build a life, a beautiful life, create a beautiful family, which makes this all more tragic. And now after reading through the newly released autopsy and corner reports and sitting with them for a while, honestly, what stands out the most overall is how blunt and unemotional these reports are. These documents do not soften anything and they don't really leave room for any interpretation. The medical

examiner's language, it's of course it's clinical. It's very precise. And then overall, you can imagine with both of those adjectives, it's devastating. And, Once you read the reports in full, it becomes impossible to minimize just how violent, violent this attack was. Starting with Monique. So her official cause of death is listed as multiple gunshot wounds to the head, trunk, and extremities. And the manner of death is ruled a homicide.

From a medical standpoint, Monique was intentionally killed, intentionally killed. And according to the report, she was shot nine times. Those gunshot wounds were spread across her body, including a wound to her face, multiple wounds to her chest and torso, and additional wounds to her arms and hands. Several of the shots to her chest were immediately catastrophic. Bullets passed through both lungs and directly through her heart. One severed a major coronary artery, which caused extremely rapid and, severe internal bleeding. The medical examiner documented large amounts of blood in both sides of her

chest cavity and around her heart, confirming that these injuries would have caused very rapid cardiovascular collapse. These were not survivable injuries according to the report. The gunshot wound to Monique's face entered through her right cheek, fractured facial bones, and exited near the left side of her jaw and ear. The bullet traveled front to back, right to left, and downward. While trajectory details can help investigators understand positioning, the key takeaway is that it was a very direct, forceful gunshot wound. It was not a graze, this was not shrapnel, or a secondary injury. Monique also sustained multiple gunshot wounds to her arms and her hands, which I'm going to get into in just a bit. Her left upper arm bone, though, was shattered into several pieces, and a bullet fragment was recovered from that fracture.

So injuries like this are often seen when someone is moving during an attack, possibly raising their arms or reacting instinctively. The medical examiner does not label these as defensive wounds. They want to make that clear. They simply document what is present, right? It's precise and it's scientific, but I can't help but see this as something that would, you know, be sort of a defensive wound. But again, the report simply documents what is present. Minor abrasions and a bruise were also noted, but not anything that can be. attributed to her death. And something that appears repeatedly in the reports is the absence of suit

or stippling around the entrance wounds. And this matters because suit and stippling are often indicators of very close range or contact shots. And so the absence of both these things tells us the gun was not pressed against Monique's body when it was fired. The exact firing distance is limited as indeterminate, but these were not contact shots. Toxicology testing was also done in these reports, and it showed the presence of several prescribed medications, and so these medications included hydroxazine. It's often prescribed for anxiety or sleep, and then there is satirazine for allergies. There was dachsyllamine, which is an over-the-counter sleep aid, and anphetamine, which is commonly prescribed for ADHD,

and fluoxetine in antidepressant. And all of these medications were found at therapeutic levels. There were no illegal substances. There was no alcohol in the toxicology report and no indication of any overdose on these medications. The medical examiner is very clear that none of these medications contributed to Monique's death in any way. And I want to pause on this and just clarify. Prescribed medications at therapeutic levels do not indicate impairment, instability, or causation. These are medications millions of people take every day. The report explicitly states that Monique was otherwise healthy and that her death was sudden. It was violent and entirely caused by gunshot wounds. There has also been additional forensic insight from Nicole and Jimmy,

certified pathology assistant and host of the IHeart podcast Mother Nose Death. She has assisted in or performed thousands of autopsies. And while she was not involved in this case, she did review the findings and shared her professional perspective. And Anjami explains that all nine of Monique's gunshot wounds showed hemorrhage, which confirms that her heart was still beating when each injury was inflicted. And that's a crucial detail. Hemorrhage means active bleeding, right?

And active bleeding only occurs when the heart is pumping blood. And so this tells us that Monique was alive when every single one of those shots occurred. Anjami also explains that of the nine gunshot wounds, only four. The wounds to the chest and trunk were directly fatal. The other five were not independently fatal, meaning Monique experienced those injuries before she died. Anjimi also speculated that based on the injury pattern, the shooter may have initially attempted to shoot Monique in the head and missed, and that Monique may have tried to block or deflect some of the shots. And this is expert interpretation. This is not an official autopsy finding, but it is expert interpretation that I wanted to share. and it aligns with what is often seen in sudden close proximity attacks.

