Texas prosecutors drop death penalty for man accused of wife's murder

Texas prosecutors have announced they will not seek the death penalty against Lee Gilley, 39, in connection with the October 2024 murder of his pregnant wife, Christa. The decision was made in a filing to an Italian court to facilitate Gilley’s extradition to the United States.

Gilley is charged with capital murder. The Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Christa died from neck compression. Authorities allege that Gilley removed his ankle monitor on May 1 and fled Texas using forged documents and a false name, eventually arriving at Milan Malpensa Airport, where he was arrested by Italian authorities.

While prosecutors have removed the death penalty from consideration, they have not ruled out a sentence of life without parole. In court filings, Harris County prosecutors accused Gilley and his Italian legal counsel of misleading the Turin Court of Appeal regarding the potential for capital punishment and the possibility of sentence commutation.