HOUSTON (Court TV) – A man accused of fleeing the country while awaiting trial for the murder of his pregnant wife allegedly used forged documents to try to go to Italy.
Lee Gilley is charged with murder in the death of his wife, Christa Gilley. (Law & Crime)
The trial for Lee Gilley, 39, was scheduled to begin on May 29 in Harris County, Texas, on a charge of capital murder in the death of his wife, Christy Gilley, 38. Christy Gilley died on Oct. 8, 2024; a medical examiner ruled her death a homicide, with the cause of death being compression of the neck and upper back.
Lee Gilley was initially arrested on Oct. 11, 2024, and was released on bond on Oct. 17, 2024. Since then, he has been under strict monitoring with a court-ordered GPS ankle monitor.
Now, federal prosecutors say Gilley cut that monitor off on May 1 as he fled the state and then the country. He now faces a federal charge of interstate flight to avoid prosecution.
In a federal affidavit reviewed by Court TV, investigators said that Lee Gilley used forged Belgian travel documents, including a passport, when he arrived in Milan, Italy, under the name “Lejeune Jean Luc Olivier.” Italian customs officers, who recognized the documents as fake, rejected the defendant’s entry and took him into immigration custody.
While in custody, Lee Gilley admitted to officers his true identity and told them that he was awaiting prosecution for his wife’s murder. Now, Italian authorities say that Gilley has claimed asylum. Prosecutors in Italy have asked that Harris County prosecutors certify that the defendant will not face a potential death sentence if he is returned. Prosecutors handling the Texas case had not previously signaled any intent to seek the death penalty.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office said, in a statement to Court TV, that it was coordinating with authorities in Italy to secure Lee Gilley’s return.
A judge revoked Lee Gilley’s bond after he failed to appear at a hearing on May 4.
