American Fugitive Accused of Strangling Pregnant Wife Appears in Italian Court Fighting Extradition
Lee Gilley appeared before Turin Court of Appeals Judge Marta Sterpos on May 11, 2026, at the Palace of Justice in Milan and refused consent to extradition to the U.S. He stated he fled after cutting off his GPS ankle monitor to avoid being killed and seeks international protection in Italy due to its opposition to the death penalty.
bbc.co.ukLee Gilley appeared at the Palace of Justice in Milan, Italy, on May 11, 2026, for a hearing on his extradition. S. "I do not consent," Gilley told the judge.
Gilley then made unsolicited statements about the case. "My wife is dead, and they wrongly blamed me. That’s why I no longer have faith in the justice system. I am innocent. I did not kill my wife," he said in court.
"The only crime I committed was fleeing. I fled to avoid being killed.
He chose Europe because of its due process guarantees and Italy because there is strong public opposition to the death penalty. He thanked the judge twice in Italian during the hearing. Italian Justice Minister Carlo Nordio hasn’t yet decided on Gilley’s extradition.
The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has limited jurisdiction over Gilley because he is not Italian. Monica Grosso, an attorney for Lee Gilley, told NBC News that Gilley is confident that he will be able to obtain international protection from Italy. Grosso said she will look into having Lee Gilley released and does not believe he will try to flee again because he has no documentation.
U.S. judge issued a gag order limiting public comments on the case last week. Gilley was arrested in Milan on May 3, 2026. He had been placed in immigration custody upon landing at Milan Malpensa Airport on an Air Canada flight.
He was traveling under the pseudonym “Lejeune Jean Luc Oliver” and used a passport and other Belgian identification documents that were false and forged. Gilley cut off his court-ordered GPS ankle monitor on May 1, 2026, and fled the country. He was scheduled to appear in a Texas court later in May 2026 for trial.
He had been released on bond days after his initial arrest. Christa Gilley, 38, was found unresponsive in the couple’s Houston home on Oct. 7, 2024. Police received a call about a suicide regarding Christa Gilley on Oct.
7, 2024. She was pronounced dead at the hospital on Oct. 8, 2024. Hospital staff noticed bruising and apparent trauma to Christa Gilley's face. Her death was determined to be a homicide due to compression of the neck.
She was about eight weeks pregnant at the time of her death. Lee Gilley was arrested on Oct. 11, 2024, on a charge of capital murder. @NBCNews reported the details of both the Italian hearing and the background of the Houston case.
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