There are defendants who have gone missing and now have warrants out for their arrest. Crime Stoppers’ Andy Kahan says pre-trial services need to show transparency. “Everybody should be on board with this, this is disturbing not just to the public, but it’s equally disturbing to law enforcement- because they don’t know who these defendants are that are now wanted.” Kahan said.
More than 10 thousand defendants in 2024 were tethered by an electronic monitoring device GPS or curfew according to the agency’s numbers. Figures for 2025 are not available. According to a recent report, the number of Harris County defendants placed on GPS or curfew-based electronic monitoring more than doubled between 2021 and 2024, according to Harris County Pretrial Services.
While awaiting his day in court for the murder of his pregnant wife, Defendant Lee Gilley removed his ankle device and fled to Italy. Kahan says if the device is removed on Friday the violation isn’t reported until Monday. “What kind of message have you just sent out to anyone who is considering doing that?” He asked.
Kahan says the Harris County Pretrial services are probably the most under the radar department that is the most directly involved in public safety. “It’s time for them to step up to the plate, be more transparent, and start working with entities like Crime Stoppers to feature their defendants who have gone missing and have warrants out for their arrest. It can take days before the court is even aware of violations.” He said.