A Texas man, Lee Mongerson Gilley, who has been accused of killing his pregnant wife in 2024, cut his ankle monitor off on Friday and left the country ahead of his trial, according to his lawyer, who claimed his client was “just scared.”
“It’s very concerning, and I’m concerned that the prosecution will try to say that it’s evidence of consciousness of guilt that he’s running from it, but I think he’s just scared,” Gilley’s attorney Dick DeGuerin told KPRC 2 News.
The 39-year-old was charged with capital murder in connection with the death of Christa Bauer Gilley, and accused of intentionally “applying pressure” to her “neck and upper back,” according to a probable cause document reviewed by HuffPost.
Bauer Gilley was found unresponsive on Oct. 7, 2024, and Gilley told police at the time that his wife died from an overdose and that he attempted life-saving measures, according to a press release by the Houston Police Department.
However, when Bauer Gilley was taken to the hospital, staff noticed bruising and apparent trauma to her face, police said. An autopsy revealed that her manner of death was a homicide caused by compression of the neck.
