Lee Gilley’s extradition to Texas has been temporarily paused in Italy while Italian courts seek assurances about sentencing, his attorney said. Gilley, accused of murdering his pregnant wife, Christa Bauer, in Harris County, Texas, is charged in the 2024 death of his wife. Prosecutors say the victim was eight weeks pregnant and died from injuries consistent with strangulation. Bauer was found dead inside a home after Gilley called 911 and said he found his wife unresponsive in bed and tried to perform CPR. Doctors and a medical examiner later concluded her injuries were inconsistent with CPR, with bruising and apparent trauma to her face. Prosecutors also said two children were inside the home at the time. Italian authorities blocked the extradition request because, as Gilley’s lawyer described it, Italy’s legal system does not allow the death penalty or life without parole. The defense attorney, Dick DeGuerin, said Italian courts want formal confirmation that, if convicted in Texas, Gilley would receive a sentence less than life without parole. DeGuerin said U.S. officials told his team the district attorney’s office would not seek the death penalty, but that promise has not been filed formally. He called the situation unprecedented in decades of practice. Prosecutors allege Gilley fled to Italy in May, weeks before a scheduled June trial, after cutting off his court-ordered ankle monitor and using forged travel documents while out on a $1 million bond. Gilley has pleaded not guilty. DeGuerin said he maintains his innocence and contends Bauer died from a pre-existing medical condition. U.S. officials have until Aug. 31 to submit the requested documentation to Italian authorities. The next extradition hearing is set for Sept. 7. Gilley remains in Italy as the extradition process is paused and the court requests are pending.