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was listed as multiple gunshot wounds to the head, neck, torso, and extremities. And his manner of death is also ruled a homicide. There is no ambiguity there. Spencer was intentionally killed, just like his wife, Monique. Spencer was shot seven times. So Monique 9, Spencer 7. Initially, when this case broke, we had heard that Spencer was shot more times, possibly, than Monique. but they were both shot several times. Spencer 7, Monique 9. Those wounds to Spencer affected his head,

neck, chest, abdomen, back, arm, and hand. And one of the most devastating injuries was a gunshot wound to the head. A bullet entered through his left ear, traveled through his skull, brain, and brain stem and exited near the right ear. Along that path, it caused severe skull fractures, bleeding inside the brain, and extensive destruction of brain tissue, including partial transsection of the brain stem. Injuries like this, again, not survivable. In addition to the head wound, Spencer sustained a gunshot wound to the neck that passed through soft tissue as well as multiple gunshot wounds to his chest and back. And these shots perforated both lungs, fractured ribs, and caused massive internal bleeding. Each side of his chest cavity contained approximately one liter of

blood, indicating how rapid and severe the blood loss was. Another bullet traveled through Spencer's abdomen, fracturing a rib, tearing through a diaphragm, perforating the transverse colon, with fecal material present and passing through the liver before exiting. This caused additional internal bleeding and compounded trauma. Spencer also sustained gunshot wounds to his left hand and right upper arm. Again, the hand wound fractured multiple bones in his fingers in a bullet was recovered from his arm during the autopsy. So as with Monique, there was no suit or stippling present, meaning these were not contact shots. And Spencer's toxicology report was completely negative. No drugs. No alcohol and no medications that contributed to his death. He was otherwise healthy,

and his death was entirely due to gunshot wounds. So Nicole and Jemmy also commented on Spencer's injuries. She explained that of the seven gunshot wounds, four were fatal. One caused serious injuries that could have been survivable with immediate medical care and two were non-fatal wounds to his arm and hand. She pointed out that gunshot wounds to the hands in both victims suggest awareness of the attack and attempts to shield themselves. So heartbreaking to hear. And that awareness is echoed in the 911 call placed after the murders. In that call, Spencer's friend can be heard crying and saying he could see Spencer lying partially off the side of the bed covered in in blood. And when the dispatcher asked what the blood looked like, he said he couldn't look anymore.

It's this raw emotional call that gives you a sense of just how overwhelming the scene was for the people who found them. Spencer's cousin, Audrey Mackey, shared updates on the family in the Hulu episode as well. And she said that their beloved doodle, Larry, who many of you have asked about, is staying with Spencer's sister Madeline and that the children, are currently with Monique's parents. Neighbors also reported seeing something concerning earlier in December. A person was seen reportedly lurking around the Tepe property, which raised questions about whether the home had been surveilled prior to the murders.

So the Hulu episode also went into some of Michael McKee's background. In school, he was described, get this, interesting, as the stereotypical popular kid, Michael McKee. And honestly, this is impressive. We learned that Michael McKee was an all-state football player near the top of his class, as well as a national merit scholar. Impressive. He attended Ohio State University where Monique also earned her undergraduate degree.

It's where they met. And after they married, they bought a home in Roanoke, Virginia, while Michael completed his residency in vascular surgery. So on paper, the marriage appeared, ideal. In reality, though, it lasted just over two years with a separation even earlier, and the divorce filings appeared very straightforward. I've looked at them. There were no shared assets, no children. Separate properties and incompatibility was listed as the reason for the divorce. It's listed for many divorces, right? Monique requested to keep her wedding rings,

noting that she paid for them herself. They totaled around $6,000. And by 2020, both appear to have moved on. Monique remarried Spencer. Michael completed his residency and began a fellowship. But according to people close to Monique, the reality behind the scenes was much darker. She allegedly confided in only a small group about the abuse she endured. And this abuse that we have learned about that she shared with people included forced sex, strangulation, and repeated threats during and after. their marriage. She reportedly told loved ones that Michael said he could kill her any time he wanted,

that he would always find her and that she would always be his wife. And because of that history, when Monique and Spencer were murdered, their loved ones immediately told police who they believed the suspect was, that all-state football player, that merit scholar, a doctor. And in the Hulu episode fellow YouTuber and legal commentator Emily D. Baker explained the police initially gave a broad estimated time of death between two and five in the morning. Later, in the probable cause affidavit, that window was narrowed very specifically to 3.52am. Emily said that this level of precision usually suggests digital or technological evidence that allowed investigators to pinpoint the timing more accurately. And this was likely supported by surveillance footage,

