08/07/2026
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Accent on Wine in Summerville is dedicated to giving back to our community.
From Monday, October 5th, 2026, to Saturday, October 10th, 2026, we will be donating a portion of our sales to support the Bauer family.
"Justice for Christa" is a grassroots movement started by childhood friends and family to honor the legacy of Christa Bauer Gilley, a 38-year-old mother and Summerville, South Carolina native who was murdered in Houston, Texas, in October 2024. The community campaign advocates for judicial accountability, supports her two surviving young children, and raises domestic violence awareness.
The Crime: Christa Gilley—a Clemson University graduate, doctor of physical therapy, and mother—was found unresponsive in her Houston home on October 7, 2024. She was nine weeks pregnant. An autopsy later revealed her cause of death was strangulation, leading to capital murder charges against her husband.
The International Flight: Her husband, Lee Mongerson Gilley, was released on a $1 million bond in Texas. In early May 2026, just weeks before his scheduled murder trial, he cut off his court-ordered GPS ankle monitor and fled the United States using a fraudulent passport.
The Custody Battle: Christa's two young children (ages 3 and 5) have been living in South Carolina under the care of her parents. Following a tumultuous legal back-and-forth in Harris County family court over whether they should be ordered back to Texas, recent June 2026 rulings confirmed the children will remain with their maternal grandparents in South Carolina for the time being.
Would you like more information on how to support the family's local fundraisers, updates regarding the Italian extradition hearings, or resources for domestic violence awareness? Visit https://justiceforchrista.com or dine at Sweetwater One Twenty Three restaurant or Palmetto Flats restaurant & Tavern restaurant in Summerville.
