Saturday, September 19, 2026 2:42AM
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HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — In a court filing, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare wrote that prosecutors will not seek the death penalty against murder suspect Lee Gilley for the death of his wife, Christa Bauer.
On Friday, Teare wrote that Gilley has misled the Italian court to believe he could be executed, even though prosecutors announced months ago they would not seek the death penalty. Italy does not extradite suspects who face capital punishment.
Gilley has pleaded not guilty to the 2024 death of his wife.
Prosecutors allege Gilley cut off his ankle monitor just weeks before he was set to go to trial in June and used forged travel documents to flee to Italy.
“It is our hope that this notice will put an end to the defendant’s charade so that he can be tried by a jury or judge in the United States and the victims receive the justice they deserve,” Teare wrote.
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