police release showing a person walking in the alley behind the home, along with a vehicle arriving shortly before the murders and leaving shortly afterward. 10 days after the murders, Michael was arrested more than 400 miles away at a Chick-fil-A near his workplace in Rockford, Illinois. Last meal before being arrested, Chick-fil-A. Rockford, Illinois, Chick-fil-A. And his vehicle was later linked to the one seen on surveillance footage. And at the time of his arrest, Michael was living alone in a penthouse high-rise in Chicago. He and Monique had been divorced for eight years. And that raises the central question many people have asked, including me, what would be the motive after all that time? And of course,

we asked Dr. John Matthias that question and he laid it out for us his thoughts on a hidden motive, but we'll have a link to that in the description of this episode. Still though, Michael spent 10 days in an Illinois jail before being extradited to Ohio. Jail footage shows him appearing calm and seemingly detached and unbothered. For someone who had never been arrested before and had gone from a luxury high rise to a jail cell, his demeanor honestly stood out. He appeared emotionless, almost robotic, like he expected to be there. While Monique and Spencer's loved ones were not surprised by his arrest after the murders, one of Michael's neighbors, Charlene, said she was shocked. She described him as pleasant but always

alone and said that she ran into him a few days after the murders and everything seemed completely normal. It's hard not to wonder if during the time he was watching the news, reading article, seeing footage of himself, and wondering maybe when police would actually come and arrest him. Maybe he really knew. It was a risk, right? After his arrest, multiple weapons were seized from Michael's home, including one that was preliminarily linked to the bullets recovered from the scene. The indictment also alleges that a suppressor, sometimes known as a silencer, was used in these murders. Experts in the Hulu episode explained that the suppressors are rare. They're heavily regulated and they are not something that most people just happen to own.

They are expensive. They are difficult to obtain in many states and serve a very specific purpose. And in that context, it feels unusual for a medical professional to own something. something like that. Experts also noted that in addition to suppressing noise, silencers can also reduce the amount of gunshot residue left behind, which has clear implications in a criminal investigation. This is a detail that will likely be examined very closely in court. Investigators have also stated they do not believe December 30th was the first time Michael McKee went to the tepee home. And there was an incident, if you remember,

On December 6th, when Monique and Spencer, they were attending the Big Ten football championship game, and Monique left abruptly, left the game, returned to the hotel, and Spencer later told friends that the reason she left was because she was upset about something involving her ex-husband. Some things that the Hulu episode did not explore was Michael's adoption, his malpractice lawsuits, or the recent alleged glitches in the divorce filings with Monique. We also did not get any insight from people who knew him well, aside from that one neighbor who didn't seem like a best friend at all. Those are the type of details that often help build a fuller picture here at Hidden 2 crime

of a person beyond resumes and surface impressions. So we're still wanting to hear from those who knew him well, Michael McKee well. But as this case moves toward trial, it will be interesting to learn more about Michael McKee's family, his relationship with his parents, how and why he became estranged from them, which is what we've heard, and what friends and colleagues think about the charges. We will likely hear more about how people viewed his marriage to Monique while it was happening and about his state of mind in the years and days leading up to the murders. In other words, there's a lot more to learn about this case.

And not through speculation, but through testimony, records, and evidence presented in court, I am sure that we are going to learn quite a lot. And when you put all of this together, the autopsy reports do exactly, though, what they are meant to do, which is to cut through the same. speculation, right? But one thing, one thing that I speculate about still after reading through the report is how both Spencer and Monique had gunshot wounds to their hands and arms. Let that sink in. I certainly have. It tells us that they were likely trying to shield themselves from what they knew was coming. It's impossible not to imagine the absolute terror they must have felt, the helplessness,

and how all they could have been thinking about in those moments was surviving for their children and protecting them. Their little ones were now growing up without either parent because of one very selfish individual who was on a clear mission to murder. From a medical and forensic standpoint, both Spencer and Monique's deaths were intentional. They were alive and aware for at least part of the attack and the level of violence here is staggering. This was not about scaring them or inflicting pain or anything else except wanting them dead. The shooter wanted them both dead. He shot them repeatedly, Spencer seven times Monique nine,

and the wounds reflect extreme rage and aggression aimed directly at both of them. These details will be central as the case moves forward. And until trial, we will continue to bring you any new updates as they come out about this tragedy. May justice be served. Most people don't realize how much their personal information is being bought and sold every day. Data brokers are making billions, pulling details about you from public records and the Internet, and then packaging and selling it, usually without your consent. That's how your information lands in the hands of scammers, spammers, even stalkers.

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