Texas Man Claimed Pregnant Wife Died of Overdose. Now Police Allege He Strangled Her

10/16/2024 02:48 PM

Christa Bauer Gilley, 38, was nine weeks pregnant with her third child when her husband, Lee Gilley, 38, allegedly killed her, authorities claim

A Texas man who told police his pregnant wife died of an overdose is now facing capital murder charges on allegations he killed her, authorities say.

On Monday, Oct. 7, Houston Police officers responded to a report of suicide at the home of Lee Gilley, 38, and his wife, Christa Bauer Gilley, 38, the Houston Police Department said in a statement.

Lee said he and Christa, who was pregnant with their third child, were home that day with their two small children and were arguing, according to a bond order obtained by PEOPLE.

Lee, who is listed on LinkedIn as the founder and product architect of Excel Engineering, told police his wife went to bed and three hours later he found her unresponsive and called 911 while he performed CPR on her, the bond order said.

Paramedics rushed Christa to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

According to a bail order obtained by PEOPLE, Lee told police his wife had overdosed.

But hospital staff told officers that Christa had "bruising and apparent trauma to her face," police said in the statement.

Besides that, both a "hospital physician" and the medical examiner "detail injuries consistent with strangulation," the bond order said.

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences ruled her manner of death a homicide and the cause of death due to compression of the neck, according to the police statement.

Noting that Christa was nine weeks pregnant, the bond order also alleged that Lee "admitted wife not suicidal and not a drug user."

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Lee was arrested on Friday, Oct. 11 and charged with capital murder, according to the probable cause finding and order obtained by PEOPLE.

He was booked into the Harris County Jail, where he remains held after being denied bond.

His lawyer did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Christa's family issued a statement that said, "Christa was an amazing mother, full of love, and excited to welcome her third child," KBTX reports. "They were taken from this world needlessly and way too early."

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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