The clock is ticking for the man accused of killing a pair in their Columbus, Ohio, dwelling to be despatched again to the Buckeye State to face expenses.
Michael David McKee was arrested over the weekend in Illinois on two counts of homicide in the deaths of Monique Tepe and her husband, Spencer. McKee – Monique’s ex-husband – waived his proper to an extradition listening to Monday.
Now, authorities in Ohio have 30 days to convey him to the state so proceedings can start, in accordance to Joey Jackson, a felony protection lawyer and NCS authorized analyst. McKee’s public defender indicated to the choose that his shopper intends to plead not guilty in Ohio.
While police aren’t commenting on a motive for the December 30 killings – and it might be some time earlier than one is revealed, Jackson says – police revealed a number of particulars of their investigation Wednesday.
Investigators recovered “multiple weapons” from McKee’s property, Columbus police Chief Elaine Bryant stated, and there’s a preliminary hyperlink from a ballistics database tying one of the weapons to the homicides. She didn’t elaborate on the sort of weapons they’re.
McKee’s automobile was seen on neighborhood video surveillance arriving simply earlier than the Tepes have been killed and leaving shortly afterward, Bryant stated, and they later positioned that automobile in Rockford, Illinois.
“We have evidence that he was there during the time of the actual homicides,” Bryant stated, including police consider McKee is the particular person seen in surveillance video police launched final week.
“This was a targeted attack,” Bryant stated at the information convention. “This was a domestic violence-related attack.”
NCS has reached out to the public defender’s workplace in Winnebago County, Illinois, the place McKee is being held pending extradition, for remark.
It will not be a “legal imperative” for prosecutors or investigators to provide a motive, Jackson stated. The state solely has to show that McKee meant and completed the murders. Simply put, at the time of a trial, prosecutors “don’t have to establish why you did what you did — they just have to establish that you did it,” he stated.
In follow, nevertheless, when attorneys enter a courtroom and current their case in entrance of a jury, they’re attempting to inform a narrative, Jackson stated.
“Most people want to know why a person might have acted that way,” he stated. “So even though a motive is not an element of the crime, meaning you don’t have to prove it, generally prosecutors will suggest one.”
Monique Tepe and McKee married in August 2015. Their divorce was finalized lower than two years later — in June 2017, court docket data present — a few month after it was filed by Tepe, who was utilizing her maiden title of Sabaturski at the time.
They had no youngsters collectively and court docket data don’t point out any main conflicts all through the divorce proceedings. The Tepes’ killings got here greater than eight years after the divorce.
Columbus police had no stories of any incidents associated to McKee and Monique Tepe earlier than the killings, Bryant stated Wednesday.
Once the case goes to discovery and investigators search to uncover extra details about McKee, together with his social media, web searches and what he stated to different individuals, a motive would possibly turn into obvious by way of the proof, Jackson stated.
However, Jackson stated, police and different officers concerned in the case are doubtless attempting to guarantee McKee’s proper to a good trial, and it’s potential they received’t publicly discuss a motive till then. Prosecutors need to restrict the info they provide the public for 2 causes, he stated: to restrict the particulars supplied to the protection, and to protect the integrity of witnesses’ accounts.
Jackson stated he’s “not surprised” that even when investigators do know the motive, “that they’re not telling us.”
McKee additionally has not been formally indicted. That can’t occur till he’s in Ohio, Jackson stated. Right now, only a felony criticism has been issued, he stated.
Colleagues of Spencer, a revered dentist, had referred to as 911 the morning of December 30 after he uncharacteristically didn’t present up to work. The couple was found dead later that morning in the dwelling the place they lived with their two youngsters, ages 4 and 1, simply north of downtown Columbus. Police say the youngsters have been discovered in the dwelling unhurt.
The expenses towards McKee in Ohio have been upgraded by Monday morning to premeditated, aggravated homicide, data present. The Columbus Division of Police informed NCS in an e-mail that was as a result of “detectives believe they met the elements” for McKee to face the extra severe offense, with out saying precisely what these parts the place.
Premeditated, aggravated homicide is a extra severe offense and carries a potential life sentence with out parole or the dying penalty. That’s in contrast to 15 years to life in jail for homicide.
Murder expenses require prosecutors to show past an inexpensive doubt that the defendant “purposely caused the death of another person,” in accordance to the Ohio revised code. For aggravated homicide, the state should additionally show the particular person dedicated the killing with “prior calculation and design.” Aggravated homicide can be charged if the deaths occurred whereas one other severe crime was going down, according to the law.
The upgraded expenses recommend investigators have proof of premeditation, Jackson stated, however famous that premeditation might be “formed in an instant.”
The allegation that McKee drove his automotive “from point A to point B” is one factor that might be “suggestive of premeditation,” in accordance to Jackson.