Texas man, charged with murder of his wife, escapes to Milan just before trial; Italy delays extradition, seeks formal assurance that there would be no death penlty

Texas man, charged with murder of his pregnant wife, flees to Italy just before trial. 40-year-old Lee Mongerson Gilley, a Texas man charged with killing his pregnant wife, fled to Milan with a fake passport and preferred to be imprisoned in Italy instead of Texas, as the state has the death penalty for the crime he is accused of. The alleged murder took place in 2024, and the trial was scheduled to begin this June. In May, he cut off his ankle monitor and took a flight to Canada and then traveled to Milan with a forged passport. He was arrested in Milan and his fake Belgian passport was easy to detect.Extradition efforts have reached a roadblock as Italy wants an assurance from Texas that they won't give a death sentence to the man as the country does not have death penalty and they don't extradite anyone to any country where they may face death penalty.The 2024 alleged murder caseGilley's pregnant wife Christa Bauer was found unresponsive in bed after Gilley called 911 and said he had discovered her and attempted CPR. She was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. However, doctors found that the injuries to her face and body were inconsistent with CPR. Court documents cited by ...