Texas

District Court Judge Pending Identification

Harris County District Court

Case on record: 1
Ended in a killing: 1
Prior arrests across these defendants: 0

Background

Set $1 million bond for Lee Gilley after he was charged in October 2024 with the capital murder of his pregnant wife Christa. Gilley posted the bond, was released to electronic monitoring, and in May 2026 cut off his GPS ankle monitor and fled to Italy on a fake Belgian passport days before trial. He was arrested by Italian border police in Milan and is seeking asylum to avoid extradition.

Cases on record

Released while facing this charge

Murder in Houston, Texas

Christa Gilley, 38

Released November 15, 2024. Terms: $1,000,000 bond with GPS ankle monitor.

Christa Gilley was strangled in her Houston home on October 7, 2024 while 9 weeks pregnant; her husband Lee called police claiming she had overdosed. He was charged with capital murder, then released on $1M bond. In May 2026, days before trial, he cut off his GPS ankle monitor, used a fake Belgian passport, and flew to Italy via Air Canada. Italian border police arrested him in Milan; he is seeking asylum to avoid extradition since Texas has the death penalty.