American who fled US after allegedly killing pregnant wife could return within days with murder charge dropped

Italy has granted Texas murder suspect Lee Gilley "partial extradition" after months of back and forth with U.S. courts. Fox News Digital has confirmed.

Gilley is accused of killing his pregnant wife, Christa Bauer Gilley, and their unborn child back in 2024; he was supposed to face trial in Harris County earlier this year – but instead cut his ankle monitor off and fled the U.S. to Italy. He reportedly left his home on a bicycle before boarding a private jet in Memphis, Tennessee, according to KPRC, leading authorities to suspect he had help fleeing the country.

In the motion obtained by Fox News Digital and translated to English, the Italian court granted the extradition on one charge of murder, not capital murder.

Christa Bauer Gilley was pregnant when she was found dead inside her Houston, Texas home. Prosecutors say her husband, Lee Gilley, is responsible for her death. (Facebook: Christa Bauer Gilley)

The motion also spelled out that Italy would only grant Gilley's extradition on the condition that he faces a reduced charge of first-degree murder for killing his wife and not their unborn child.

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Fox News Digital previously reported that Italy denied requests to extradite Gilley back to the U.S. with concerns that the murder suspect would face capital murder punishment — including possible death penalty or life without possibility of parole — if convicted.

Lee Gilley, 39, is accused of murdering his pregnant wife and fleeing to Italy right before his trial was set to start in Texas. (Getty Images: Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle)

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With the newly reduced charge — the suspect, if convicted, would now face a possible punishment of 5 to 99 years behind bars, according to Texas law.

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This new motion by Italian courts isn't an automatic ticket back to the U.S. 

Gilley's defense attorney, Dick DeGeurin, confirmed to Fox News Digital it is likely that Gilley's defense attorneys will appeal in the coming days.

Lee Gilley and his wife, Christa, who was nine weeks pregnant when she died in October 2024. Gilley is charged with capital murder in her death. (Christa Bauer Gilley/Facebook)

This could extend the already lengthy process of getting the suspect back to the U.S. to face charges. Gilley's attorney did not detail an exact timeline of when his client would be returning to U.S. soil.