While Lee Gilley continues to challenge extradition from Italy on a capital murder charge tied to the death of his pregnant wife, a separate controversy has emerged in Houston: an alleged attempt to claim the couple’s vacant home.
Houston police told INC News that officers were called to Gilley’s property in the 800 block of Allston Street at about 6:30 p.m. on June 17 for a reported trespassing incident. According to police, a man found at the residence insisted he was legally entitled to be there and said he was prepared to “go to court” to defend his claim.
After reviewing the situation, HPD contacted the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, which directed the matter to the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office as a civil dispute. Police said no criminal charges were filed following that initial response.
The property dispute comes months after authorities allege Gilley removed his court-ordered ankle monitor and fled the country before his murder trial, leaving the Houston Heights residence unoccupied.
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)
Property records examined by INC News indicate Lee and Christa Gilley bought the Allston Street home in 2018. PEOPLE magazine, however, reported that a warranty deed signed on May 8 and filed on May 21 appeared to transfer the property to Save a Life Houses LLC. The document was signed by Matthew Jackson as an authorized representative of the Missouri-based company, the outlet reported.
What began as a possible civil property fight later prompted a criminal inquiry. Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen said on July 6 that his office had launched an investigation into the alleged attempted takeover of the home.
Rosen said investigators found no one inside the house and did not immediately identify anything as stolen. Deputies removed newly placed surveillance cameras, paperwork posted in the windows and at least two boxes of possible evidence, according to KPRC. A locksmith was also brought in to replace the locks.
Rosen said investigators were examining whether the property claim was connected to similar claims involving other vacant homes. The Harris County Attorney’s Office was also investigating the matter on the civil side, according to KPRC. Rosen did not publicly identify Jackson as a suspect, and no criminal charges have been announced in connection with the property.
Prosecutors allege Lee Mongerson Gilley killed his wife, Christa Bauer Gilley, who was nine weeks pregnant, in Houston in 2024. (Christa Bauer Gilley/Facebook)
While Texas authorities investigated the disputed property claim, Gilley, 39, remained jailed in Italy.
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Gilley is charged with capital murder in the October 2024 death of Christa, who was nine weeks pregnant. The Harris County medical examiner’s office ruled her death a homicide caused by neck compression. Gilley has pleaded not guilty, and his attorneys have challenged that conclusion.
Federal investigators allege Gilley removed his ankle monitor May 1 and fled Texas before his scheduled trial. He later arrived at Milan Malpensa Airport using a false name and forged travel documents, according to court records, and was taken into custody by Italian authorities.
Lee Mongerson Gilley, 39, is accused of murdering his wife, Christa Bauer Gilley, and their unborn child in Houston in 2024. (Christa Bauer Gilley/Facebook)
During a July 15 hearing before the Turin Court of Appeal, Gilley asked judges to block his return to the United States and said he was seeking protection in Italy for himself and his children, according to NBC News.
“I am seeking protection in Italy,” Gilley said, according to NBC News. “They want to punish me, and I am asking for protection for myself and my children.”
Gilley’s Italian attorney, Monica Grosso, told NBC News that Texas authorities had not provided a formal written guarantee that prosecutors would take the death penalty off the table. Grosso said the defense had instead received an embassy note offering assurances.
Grosso also told NBC News that the defense believes Christa suffered from a blood disorder and that blood found in the couple’s bedroom was inconsistent with the prosecution’s account of her death.
Lee Mongerson Gilley and his defense attorney, Ed McClees, right, are shown in the 497th District Court at the Harris County Justice Center, 1201 Franklin, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Houston. He is charged with capital murder in the death of his wife, Christa Gilley. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
On July 20, the Turin court temporarily blocked the extradition request and sought additional assurances from the U.S. government regarding the death penalty and a possible sentence of life without parole, according to Italian court records obtained by KPRC.
The court set an Aug. 31 deadline for a response and scheduled another hearing for early September, KPRC reported.
INC News has reached out to Gilley’s attorney and the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office for comment.
