Texas attorney Dick DeGuerin says Lee Gilley’s case is unprecedented in his 60-year career. Gilley is accused of murdering his pregnant wife, Christa Bauer Gilley, in October 2024, then allegedly removing his ankle monitor and fleeing to Italy before trial.

Gilley remains jailed in Turin while extradition is disputed. Italy will not extradite defendants facing the death penalty, and although Texas prosecutors dropped that possibility on 18 September, Italian courts also want assurances that life without parole cannot be imposed; the US must respond by 30 September, ahead of a 7 October status conference.