A Texas man, accused of murdering his pregnant wife, reportedly cut off his ankle monitor and fled to Italy just as his trial was set to begin, according to his attorney.
Lee Mongerson Gilley, 39, is facing charges for the alleged killing of his wife, Krista Bauer Gilley, in Houston back in 2024. He was expected in court on Tuesday but instead boarded a flight to Italy after first traveling through Canada.
His lawyer, Dick DeGuerin, stated that Gilley claimed he sought asylum, believing he was “unjustly prosecuted” and fearing the death penalty.
“I’m concerned that prosecutors might use his flight as evidence of guilt, but honestly, I think he’s just scared,” DeGuerin mentioned.
Krista was nine weeks pregnant when Gilley allegedly “pressured her and killed her and her unborn child,” as outlined in legal documents. She was reported to have died from strangulation on October 7, 2024.
Initially, Gilley had told law enforcement that she had overdosed and that he attempted to revive her with CPR. However, an autopsy indicated signs of strangulation, classifying her death as a homicide.
Arguments reportedly occurred between the couple shortly before her death.
Gilley had been out on a $1 million bail since October 21, 2024, with an ankle monitor required as part of his release conditions. Authorities were alerted last Friday after discovering tampering with the device.
His trial is slated to start next month, and prosecutors had previously noted a relationship Gilley had with another woman in 2023.
While out on bail, he and the woman allegedly discussed plans to escape to Mexico and get married, even considering ways to dispose of their GPS devices.
DeGuerin commented that Texas officials need to verify with Italian authorities, who abolished the death penalty in 1889, whether Gilley could face such a sentence. However, there has been no official statement from prosecutors about pursuing the death penalty.
Efforts are currently underway to bring him back to the U.S.
