A Columbus double homicide that made national news over the winter also caught the attention of Oprah Winfrey.
The television icon talked to Maddie and Rob Misleh, sister and brother-in-law of slain Columbus dentist Spencer Tepe, on a June 23 episode of her podcast.
The couple, who also recently talked to a Netflix podcast about the deaths of Spencer Tepe and his wife Monique, sat down virtually with Winfrey to discuss the alleged abuse Monique Tepe experienced at the hands of her ex-husband, Michael McKee.
Monique Tepe, 39, and her husband, Spencer Tepe, 37, died Dec. 30, 2025. They were found shot inside their home on the 1400 block of North 4th Street in Columbus’ Weinland Park neighborhood; their two young children were in the home but physically unharmed.
McKee, who had been living in Illinois, is charged with aggravated murder and is held in Franklin County jail without bond.
What did the Mislehs tell Oprah?
Rob Misleh said Monique was not the type of person to shy away from her past, and she would talk about abuse she said she experienced at the hands of McKee. However, she always referred to him as her “ex-husband,” and did not mention him by name.
“She would never say his name,” Rob Misleh said. “I didn’t even find out his name until that night. She would tell us he would threaten her, threaten to kill her. He was emotionally abusive to her.”
When their bodies were found after the attack, Rob Misleh said he immediately thought of Monique Tepe’s ex.
“Nobody could say a bad thing about those two,” Misleh said. “So, [McKee is] the only person that could come to mind.”
Spencer Tepe’s sister, Maddie Misleh, said she was still surprised because Monique and Spencer Tepe had been together for many years.
McKee has pleaded not guilty to all charges. On Aug. 24, a case status conference will take place in Franklin County Common Pleas Court.
Dispatch Reporter Nora Igelnik can be reached at nigelnik@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Oprah Winfrey features family of Monique and Spencer Tepe, slain Columbus couple
Reporting by Nora Igelnik, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Nora Igelnik, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
