A Texas man charged with capital murder in the death of his wife in October 2024 fled to Italy this past May to avoid trial and has been denied extradition to the United States. Lee Gilley is facing serious criminal charges in the death of Christa Bauer Gilley, who was pregnant at the time, and lying about it to the police.

Extradition Blocked by Italian Judges

An Italian appeals court temporarily blocked the United States Government’s extradition request to bring Lee Gilley back to face the music after his wife died by an alleged suicide in 2024. 

According to court records obtained by Gilley’s attorney, Dick DeGuerin, Italian judges are ensuring that if they allow the extradition, the defendant will not face the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole. 

Italy has abolished the death penalty and is known to block extraditions to countries where it is legal, according to the federal criminal complaint filed on May 5, 2026. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office has not publicly stated whether Gilley faces the death penalty or not, but he could face life in prison without parole.

“The Turin court has given the U.S. until Aug. 31 to reply to its inquiries and has set a date of Sept. 7 for another hearing to determine whether it will authorize extradition,” DeGuerin told PEOPLE.

Escaping Potential Death

Gilley was on house arrest following his charges for the murder of his wife, but on May 1, 2026, he cut off his ankle monitor and fled to Canada from Houston, Texas, and caught an Air Canada flight to Milano Malpensa Airport in Milan, Italy. He provided immigration officials with a fake Belgian passport that had the name Lejeune Jean Luc Olivier.

He was denied entry with the fake passport and taken into immigration custody, where he revealed his true identity as he was waiting to be deported. He explained that he was facing trial for his wife’s murder and was seeking asylum. On May 11, he told a judge that he fled to Italy because of the country’s ban on the death penalty.

Lee Gilley Arrested

On October 7, 2024, Gilley called 911 to report that his wife, who was nine weeks pregnant at the time, had overdosed and was dead. She was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead the following day. 

Gilley initially claimed her death was a suicide, but days later he was arrested after authorities ruled it a homicide because of the compression of her neck. He was released on a $1 million bond that same month, and was forced to surrender his passport and wear an ankle monitor at all times.

Family Reacts to Escape

Christa’s family made a statement about Gilley’s escape to Italy through their attorney, Tim Ballengee. “Obviously it was devastating to the family,” he said. “They were hoping to have the trial and to have him held accountable. We’re trying to figure out how quickly we’re able to go from here and get back to the whole purpose, which was the trial process and to hold him accountable for what happened.”

“The family has grappled with the loss of Christa while continuing to raise her two young children for more than a year,” the statement added. “During that time, Christa’s family and friends have struggled to see the man accused of killing her free on bond while the case proceeded to trial.”

Waiting to Face Fate

Gilley argued at his May 11 hearing in Italy that he was unjustly blamed for his wife’s death, and that he is innocent. “That is why I lost faith in the justice system,” he said. “I am innocent. I did not kill anyone. The only crime I committed was fleeing.”

“Our office continues coordinating with U.S. and Italian authorities to secure this defendant’s return to Harris County to stand trial for Capital Murder. We remain committed to pursuing justice while respecting international protocols,” Courtney Fischer, a spokesperson for the district attorney’s office, said.

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