Texas man accused of killing pregnant wife fled to Italy through Toronto: Court documents
· Toronto Sun
A Texas man accused of killing his pregnant wife allegedly escaped to Italy through Toronto earlier this month, just weeks before his trial is set to begin.
Prosecutors allege Lee Gilley cut off an ankle monitor at his Houston home on May 1 while out of jail on a $1 million bond just six days earlier. He trial is set to begin on May 29.
Visit solvita.blog for more information.
He used a fake Belgian passport to fly to Toronto before he arrived in Milan on Air Canada flight 894, reports Houston CBS affiliate KHOU , citing federal court documents.
According to authorities, Gilley was travelling under the name “Lejeune Jean Luc Olivier.” He was stopped by Italian border agents who determined the Belgian passport and identity documents he produced were fake and forged.
He was taken into immigration custody and later admitted his true identity and acknowledged he was facing a murder trial in the United States, the report said.
Charged with capital murder
Gilley is a 39-year-old software engineer who was charged with capital murder for the October 2024 death of his pregnant wife, Christa Gilley .
The Harris County Medical Examiner ruled she died from strangulation while Gilley maintains he is innocent.
An Italian court hearing heard Gilley described as sophisticated and a flight risk who has the financial means to evade U.S. authorities, reports Houston ABC affiliate KTRK , according to an official translation.
RECOMMENDED VIDEO
The fact that Gilley fled the U.S. to Italy, where he is seeking asylum, can be used against him at trial.
“It’s a fact that can be used in his prosecution,” Dick DeGuerin, one of his defence attorney’s, told KTRK. “When you flee, it can be taken as a consciousness of guilt. I’m concerned about that.”
Extradition may be complicated
The Italian court has yet to rule on whether Gilley will be returned to the U.S., where he could face the death penalty, making extradition more complicated.
Since capital punishment was abolished in Italy, prosecutors in the U.S. may have to agree not to seek the death penalty as part of European extradition agreements.
“In this case, if it is capital murder and the DA’s office is not seeking the death penalty there may not be many impediments to extradite him to the U.S.,” Tom Hogan, a professor at South Texas College of Law Houston, told KHOU.
A court hearing in Houston on Thursday revealed further details about the case, including the fact that Gilley was granted permission to travel to South Carolina for his mother’s funeral.
Recently changed appearance
Attorneys showed a photo in court taken weeks ago that showed Gilley appeared to have gained weight, his hair was longer, and he had a beard.
Gilley was recently granted permission to travel to South Carolina for his mother’s funeral. The attorney representing Sharon and Christopher Bauer, the victim’s parents, argued that his changed appearance was part of his escape plan.
Also during the hearing, Matt Gilley denied aiding his brother’s escape to Italy or providing him with money for the flights while testifying via Zoom, KTRK reported .
Court heard that investigators travelled to his family’s North Carolina home to ask questions about his brother’s disappearance.
He also testified that he received a text from his brother on May 1, the date the ankle monitor was allegedly cut off, with the message “give hugs to the kids.”