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The brother of Lee Gilley, far right, appears in a video call during a Harris County child custody hearing involving Gilley’s two children.<\/p>\n
Contributed photo\/KTRK-TV<\/p>\n
Authorities have questioned the family of Houston fugitive Lee Gilley amid an investigation into how the capital murder defendant fled<\/a> the United States.<\/p>\n Lee Gilley’s older brother, Matt, testified Tuesday in a Harris County child custody hearing that law enforcement visited his North Carolina home and spoke to his wife following his sibling’s escape ahead of his June trial.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Italian court hears asylum plea from fugitive Houston murder defendant Lee Gilley<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The visit followed worries by other relatives that Lee Gilley \u2014 accused of killing his pregnant wife, Christa Gilley, in October 2024 \u2014 could direct his brother to help deliver the couple\u2019s kids to him.\u00a0<\/p>\n Matt Gilley didn’t say what authorities asked his spouse, but while sitting alongside her on a Zoom call, he denied helping Lee Gilley flee the country, denied having knowledge of his flight and denied any plot to bring the children overseas. He said he wanted what was best for his brother’s children.<\/p>\n “They just don’t have parents right now and they deserve better than all this hate and negative energy,” the brother testified. “We want to give them as much as we can to get away from this.”<\/p>\n The brother has since hired a Houston-based criminal defense lawyer, Sarah Moss, to represent him. He has not been charged with a crime. Moss declined to comment on Matt Gilley’s testimony, citing a gag order preventing attorneys<\/a> from discussing some aspects of the case.<\/p>\n Lee Mongerson Gilley and his defense attorney, Ed McClees, right, are shown in the 497th District Court at the Harris County Justice Center, 1201 Franklin, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Houston. He is charged with capital murder in death of his wife, Christa Gilley.<\/p>\n Melissa Phillip\/Staff Photographer<\/p>\n ‘Give hugs to the kids’<\/p>\n Lee Gilley, a 39-year-old software engineer, was free on a $1 million bond following his arrest in the death of his wife following an argument over the purchase of a new car. She was pregnant with their third child.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The brothers last communicated on May 1 \u2014 the day Lee Gilley removed his ankle monitor and left for Italy, where he is seeking asylum<\/a>, according to testimony. Matt Gilley sent his younger brother a text message saying that Lee Gilley’s daughter loved a song by Texas singer-songwriter Forrest Frank during a recent visit.<\/p>\n “Give hugs to the kids,” Lee\u00a0Gilley responded.\u00a0<\/p>\n The message did not cause concern for Matt Gilley until later, he testified. The time of the May 1 message was not disclosed during the court hearing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n