Overview
- Lee Mongerson Gilley, 39, left Texas through Canada and reached Milan, where officials detained him after he showed false travel documents, and prosecutors said Monday the FBI in Rome confirmed his custody and asylum claim.
- A judge revoked his $1 million bond and issued a warrant after a strap‑tamper alert on his GPS ankle monitor started Friday night and he could not be reached, even though he had surrendered his passport as a bond condition.
- Gilley told Italian authorities he was seeking asylum because he was being wrongfully prosecuted and feared the death penalty, which could slow his return since Italy often requires assurances that capital punishment will not be pursued.
- At a Tuesday hearing, the court learned Harris County Pretrial Services waited until business hours Monday to report Friday’s alert under a 24–48 business‑hour policy, a delay the judge criticized as too slow for a capital case.
- Prosecutors plan to cite his flight as evidence of guilt and pointed to prior records that he discussed removing the monitor and getting a new identity, while the court weighs bond forfeiture that could cost his family property.