Man accused of killing pregnant wife flees to Italy, tells judge he’s innocent

A Texas man accused of killing his pregnant wife fled the country in early May, reportedly telling an Italian judge he did so because he is not responsible for her death.

The man, Lee Gilley, was previously charged with capital murder in connection to the October 2024 death of his pregnant wife, Christa Bauer Gilley. He was scheduled to appear in court in Texas on May 29, but on May 1, cut off his court-ordered ankle monitor and flew to Italy, per court documents obtained by USA TODAY.

On May 11 while appearing before Judge Marta Sterpos of the Turin Court of Appeal in Italy, Gilley said he fled the country so he could have a fair trial, reported Italian newspaper la Repubblica and NBC News, who had a journalist in the courtroom that day. He also denied killing his wife, the outlets said.

During the hearing, the judge asked Gilley if he consented to being extradited to the United States to face his charge. He denied the request, then denied killing his wife altogether, the outlets reported.

"I ask for protection,” he said during the court appearance, per la Repubblica. "My wife is dead and they wrongly accused me, which is why I no longer have faith in justice. I am innocent. I did not kill my wife. The only crime I committed was running away. I ran away to avoid being killed. I worked very hard to escape and apply for protection in Italy."

Report: Man says he fled 'to have a fair trial'

Gilley told the judge that he fled to Italy because he thought it’d be the only way “to have a fair trial," la Repubblica reported. When asked if he wanted to move to another country, Gilley said he chose Europe “because of its guarantees and Italy because there is a strong public opinion against the death penalty.”

He is now facing an interstate flight to avoid prosecution charge.

USA TODAY on May 12 contacted Gilley’s defense attorney Ed McClees and Tim Ballengee, attorney for the Bauer family. The Harris County court put a gag order in place restricting what the lawyers can say to the media, per the attorneys.

Ballengee said in a statement that Bauer's family is "devastated to learn the defendant fled the U.S."

"They look forward to his return to face a fair trial that will hold him accountable and provide justice for Christa and her unborn child," he said. "The family has grappled with the loss of Christa and has struggled to see the man accused of killing her free on bond while the legal system progressed for a year and a half to a trial that the defendant has now attempted to avoid."

USA TODAY has contacted the Turin Court of Appeal in Italy to get more information on Gilley’s statements, but did not immediately hear back.

Suspect went by fake name, presented forged documents to officials at Milan airport

Court documents filed May 5 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas show that Gilley fled to avoid prosecution. In the documents, a deputy U.S. Marshal with the United States Marshals Service said Gilley first cut off his ankle monitor on May 1, 28 days before his next hearing.

A few days later, the Harris County District Attorney's Office asked the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Fugitive Task Force for help finding him. 

Those looking for him learned that he had been traveling as recently as May 3. While traveling that day, he used the name Lejeune Jean Luc Olivier and took an Air Canada flight to the Milano Malpensa Airport in Milan, Italy, per the documents.

The Milan Border Police stopped him at the airport, where he showed them a passport and other Belgian identification documents. The documents were later found to be forged.

Immigration then took him into custody, per the documents.

While waiting to be deported from Italy, Gilley told officials his real identity and admitted that he was set to be on trial in the United States for the murder of his wife.

What happened back in October 2024?

Gilley's wife, Christa Bauer Gilley, died in October 2024, per court documents reviewed by USA TODAY. Her husband called the Houston Police Department just after 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 7, 2024, and said his pregnant wife was unresponsive, per court documents. 

According to Houston police and television station KTRK, Gilley said she had attempted suicide by overdosing and he was performing CPR. Gilley told police he had argued with his wife and when he got ready for bed three hours later, she was unresponsive, per KTRK.

Houston Fire Department medics also showed up and rushed the woman to a hospital. She died a few hours after the initial call, at 2:25 a.m. on Oct. 8.

Hospital staff said at the time that she had bruising and “apparent trauma to her face." A doctor with the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences determined that she died due to compression of the neck and upper back, ruling her death a homicide. 

By Oct. 11, 2024, her husband had been charged with capital murder. He was released on bond on Oct. 17, 2024, per the documents.

Who was Christa Bauer Gilley?

According to her LinkedIn page, Christa graduated from Clemson University with a bachelor’s degree in Public Health Science, as well as the University of Pittsburgh with a doctorate in physical therapy. She worked for Memorial Hermann Health System and prior to her death, served as a Rehab Educator and Senior Physical Therapist.

Justice for Christa is an online community created in her honor on Facebook. On May 11, community organizers shared a post about her and said this is a time to support her and the family. The page encouraged supporters to wear purple, which represents domestic violence awareness.

“We are devastated by the unfolding news about the criminal case … and are furious that we feel further away from justice for Christa and her family,” the post read. 

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s trending team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at[email protected].