Southwest
Husband charged in pregnant physical therapist wife's murder after giving police a different story
A Texas man has been accused of killing his wife, who was pregnant at the time of her death, while their other young children were reportedly home.
Authorities say Lee Mongerson Gilley, 38, allegedly strangled his wife, 38-year-old Christa Bauer Gilley, to death at their home in Houston on Oct. 7, killing both her and their unborn child.
“The circumstances have been nothing short of gut-wrenching,” friends of Christa wrote on a fundraising page on behalf of her family. “But the loss for everyone who knew and loved her is more than the nightmarish details of her death.”
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Officers arrived at the Gilley home on the night of Oct. 7 after receiving a report of a suicide, authorities said in a press release. Christa was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Hospital staff said she had bruising and apparent trauma to her face.
Gilley originally told authorities that Christa had intentionally tried to overdose and that he found her unresponsive, but an autopsy later showed she had injuries consistent with strangulation.
Her death was ruled a homicide – the cause due to “compression of the neck.”
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Gilley was arrested on Oct. 11 and booked into the Harris County Jail in Houston.
Christa, who was about eight weeks pregnant at the time of the alleged killing, leaves behind two toddlers.
According to testimony in child custody proceedings, Gilley allegedly told two relatives he was considering leaving with the children soon after authorities questioned him about his wife’s death, the Houston Chronicle reported.
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“As far as any allegation of Lee Gilley trying to flee, those are categorically false,” Ed McClees, Gilley’s defense attorney, told Fox News Digital.
“It’s a mischaracterization of comments that were made before criminal charges were ever even filed, before any warrant was ever even issued, when he was considering trying to go visit his parents and his children’s grandparents at the family home in South Carolina,” McClees added. “He was never intending to flee… he’s been abiding by every bond condition that’s been given to him.”
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A judge previously prohibited Gilley from having contact with his two children, who were home at the time of their mother’s death, and ordered his passport to be surrendered, the outlet added.
Gilley has been charged with capital murder in the death of his wife. He was released from custody after posting $1 million bail, and a judge granted a temporary joint conservatorship over the children to their maternal grandparents and Gilley’s sister-in-law, the local Houston outlet reported.
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McClees confirmed to Fox News Digital that Gilley, who reportedly works as a software consultant, is facing a capital murder charge and was released from custody.
“As far as the capital murder charge goes, we’re still in the process of getting all of the material that law enforcement has to date,” he said. “They’ve not turned over the bulk of the reports that we are due… we were told that we should be getting those sometime after the new year, but we don’t have them yet. So we’re still in the process of evaluating the state’s accusations to see how precisely it is they came to the conclusions that they came to.”
“Mr. Gilley is devastated at the loss of his wife and the mother of his children, and we are working hard to get to the bottom of what actually occurred,” McClees added.
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Christa had her doctorate of physical therapy and worked with cardiovascular and pulmonary patients, WDBJ reported.
“Christa, at her core, was a caregiver. It was no surprise that she went into the healthcare field, excelled as a physical therapist and then as a professor,” her friends said on the fundraising page.
“Most importantly, to Christa, she was a mother – the embodiment of selfless care – to her two surviving children. They will turn two and four in the coming months, without the mom who’d already planned their birthday celebrations.”
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Southwest
Boy, 8, saves choking friend with Heimlich maneuver: See the video
An 8-year-old boy is being hailed as a hero after saving the life of his choking friend in the elementary school cafeteria.
Thomas Conley, a second-grade student at Porter Elementary School in Mesa, Arizona, noticed that his friend was choking on a grape and sprang into action, according to local reports.
Conley immediately performed the Heimlich maneuver — also known as abdominal thrusts — on Isaiah Rodriguez, which dislodged the grape.
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Mesa Public Schools commended Conley on social media after the heroic moment, which occurred on Nov. 14.
“Thanks to Thomas’ quick thinking, Isaiah was able to breathe normally again. Thank you, Thomas, for your courage and for being a true hero!”
Candice Conley, Thomas’ mother, spoke with Fox News Digital about his son’s life-saving actions.
“We are so proud of him,” she said. “Thomas is very quick-thinking and active — and he’s just a really good friend.”
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The family often discusses food safety and kitchen safety at home, Conley said, as she and her husband have both worked in the food industry, and she now works in the Department of Public Health for Maricopa County.
“I think a lot of people, maybe even some adults, might not realize that somebody’s choking,” she said. “Thomas just knew that he had to get air to go up to dislodge the grape.”
