Episode Details

Why would someone enter a not guilty plea when the evidence includes surveillance footage, ballistics matches, and witnesses describing years of alleged death threats? In the case of Michael McKee, charged with the aggravated murders of Spencer and Monique Tepe, the answer may lie in what forensic experts call the "game player."

McKee pleaded not guilty, waived extradition immediately, and waived his bail hearing while reserving future rights. Most people see surrender. Defense attorneys see strategy.

Defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down what a defense lawyer actually sees when examining this case. The surveillance footage everyone treats as a smoking gun—how reliable is it? The hearsay testimony from friends claiming Monique said McKee threatened to kill her—she's not alive to testify. Can prosecutors even use that? The phone going silent during the murders sounds damning. But Bob explains what juries don't hear about digital evidence.

Then there's the psychological profile. The "game player" views prosecution as competition rather than consequence—the pattern seen in Scott Peterson, Chris Watts, Ted Bundy. Men facing overwhelming evidence who refused to fold. The same detachment that allows someone to treat a murder trial as an intellectual exercise may be the detachment that enables the crime itself. For the game player, other people aren't fully real. They're pieces on a board. The trial isn't punishment—it's the championship round.

According to court documents, investigators have surveillance footage linking McKee's vehicle to the scene, a firearm matched through national ballistics, and witness statements describing alleged abuse including that he could "kill her at any time" and she would "always be his wife."

This is aggravated murder—prosecutors must prove premeditation. Eight years passed between the divorce and the killings. Bob explains why that timeline cuts both ways.

#MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #GamePlayerPsychology #NotGuiltyPlea #AggravatedMurder #BobMotta #ForensicPsychology #TrueCrime #HiddenKillersLive

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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.