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HOUSTON - The Harris County District Attorney’s Office is requesting a gag order in the capital murder case against Lee Gilley, the Houston man accused of strangling his pregnant wife.
Gag order requested
What they're saying:
According to the motion filed Thursday, the district attorney’s office is asking for an order to restrict extrajudicial statements to the news media.
Prosecutors point specifically to "continued media relations efforts" by defense attorney Dick DeGuerin and his recent interviews with news outlets.
In the motion, the district attorney’s office expresses concern about contamination of the jury pool and their ability to select a jury that is unfamiliar with the facts of the case.
What's next:
If signed, the proposed order would prohibit all involved attorneys, their staff, law enforcement officers and witnesses who have already provided statements to law enforcement or the district attorney’s office from speaking with the media.
According to the district attorney’s office, the judge is expected to make a decision on the gag order on Friday.
The case against Lee Gilley
The backstory:
Lee Gilley was charged with capital murder following the death of his pregnant wife, Christa Gilley, on Oct. 7, 2024 at their Houston Heights home.
According to police, Lee called EMS claiming his wife committed suicide, but her injuries contradicted his story. Hospital physicians and the medical examiner said her injuries were consistent with strangulation.
Court documents allege Lee Gilley intentionally caused his wife’s death by applying pressure to Christa Gilley’s neck and upper back.
Gilley captured in Italy
Dig deeper:
Lee Gilley was arrested a few days after his wife’s death, and he posted a $1 million bond less than two weeks later. As part of the conditions of his release, he was required to submit to GPS monitoring.
According to court documents, Lee Gilley’s GPS device generated a strap tamper alert just after 9 p.m. last Friday, May 1. Officials stated there was an attempt to contact Lee Gilley to report for device inspection, but the call was unsuccessful.
On Monday, Lee Gilley’s attorney confirmed that Lee Gilley was taken into custody in Italy.
Gilley appeared in an Italian court on Friday, and he was ordered to remain in jail ahead of his next hearing on May 11.
The Source: The information in this article comes from Harris County court documents, the district attorney's office, Gilley's defense attorney and previous FOX 26 reporting, including information from Houston police.