The parents of Rodriguez, the boy Thomas Conley saved, were “so thankful,” Conley told Fox News Digital.
“The first time I saw his mom, I just hugged her,” she said. “We are just so thankful, most of all, that Isaiah is OK.”
“Thomas is very quick-thinking and active — and he’s just a really good friend.”
“I’m super grateful, and I wanted him to know how proud I was of him and how thankful I was,” said Isaiah’s mom, Maria Anderson, in a video posted by Mesa Fire and Medical Department. “He and my son have been friends for a long time.”
Thomas has been “very nonchalant” about what happened, Conley said.
“He was just like, ‘My friend needed help, and so I helped him,’” she said.
“It’s super cool that Thomas had a part in that and that we can raise awareness about choking, because it could have gone really awful that day.”
Speaking to Fox News Digital, Thomas said, “I’ve probably never had this much attention in my life.”
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Last week, Porter Elementary held an assembly with first responders from the Mesa Fire and Medical Department, who recognized Thomas’ brave act and presented him with a certificate in front of his peers.
The Mesa Fire and Medical Department also recognized Thomas on its Facebook page.
“Thomas turned a regular lunchtime into an extraordinary act of bravery, making a huge difference,” they wrote. “Seeing his friend in distress, Thomas wasted no time and jumped into action, saving Isaiah’s life from a choking incident. Join us in applauding this young hero. Thomas, you inspire us to act courageously and promptly.”
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Introduced by Dr. Henry Heimlich in 1975, the Heimlich maneuver is recommended by the American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care as the first line of treatment for airway obstruction.
The maneuver has a success rate of more than 86% in choking cases, research has shown.
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Los Angeles, Ca
Police seeking help identifying suspect in deadly Santa Monica hit-and-run
The Santa Monica Police Department is seeking help in identifying a driver that allegedly hit and killed a person on Sunday.
The fatal crash took place at about 6:40 p.m. on Sunday on the intersection of Chelsea Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard. According to authorities, the victim, who is yet to be identified publicly, was crossing Wilshire southbound when they were struck by a white Toyota Rav4 heading eastbound on Wilshire.
The Toyota’s driver then fled the scene at a high rate of speed.
The pedestrian, a Vietnam War veteran and Santa Monica resident, was pronounced dead at the scene.
On Tuesday, police released graphic video footage of the collision. In that video, the Toyota can be seen speeding off after the crash sent the elderly victim flying.
Additional photos released showed a clear image of the suspect’s Toyota and security footage of the alleged driver.
The photo showed what appeared to be a bearded man wearing glasses, a black hoodie and gray sweatpants.
No additional details were immediately made available. Anyone who may have information related to this incident is encouraged to contact Investigator Raleigh at Evan.Raleigh@santamonica.gov, Investigator Lewis at Lantz.Lewis@santamonica.gov or the Watch Commander 24 hours a day at 310-458-8427.
Los Angeles, Ca
Child sex predator in Southern California dies in jail
An inmate facing 11 felony charges at the Robert Presley Detention Center was pronounced dead in his cell, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office announced on Monday.
An inmate locator search showed that the deceased, who officials identified as 39-year-old Anthony Wayne Brooks of Riverside, faced 5 felony counts of lewd acts on a child under the age of 14, as well as charges for illegal gun possession, DUI, vandalism, paraphernalia and more.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies found Brooks unresponsive in his housing unit cell on Sunday and attempted to perform life-saving measures until paramedics arrived.
However, despite their efforts, the sheriff’s office said Brooks was ultimately pronounced deceased.
“Investigators from the Riverside Sheriff’s Office Corrections Central Investigations Unit responded and assumed the investigation,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a release.
Investigators did not immediately find any signs of foul play, according to officials.
According to the inmate locator search, Brooks was arrested on June 6, 2023, by the Jurupa Valley Police Department and did not have bail posted. Brooks had a court date set in February 2025.
Three years earlier, the Riverside Police Department arrested Brooks on Aug. 7, 2020, for negligent discharge of a firearm, felon in possession of a firearm and high capacity magazine, and violations of both probation and Post Release Community Supervision, according to the department’s Facebook page.
At the time of his 2020 arrest, police said Brooks had been residing at a sober living house.
“During a search of the house, officers found a semi-automatic handgun, high capacity magazine, and numerous ammunition,” stated the department.
The sheriff’s office said Brooks’ death is an ongoing investigation, and that no further information was available as of Monday night.
Officials encourage anyone with information regarding this incident to contact Investigator Justin Williams at 951-922-7152.
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