Lee Gilley flees to Italy before murder trial

Lee Gilley, the 39-year-old defendant accused of murdering his pregnant wife Christa, cut off his ankle monitor and fled to Italy before his murder trial. Court records and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office said the escape happened after his GPS monitor generated a strap tamper alert on Friday evening.

Judge revoked his bail and a warrant was issued for his arrest after Pretrial Services tried to reach him by phone. Dick DeGuerin said Monday night that his client had been captured in Italy based on information he received from prosecutors.

Friday Evening Alert

Gilley had been out of jail on a $1 million bond since Oct. 21, 2024, while he awaited trial in the October 2024 death of Christa, who was 9 weeks pregnant when she died. He was scheduled to be in court this week and to begin his murder trial later this month.

Police initially said Gilley told them his wife overdosed, that he found her unresponsive and that he tried to perform CPR. The medical examiner later found evidence of strangulation, and Gilley was arrested days later. Court records said he eventually admitted his wife was not suicidal or a drug user.

DeGuerin and Italy

DeGuerin said on Monday night, "It’s very concerning and I’m concerned that the prosecution will try to say that it’s evidence of consciousness of guilt that he’s running from it, but I think he’s just scared". He also said returning Gilley to the U.S. will be a process that will take an undetermined amount of time.

Milan airport officials did not believe Gilley’s identification information, according to the facts in the case, and prosecutors had previously written that he discussed plans to flee to Mexico and other countries, as well as a detailed plan for removing his GPS monitor. The motion hearing set for Tuesday morning was scheduled to continue as planned, even after the bail revocation and warrant.

Prosecutors' Records

Prosecutors also filed paperwork to bring up a 2023 affair Gilley had with a woman in California, and later records said that in 2025 he communicated with the same woman on numerous apps and by phone while on bond. Those records said the conversations covered plans to flee, the possibility of marriage to obtain a new identity and a Mexican identity he could acquire to facilitate his departure.

For now, the case has shifted from a pending murder trial to a bond revocation and extradition effort, with Gilley no longer available for the courtroom schedule that had been set for this week and later this month.