HOUSTON (Court TV) — A Texas man accused of murdering his pregnant wife has fled the country for Italy, his attorney told Court TV.
Lee Gilley, 39, is charged with capital murder in the death of his wife, Christy Gilley, 38, and has pleaded not guilty. His trial was scheduled to begin later this month.
Lee Gilley is charged with murder in the death of his wife, Christa Gilley. (Law & Crime)
Court TV reached Gilley’s attorney, Dick DeGuerin, who has previously represented high-profile clients like Robert Durst. DeGuerin confirmed that Lee Gilley had fled the jurisdiction and had arrived in Italy after traveling through Canada. Lee Gilley had been out on bond awaiting his trial; DeGuerin confirmed that Lee Gilley cut off his ankle monitor before leaving Texas.
Lee Gilley was taken into custody after landing in Italy when officials at the airport there did not believe his identification, KPRC reported. Before Italy returns him, prosecutors will need to certify that they are not seeking the death penalty against the defendant; only then can the extradition process begin.
Lee Gilley initially told police that his wife, who was 9 weeks pregnant, had committed suicide by taking drugs after her death in October 2024. But prosecutors quickly determined that the victim was neither suicidal nor a drug user. In court documents reviewed by Law & Crime, authorities said that Christy Gilley was strangled to death. Those documents allege that Lee Gilley killed his wife by “applying pressure to Christa Gilley’s neck and upper back, and intentionally and knowingly caus[ing] the death of an unborn child.”
Lee Gilley, who worked as a self-employed software consultant before his arrest, was released on bond. The couple shared two small children.
Court records show that a judge revoked Lee Gilley’s bond on Monday.
