Three weeks before Monique Tepe was found stabbed to death in her Raleigh apartment, she abruptly left a casual evening with friends after receiving what appeared to be a threatening or alarming message from Michael McKee—the man now charged with her murder. The incident, detailed in a newly unsealed affidavit released January 29, 2026, offers the first public glimpse into the escalating pattern of fear and control that friends and investigators believe preceded her killing on November 8, 2025.
According to statements from multiple friends interviewed by Raleigh police, Tepe, 32, had joined a small group at The Raleigh Times bar on October 18, 2025, for after-work drinks. She arrived relaxed and talkative, ordering her usual gin and tonic and laughing about a recent work presentation. Around 9:40 p.m., her phone lit up. She glanced at the screen, froze, then excused herself to the restroom. When she returned less than two minutes later, her face was pale and her hands were shaking.
One friend told detectives: “She came back and said, ‘I have to go right now. It’s Michael.’ She wouldn’t say anything else. She looked like she’d seen a ghost.” Another witness recalled Tepe showing the group a photo on her phone—a grainy shot of a man standing outside the bar’s large front windows—before quickly closing the screen. The accompanying text reportedly read: “Having fun without me?” Tepe did not respond to the message in front of her friends. Instead, she paid her tab, hugged everyone goodbye with unusual tightness, and walked alone to her car despite repeated offers to escort her.
None of the friends saw her again. Tepe was discovered dead in her apartment on November 8 after coworkers raised the alarm when she failed to appear for work or answer messages for three consecutive days. She had been stabbed at least 17 times in what investigators described as a “prolonged and violent attack.” Defensive wounds on her arms and hands indicated she fought for her life. Michael McKee, 35, a former colleague at the same marketing agency where Tepe worked until early 2025, was arrested two days later.
The affidavit outlines a timeline of harassment that began shortly after Tepe ended their brief romantic relationship in February 2025. Phone records show McKee sent hundreds of messages in the following months—many after she blocked his number—using alternate accounts and apps. He appeared uninvited at industry events she attended, waited in the parking lot outside her apartment building on several occasions, and sent photos of locations she frequented without explanation. Tepe confided in at least three friends that she felt “constantly watched” and had considered a protective order but feared it would provoke him further.
The October 18 incident is now seen as a critical escalation. Cell-tower data places McKee’s phone within 200 meters of the bar that night, despite him living more than 15 miles away. Friends told police Tepe had never mentioned McKee knowing her plans that evening; she had only decided to meet them after work. The photo he sent showed the exterior of the bar from street level—suggesting he was physically present and watching her through the window.
Physical evidence recovered from Tepe’s apartment further ties McKee to the scene. A broken necklace chain matching one he had given her during their relationship was found near the body. A partial fingerprint on a kitchen drawer handle and blood spatter patterns consistent with defensive wounds were also documented. Surveillance footage from the apartment complex captured a hooded figure matching McKee’s height and build entering the building shortly after 11 p.m. on November 7 and leaving approximately 40 minutes later carrying what appeared to be a dark bag. No weapon was recovered, but the medical examiner determined the wounds were inflicted with a single-edged knife similar to a common utility or kitchen blade.
McKee has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bond. His defense attorney, Jennifer Hale, issued a brief statement: “The allegations remain unproven and heavily circumstantial. Mr. McKee maintains his complete innocence and looks forward to presenting his defense in court.” Prosecutors, led by Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman, have indicated they will seek the death penalty if convicted.
For Tepe’s family, the affidavit has reopened wounds that had barely begun to close. Her mother Lisa Tepe spoke outside the courthouse after the document was unsealed: “We begged her to get a restraining order. She was scared, but she didn’t want to make him angry. Three weeks. That’s all the time she had left after that night. Three weeks.”
Tepe was remembered by coworkers as warm, creative, and always willing to help others. She had recently received a promotion and was planning a holiday trip to Colorado to visit family. Friends have established a memorial fund in her name to support domestic violence awareness and victim services in the Triangle area.
The case has renewed attention on North Carolina’s stalking laws and the challenges victims face when seeking protective orders. Advocates note that fear of retaliation is one of the most common reasons women hesitate to pursue legal protection—precisely the concern Tepe reportedly expressed to friends. The October 18 incident is now being examined as a missed opportunity for earlier intervention.
As the trial approaches in late summer 2026, prosecutors say they are prepared to present a clear timeline of escalating harassment that ended in murder. For Monique Tepe’s loved ones, the newly revealed detail is painful confirmation of what they long suspected: she knew she was in danger, tried to protect herself, and still could not escape.
Her father’s words from the day her body was found still echo: “She was the light in every room. Whoever took her light from us needs to face the full consequence of what they stole—not just a life, but every tomorrow she should have had.”
