“We believe in the sanctity of human life.”
The parents of Christa Bauer Gilley, a 38-year-old Texas mother who was killed last year, have spoken publicly for the first time since their daughter’s death.
Prosecutors accuse Christa’s husband, 39-year-old Lee Gilley, of killing her. Christa was nine weeks pregnant when she was found dead inside the couple’s family home in October 2024.
Lee Mongerson Gilley is accused of murdering his wife, Christa Bauer Gilley, and their unborn child in Houston in 2024. (Christa Bauer Gilley/Facebook; Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Investigators allege that Gilley removed his ankle monitor and fled the United States for Italy in May, just weeks before his trial was scheduled to begin. His attorney, Dick DeGuerin, said the flight could create an additional challenge for the defense.
Speaking to News Outlet, DeGuerin said, “It does complicate the criminal case in Houston if he is returned here because flight can be used as evidence of consciousness of guilt.”
Meanwhile, Christa’s parents, Ed and Sharon Bauer, have endured a lengthy wait for updates on Gilley’s extradition.
The couple described their grief and frustration in an opinion article published by The Wall Street Journal.
Lee Gilley and his wife, Christa, who was nine weeks pregnant when she died in October 2024. Gilley is charged with capital murder in her death. (Christa Bauer Gilley/Facebook)
“We didn’t have time to grieve before legal battles began. What’s kept us going is faith that we would see accountability for the precious lives taken from us,” they wrote.
The effort to extradite Gilley has become a legal saga of its own.
After Italian authorities arrested him, courts in Italy raised concerns that releasing Gilley to U.S. custody could expose him to the death penalty, a punishment abolished in Italy.
Lee Gilley has been housed inside a jail cell in Turin, Italy following his arrest by Italian officials. (Getty Images: FilippoBacci)
The Bauers have also made clear that they oppose capital punishment.
“We are Roman Catholic and believe in the sanctity of human life. We don’t believe justice for Christa involves taking another life. For us, justice means improving the well-being of women like her. It means confronting the global problem of violence against women,” they wrote.
Texas prosecutors have removed the death penalty as a possible sentence and are awaiting Italy’s approval to move forward with the extradition process.
Gilley appeared in an Italian court on Wednesday. A ruling on whether he would be extradited to the United States had been expected, but no decision was issued, his attorney confirmed to News Outlet.
Despite remaining overseas, Gilley is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on Friday, Oct. 9.
Defense attorney Ed McClees and his client, Lee Mongerson Gilley, appear in the 497th District Court at the Harris County Justice Center in Houston on Oct. 17, 2024. Gilley is charged with capital murder in the death of his wife, Christa Gilley. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
DeGuerin said his client “has insisted from the very beginning that he had nothing to do with his wife’s death.”
He went on to say that Christa’s death was caused by a “pre-existing medical condition.”
As for the Bauer family, they said, “We are asking that Italian and U.S. authorities work together to grant extradition. Our family doesn’t seek Lee’s death. We seek justice for Christa’s.”
Gilley’s defense attorney maintains his client is innocent.
