McKee Tepe Case: The Psychology of Fear No One Talks About

McKee Tepe Case: The Psychology of Fear No One Talks About

When Monique Tepe divorced Michael McKee in 2017, she did what every expert says to do — she got out. She moved on, remarried, had children, and built a stable life in Columbus, Ohio with her husband Dr. Spencer Tepe. But according to an unsealed affidavit, the danger didn't end with the divorce. Witnesses told investigators McKee had threatened to kill Monique, told her she would always be his wife, and allegedly subjected her to strangulation and sexual violence during their marriage.

Court records allege that in the weeks before December 30, 2025, McKee surveilled the Tepe residence using a silver SUV outfitted with stolen Ohio and Arizona license plates. Surveillance footage allegedly captured him on the Tepe property during the Big Ten Championship weekend while the couple was in Indianapolis. Three weeks later, Spencer and Monique were found shot to death in their home. Their two children, ages four and one, were found alive.

This episode breaks down the neuroscience and psychology of sustained threat — how chronic fear changes brain chemistry, decision-making, and perception of danger. We examine why normalization of fear is one of the most misunderstood aspects of domestic violence and why the post-separation period is statistically the most lethal. We also look at the institutional blind spots that allowed McKee to allegedly move between four states, acquire and lose medical licenses, evade a process server, and remain unconnected to any domestic violence database.

Michael McKee has pleaded not guilty to all charges including aggravated murder and aggravated burglary. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

#MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #TrueCrimeToday #DomesticViolencePsychology #NormalizationOfFear #ColumbusOhio #AggravatedMurder #SystemFailure #TrueCrimePodcast

Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/

Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/
Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod
X Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePod

Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

Episoder(500)

Colin Gray Murder Trial: What the Prosecution's Timeline Reveals

Colin Gray Murder Trial: What the Prosecution's Timeline Reveals

The trial of Colin Gray is underway in Barrow County, Georgia — and the prosecution's opening statement laid out a timeline that may be the most detailed case for parental accountability ever presente...

20 Feb 18min

Guthrie Case Psychology: The Suspect, the Noise, and the Family's Trauma

Guthrie Case Psychology: The Suspect, the Noise, and the Family's Trauma

The Nancy Guthrie case is three psychological crises happening simultaneously — and each one is making the others worse. The suspect planned enough to surveil the home for weeks but executed with amat...

20 Feb 45min

Guthrie Family: Grieving a Missing Mother While the Internet Played Detective

Guthrie Family: Grieving a Missing Mother While the Internet Played Detective

The Guthrie family spent seventeen days in a psychological vise — grieving a mother whose fate they don't know, while the internet decided they were suspects. Annie Guthrie was the last person to see ...

19 Feb 16min

Rob Reiner Case: Why Denial Isn't Stupidity

Rob Reiner Case: Why Denial Isn't Stupidity

You saw the patterns. You recognized the cycle. Somewhere underneath all the hoping — you knew.And you stayed anyway. Not because you were blind. Because the truth was unsurvivable.Rob and Michele Rei...

19 Feb 27min

Guthrie Case Overwhelmed: Fake Leads, Bungled Evidence, and Zero Answers

Guthrie Case Overwhelmed: Fake Leads, Bungled Evidence, and Zero Answers

Two and a half weeks into the Nancy Guthrie disappearance, the investigation has been buried under a mountain of noise that shows no sign of clearing. At least one ransom communication has been confir...

19 Feb 12min

Nancy Guthrie: Two DNA Profiles, One Case — And the Cartel Theory Falls Apart

Nancy Guthrie: Two DNA Profiles, One Case — And the Cartel Theory Falls Apart

The Nancy Guthrie investigation just revealed something the headlines buried. The DNA from a glove found two miles from her home does not match the DNA recovered inside her property. That's two differ...

19 Feb 22min

Guthrie Kidnapper Psychology: What the Suspect's Mistakes Expose

Guthrie Kidnapper Psychology: What the Suspect's Mistakes Expose

The suspect in the Nancy Guthrie case made a series of decisions on the night of February 1st that tell a psychological story investigators are still trying to read. He masked his face. He brought a w...

19 Feb 17min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
forklart
popradet
stopp-verden
i-retten
det-store-bildet
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
fotballpodden-2
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-gukild-johaug
nokon-ma-ga
rss-ness
aftenbla-bla
hanna-de-heldige
e24-podden
frokostshowet-pa-p5
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
rss-dannet-uten-piano