HOUSTON – Earlier this week, capital murder suspect Lee Gilley was captured in Italy just days after he allegedly cut off his GPS ankle monitor and boarded an international flight while allegedly in possession of a fake identity.
Gilley, 39, was just weeks away from his trial for crimes related to the death of Christa Bauer—his pregnant wife—in October 2024. Officials determined Bauer died by strangulation in the couple’s Houston Heights home.
Recommended Videos
OUR FIRST REPORT: Lee Gilley faces federal charge after allegedly using fake name, Belgian identification to flee before murder trial
Now, Bauer’s friends are sharing new insight into how their memories of her make Gilley’s decision to flee to Italy especially heartbreaking.
New photos shared with KPRC 2 News show Christa on a girls’ trip to Sicily in May 2024, months before her death. She also studied abroad there while in college, according to her high school friend, Cara Kelly.
Kelly described her feelings as “frustrated and angry” upon seeing Gilley now in Italy, “when that was one of her favorite places in the world, and she didn’t get to go there again.”
According to federal investigators, Gilley used a different name and fake Belgian travel documents in an attempt to enter Italy on Sunday.
However, after arriving on an Air Canada flight, Milan border police recognized the documents as fake.
After being confronted by officials, Gilley ultimately gave up his identity and claimed asylum.
At this point, it is not clear when he could be returned to the United States, and his murder trial—scheduled later this month—may not proceed as planned if he is not back in time.
“It was a meaningful place to her and to her friends... but I don’t know if there was anything between her and Lee that was pertaining to Italy,” Kelly said. “It was very special to her.”
Gilley’s defense attorney, Dick DeGuerin, has said prosecutors may have to assure Italy that they are not seeking the death penalty—since capital murder is a death-penalty-eligible offense in Texas—in order for the country to move forward with extradition.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Gilley’s home on Wednesday afternoon, searching through trash and bagging certain pieces of evidence.
MORE ON THE SEARCH: Law enforcement seizes capital murder suspect Lee Gilley’s car after he flees U.S. to Italy
It is not clear what was taken, although KPRC 2 News cameras captured Gilley’s Kia SUV being towed away.
Prosecutors allege Gilley bought the vehicle on the same day police were called to the couple’s home and Christa was found unresponsive, without her knowledge of the purchase.
Gilley, who was required to surrender his passport, has been out on a $1 million bond since October 2024.
Harris County clerk records show about two dozen other capital murder suspects are currently out on bond in cases filed since January 2020.