A short marriage, a decade-long silence — and a devastating turn. Monique Tepe and her ex separated after just eight months of marriage, a chapter that seemed firmly in the past. Nearly ten years later, that history has resurfaced in the most shocking way imaginable. Prosecutors now say the man she once divorced has been charged with murdering both Monique and her husband, turning an old relationship into the center of a chilling criminal case. What was once described as a brief, incompatible union is now being reexamined through court filings and evidence, raising unsettling questions about what lingered long after the split — and how the past can return with deadly consequences.

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Monique Tepe and Her Ex Separated After 8 Months of Marriage. Nearly 10 Years Later, He’s Charged with Murdering Her and Husband

Authorities allege a vehicle connected to Monique Tepe’s ex-husband Michael David McKee was seen near her Ohio home around the time of the killings

NEED TO KNOW

  • The investigation into the slayings of Monique and Spencer Tepe last month took a turn over the weekend as police arrested a suspect
  • Michael David McKee is facing murder charges in connection to the crime
  • McKee was previously married to Monique, and the couple began living separately just months into their marriage

The man charged in connection with the murders of a beloved Ohio dentist and his wife was once married to one of the victims for less than two years.

Michael David McKee, 39, has been arrested on murder charges in connection with the Dec. 30 killings of Monique and Spencer Tepe in Columbus, Ohio.

Monique, 39, was briefly married to McKee over a decade ago before she filed for divorce in June 2017, according to court filings reviewed for PEOPLE. The couple had wed in August 2015.

The filings reveal the former couple lived together for only eight months of that marriage, separating in March 2016.

In a divorce petition filed by Monique in June 2017, Monique claimed the two were “incompatible.”

Michael McKee court, Monique Tepe and Spencer Tepe

Monique was found fatally shot alongside Spencer, 37, just feet away from their young children, ages 4 and 1.

The kids were physically unharmed, and their extended family previously shared with PEOPLE that they are grappling with how to explain to them the circumstances of their parents’ killings.

Authorities have not publicly stated a possible motive behind the killings, or whether there were any concerns the couple had regarding McKee prior to the crime.

McKee was initially charged with two counts of murder following his arrest on Saturday, Jan. 10.

This came after an investigation using neighborhood video surveillance led police to a suspect — who they tracked to a car that arrived before the deaths and left shortly after, PEOPLE previously reported, citing a criminal complaint.

Authorities were able to track the vehicle and link it to McKee, and once the car was located, police found evidence that McKee was “in possession of the vehicle prior to and after the homicides,” the complaint states.

The charges against him were soon upgraded to aggravated murder, according to a Jan. 11 court filing obtained by PEOPLE

Michael David McKee, 39 currently in custody at the Winnebago County Jail in Rockford, Illinois. He is the ex-husband of Monique Tepe; Columbus police responded to 1411 N. 4th St. where they found Monique Tepe, 39, and Spencer Tepe, 37, dead at the residence
Michael David McKee (left); and crime scene outside the home of Monique and Spencer Tepe.Winnabago County Sheriff’s Office; Doral Chenoweth/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

McKee appeared in an Illinois court on Monday, Jan. 12, and his lawyer said that he plans to enter not guilty pleas to the charges, court officials told PEOPLE.

Clad in yellow and appearing grim, McKee also waived his right to an extradition — paving the path for his return to Ohio to face the charges, the Rockford Register Star reported.

His lawyer said he could be transferred to Ohio as early as this week, according to the Columbus Dispatch.