40-year-old Lee Mongerson Gilley, a Texas man charged with killing his pregnant wife, fled to Milan with a fake passport and preferred to be imprisoned in Italy instead of Texas, as the state has the death penalty for the crime he is accused of. The alleged murder took place in 2024, and the trial was scheduled to begin this June. In May, he cut off his ankle monitor and took a flight to Canada and then traveled to Milan with a forged passport. He was arrested in Milan and his fake Belgian passport was easy to detect.Extradition efforts have reached a roadblock as Italy wants an assurance from Texas that they won’t give a death sentence to the man as the country does not have death penalty and they don’t extradite anyone to any country where they may face death penalty.
The 2024 alleged murder case
Gilley’s pregnant wife Christa Bauer was found unresponsive in bed after Gilley called 911 and said he had discovered her and attempted CPR. She was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. However, doctors found that the injuries to her face and body were inconsistent with CPR. Court documents cited by prosecutors said a doctor and medical examiner determined that the injuries were consistent with strangulation.Prosecutors alleged Bauer was eight weeks pregnant when she was killed. Two children were also inside the home at the time.Gilley was free on a $1 million bond when he fled to Italy in May.His attorney, Dick DeGuerin, said Italian authorities have asked for a formal assurance from US authorities that Gilley will not face the death penalty if extradited to Texas.“When we spoke, the district attorney’s office said it would not seek the death penalty, but it has not filed that formally,” DeGuerin said. “That’s what the Italian courts are looking for.”DeGuerin said Italy’s legal system does not allow the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole. Italian authorities therefore want confirmation that Gilley would receive a sentence below life without parole if he is convicted in Texas.Gilley has pleaded not guilty and maintains his innocence. His attorney said Gilley contends that Bauer died because of a pre-existing medical condition.The attorney described the case as unusual, saying he had handled cases involving defendants who fled while on bond but had not encountered a situation like this.“I fled to avoid being killed. I went to great lengths to escape and seek protection in Italy,” Gilley said to NBC News.
