Franklin County Prosecutor Shayla Favor will be part of the team prosecuting Michael McKee, the Illinois man charged in the December murders of Spencer and Monique Tepe.
Favor chose this as her first case since she took office one year ago after spending years as a Columbus City Council member and assistant Columbus city attorney on the Property Action Team, mostly prosecuting property crimes. Nya Hairston, Favor's spokesperson, said Favor won't lead the prosecution team on McKee's case, but will be the third chair on a team of three.
Favor has never prosecuted a felony murder case before in her career, but has led and overseen the prosecutor's office for the last year as it took on dozens of murder cases in Franklin County.
"Prosecutor Favor was elected to lead this office, which includes overseeing internal operations, civil matters and criminal prosecutions," Hairston said. "Her first year focused on strengthening the office; investing in staff, restructuring operations, and building capacity to better serve the community. With that work underway, she is now able to engage in other areas, including participating directly in criminal cases, as part of her broader leadership responsibilities and duties."
The team is being led by prosecutors Steve Schott and Dan Lenert.
McKee allegedly killed the Tepes on Dec. 30 after allegedly breaking into their Weinland Park home. Police said there were no signs of forced entry and the couple's two young children were found unharmed.
McKee, 39, is charged with four counts of aggravated murder and one count of aggravated burglary. The Franklin County Prosecutor's Office said if convicted, McKee, 39, faces a minimum term of life in prison with parole eligibility after 32 years and a maximum of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
McKee's arraignment in Franklin County is set for Friday at 1 p.m. McKee was arrested in Rockford, Illinois by federal agents in early January and was extradited to Columbus.
Hairston said Favor will take on more cases as her work capacity allows.
