Lee Gilley, the Texas man accused of murdering his pregnant wife Christa, was captured in Italy after cutting off his ankle monitor and fleeing the jurisdiction, his defense attorney said Monday night. The 39-year-old had been out on a $1 million bond since Oct. 21, 2024, and was due in court Tuesday morning.

Defense lawyer Dick DeGuerin said Italian authorities detained Gilley in Milan after airport officials did not believe the identification information he presented. Gilley self-identified there and said he was wrongfully prosecuted in Texas, was subject to the death penalty and wanted asylum, DeGuerin said. He added that Texas must certify to Italy that Gilley is not subject to capital punishment before the process of returning him to the United States can begin, and that it will take an undetermined amount of time.

Gilley’s capture came after a Friday evening strap tamper alert from his GPS monitor set off a search that ended with a judge revoking his bail and issuing a warrant for his arrest. He had been scheduled to appear for a motion hearing Tuesday morning and to begin his murder trial later this month. Harris County prosecutors had also filed trial paperwork just a couple of weeks ago, signaling they were moving ahead with the case.

Christa was 9 weeks pregnant when she died in October 2024, and the medical examiner later found evidence of strangulation. Gilley was arrested days after her death, when investigators said the story he first gave did not hold up. Initial police said he told them Christa overdosed, that he found her unresponsive and that he tried to perform CPR.

Court records say the couple had been arguing before she died, and Gilley eventually admitted his wife was not suicidal or a drug user. Prosecutors later said that in 2025, while he was on bond, he discussed plans to flee to Mexico and other countries, along with a detailed way to remove his GPS monitor and obtain a new identity. DeGuerin said he was worried prosecutors would use the flight to argue consciousness of guilt, but said Gilley was scared.

With the defendant back in custody overseas and a capital case still looming in Texas, the immediate question is no longer whether he will face trial, but when and under what legal terms he will be brought home.