Monique Tepe Did Everything Right — Why "Just Leave" Is the Lie That Gets People Killed
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
True Crime Today
3.3 • 907 Ratings
🗓️ 26 February 2026
⏱️ 13 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
She left fast. Filed for divorce. Moved back to Ohio. Did everything right. And according to prosecutors, the man she fled from allegedly came anyway — eight years later.
This episode breaks down the real barriers between victims and the door — financial traps, custody weaponization, a legal system that waits for the worst, trauma bonding, and the credibility gap. We examine why separation is the highest-risk moment in domestic violence and why the system failed to protect what Monique built after she got out.
Every time someone asks "why didn't she just leave?" it puts the burden of a crime on the person it was committed against. Monique left. She did everything we tell victims to do. The question was never about her. It was always about everything else that failed.
If you've ever stayed because the math didn't work — because the money wasn't there, the kids complicated everything, the system couldn't protect you, and leaving felt more dangerous than staying — this episode is for you. You're not weak. The obstacles are real.
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/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1
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
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.
#SpencerTepe #MoniqueTepe #MichaelMcKee #TepeCase #WhyDidntSheLeave #CoerciveControl #DomesticViolence #SystemFailure #TepeMurders #VictimBlaming
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | This is Hidden Killers with Tony Bruske. |
| 0:03.6 | Here now, Tony Brewski. |
| 0:07.3 | Monique Teppi did leave. |
| 0:09.9 | We need to say that right here at the top |
| 0:12.0 | because the question that titles this episode |
| 0:18.5 | implies that maybe she didn't. |
| 0:22.6 | And that implication is a lie. |
| 0:27.3 | She left. |
| 0:29.2 | According to court records and family accounts, she recognized the danger within approximately |
| 0:33.8 | seven months of living with Michael McKay. |
| 0:40.3 | She separated in March of 2016. She filed for divorce. She moved back to Ohio. She did it fast. She did it decisively. And she did it without |
| 0:47.1 | any documented intervention from law enforcement or the courts. She left. |
| 0:54.8 | Eight years later, according to prosecutors, the man she left. Eight years later, |
| 0:56.0 | according to prosecutors, the man she left, |
| 0:58.2 | allegedly drove hundreds of miles, |
| 1:01.1 | allegedly entered her home, |
| 1:03.3 | and allegedly shot her and her husband to death |
| 1:07.1 | while their children slept nearby. |
| 1:18.6 | So the next time you hear someone ask, why didn't she just leave? I need you to understand that the question is broken. |
| 1:21.6 | It's built on two assumptions, and both of them are wrong. |
| 1:24.6 | The first assumption is that leaving is simple. The second, and this is the one that kills people, |
| 1:31.7 | is that leaving solves the problem. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from True Crime Today, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of True Crime Today and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.