Man kills his pregnant wife, then calls 911 and says it was suicide, Texas cops say

A Texas man killed his pregnant wife, then tried to convince investigators she died by suicide, police and news outlets report.

Lee Mongerson Gilley, 38, called 911 on the night of Oct. 7 and told the dispatcher he found his wife, Christa Gilley, lying in bed and not moving at their Houston home, KTRK reported. He told the dispatcher he tried to save her life by performing CPR, saying she had intentionally overdosed.

When officers went to the home on Houston’s northwest side, they found Lee Gilley and two children inside, and transported Christa Gilley to a hospital where she was pronounced dead, police told the station.

McClatchy News reached out to an attorney listed for Lee Gilley but didn’t immediately hear back.

Though Lee Gilley insisted his wife died by suicide, her injuries said otherwise, Houston police said in an Oct. 12 news release.

“Hospital staff indicated Ms. Gilley had bruising and apparent trauma to her face,” police said. An autopsy determined she had been killed “and the cause due to compression of the neck.”

Investigators also learned she was eight weeks pregnant.

While speaking with investigators, Lee Gilley said his wife didn’t use drugs and was not suicidal, KHOU reported.

Police told the outlet that the couple had been arguing before Christa Gilley was killed.

Lee Gilley was arrested Oct. 11 on a charge of murder, police said.

He has been denied bond, court records show.

This story was originally published October 13, 2024 at 10:07 AM with the headline "Man kills his pregnant wife, then calls 911 and says it was suicide, Texas cops say."