Texas Man Accused of Killing Pregnant Wife Cuts Off Ankle Monitor, Flees to Italy

A Texas man charged with killing his pregnant wife has removed his ankle monitor and fled to Italy.

Lee Mongerson Gilley, 39, faces accusations of murdering his wife, Christa Bauer Gilley, and the couple's unborn child in Houston in 2024, according to KPRC. Prosecutors say he killed her by applying pressure to her neck and upper back on Oct. 7, 2024.

Gilley was due in court Tuesday. Instead, he flew from Texas to Canada and then to Italy. There, he told authorities he was seeking asylum after being wrongfully prosecuted and fearing the death penalty, his attorney said.

"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," defense attorney Dick DeGuerin told the outlet.

Gilley's murder trial was set to begin later this month. His ankle monitor alerted authorities to tampering on Friday. He is now in Italian custody.

DeGuerin said Texas must certify to Italy that Gilley is not eligible for the death penalty before extradition. Prosecutors are not seeking it.

Gilley initially told police that Christa, who was nine months pregnant, had overdosed and that he tried to save her with CPR. A medical examiner found evidence of strangulation and ruled the death a homicide.

Days after his arrest, Gilley admitted his wife was not a drug user or suicidal. The couple had argued before her death, KPRC reported.

While out on bond in 2025, Gilley and an unnamed woman he had an affair with in 2023 planned to flee to Mexico and other countries, prosecutors allege. Court documents say Gilley asked if she knew of a Mexican identity he could acquire to leave the country. He also provided a detailed plan to remove his GPS monitor and stage a sham marriage for a new identity.

Authorities are working to extradite Gilley back to the United States.