As Lee Gilley fights against extradition from Italy, where he awaits a trial for the death of his pregnant wife, a separate investigation has spun up over a contested claim regarding their vacant home in Houston.
The Houston Police Department announced that officers visited Gilley’s residence on Allston Street on June 17 after receiving a report of trespassing. When they arrived, a man present claimed he had the right to be there and was prepared to take legal action to demonstrate his position.
Afterward, HPD referred the case to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, which deemed it a civil matter, passing it on to the Harris County First Precinct Constable’s Office. Initially, no criminal charges were filed.
This property dispute arose months after Gilley cut off his ankle monitor—mandated by the court—and fled the U.S. just before his murder trial, leaving the Houston Heights home empty.
Records, reviewed by Fox News Digital, show Lee and Krista Gilley purchased the Allston Street property in 2018. There’s also a warranty deed dated May 8 and filed on May 21 indicating that the home was to be transferred to Save a Life Houses LLC, with Matthew Jackson signing as the representative.
What began as a civil issue later transformed into a criminal investigation focusing on attempted bribery, as announced by Officer Alan Rosen from Harris County’s 1st Precinct on July 6.
When investigators entered the property, they found no one inside, and nothing appeared to be stolen. Authorities removed newly installed surveillance cameras along with some documents, in addition to several boxes with potential evidence.
Rosen noted that they are exploring whether this property claim is part of a larger pattern related to other vacant homes. The Harris County Attorney’s Office is also looking into it from a civil perspective, although Jackson hasn’t been named as a suspect, and no charges have yet been filed concerning the property.
Gilley, who is 39, remains detained in Italy as Texas officials probe the conflicting claims over the house. He is charged with capital murder for the October 2024 death of Christa, who was nine weeks pregnant at the time. The medical examiner’s office concluded her death was a homicide due to neck compression. Gilley has continued to assert his innocence, with his attorney disputing the findings.
In a court hearing held on July 15 in Turin, Gilley asked the judge to prevent his return to the U.S., citing a need for protection for himself and his children in Italy. His attorney, Monica Grosso, noted that Texas authorities have not formally assured that the death penalty would be off the table, despite having received some assurances in an embassy memo.
Moreover, Grosso claimed that new evidence is emerging about Krista possibly suffering from a blood disorder, suggesting that the blood found in their bedroom may contradict the prosecution’s narrative regarding her death.
On July 20, a court in Turin temporarily halted the extradition, requesting further guarantees from the U.S. concerning the death penalty, and scheduled another hearing for early September. It remains to be seen how this increasingly complicated case will unfold.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Gilley’s attorney and the Harris County First Precinct Constable’s Office for further comments.
