Texas Husband Fled to Italy After Alleged Strangling of Pregnant Wife
Texas Husband Fled to Italy After Alleged Strangling of Pregnant Wife
Texas man accused of killing his pregnant wife allegedly cut off his ankle monitor, fled to Italy with forged documents, now in Italian custody.
A Texas man, Lee Gilley, is charged with capital murder in the October 2024 death of his wife, Christa Gilley, who was nine weeks pregnant, at their Houston home. Police say Christa was found unresponsive after a 911 call and later died from injuries consistent with strangulation. An autopsy later determined the cause of death as compression of the neck.
Gilley was slated to stand trial later this month on the capital murder charge, but authorities say he removed a GPS ankle monitor last Friday, tampered with the device, and disappeared.
Authorities say he traveled through Canada before boarding a flight to Milan, Italy, using forged Belgian travel documents, including a passport under the name Lejeune Jean Luc Olivier. Italian customs officers rejected the documents and detained him in immigration custody. He reportedly admitted his true identity while in custody and is now in Italian authorities' custody awaiting prosecution in Texas.
The case has drawn attention for the international turn, with Milan authorities detaining him after documents were deemed fraudulent. The Texas investigation continues as officials pursue extradition or further legal steps.
