WPBN: A Texas man has been charged with the murder of his pregnant wife while his other small children were allegedly there.
According to authorities, on October 7, Lee Mongerson Gilley, 38, killed his wife, Christa Bauer Gilley, 38, and their unborn child in their Houston home by strangling her to death.
On a fundraiser website, Christa’s pals said, “The circumstances have been nothing short of gut-wrenching,” on behalf of her family. “But the loss for everyone who knew and loved her is more than the nightmarish details of her death.”
Authorities reported in a press statement that officers responded to a suicide report and arrived at the Gilley residence on the evening of October 7. After being brought to a hospital, Christa was declared dead. According to hospital staff, she appeared to have suffered facial injuries and had bruises.
An autopsy later revealed that Christa had bruises consistent with strangling, despite Gilley’s initial claims to investigators that she had purposefully attempted to overdose and that he had discovered her unconscious.
Her death was determined to be a homicide that was caused by “compression of the neck.” On October 11, Gilley was taken into custody and checked into Houston’s Harris County Jail.
Christa leaves behind two toddlers. Christa was around eight weeks pregnant at the time of the alleged murder.
Shortly after being questioned by authorities over his wife’s death, Gilley reportedly informed two relatives he was thinking of leaving with the children, according to testimony in child custody procedures, the Houston Chronicle said.
“As far as any allegation of Lee Gilley trying to flee, those are categorically false,” Ed McClees, Gilley’s defense attorney stated.
“It’s a mischaracterization of comments that were made before criminal charges were ever even filed, before any warrant was ever even issued, when he was considering trying to go visit his parents and his children’s grandparents at the family home in South Carolina,” McClees continued. “He was never intending to flee… he’s been abiding by every bond condition that’s been given to him.”
A judge had earlier ordered Gilley to give up his passport and barred him from communicating with his two children, who were at home when their mother passed away.
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Gilley is accused of capital murder in connection with his wife’s passing. After he posted $1 million bond, he was freed from custody, and Gilley’s sister-in-law and the children’s maternal grandparents were given interim joint conservatorship over them by the judge.
According to WDBJ, Christa worked with pulmonary and cardiovascular patients and has a degree in physical therapy.
“Christa was fundamentally a caregiver. On the fundraising website, her friends commented, “It was not surprising that she entered the healthcare industry, succeeded as a physical therapist, and later became a professor.”
“Most importantly, to Christa, she was a mother – the embodiment of selfless care – to her two surviving children. They will turn two and four in the coming months, without the mom who’d already planned their birthday celebrations.”
