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

Mar. 15, 2025

Lee Gilley; Christa Bauer Gilley.Photo:Christa Bauer Gilley/Facebook

Christa Bauer Gilley/Facebook

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, 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.

Lee Gilley; Christa Bauer Gilley.Christa Bauer Gilley/Facebook

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

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.

Christa Bauer Gilley.Christa Bauer Gilley/Facebook

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 Gilley mugshot.Harris County Jail

Harris County Jail

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 tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

source: people.com