{"id":888322,"date":"2026-06-24T00:54:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T00:54:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/888322\/"},"modified":"2026-06-24T00:54:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T00:54:14","slug":"man-who-moved-into-a-houston-homicide-scene-last-year-is-now-claiming-ownership-of-the-gilley-murder-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/888322\/","title":{"rendered":"Man who moved into a Houston homicide scene last year is now claiming ownership of the Gilley murder home"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\"><strong>HOUSTON<\/strong> \u2013 A man arrested last year for moving into a southeast Houston home that was the scene of a homicide and claiming to have a lease agreement is the same man connected to another high-profile crime scene \u2014 the Heights home where Lee Gilley allegedly strangled his pregnant wife, Christa Bauer, KPRC 2 News has confirmed through records and police.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">A notice posted in the window of the Gilley home on Allston Street lists Matthew Jackson and a company called Save A Life Homes LLC as claiming ownership of the more-than-$1 million property.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Houston police responded to the home last week after Christa\u2019s family reported that someone had taken possession of the property, changed the locks and installed cameras.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Officers spoke to a man through a doorbell camera who said he owned the home and would go to court to prove it, according to a police spokesperson.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">In court, Christa\u2019s father, Chris Bauer, called the situation \u201cshocking,\u201d saying no one else should be there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\"><b>PREVIOUS: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.click2houston.com\/news\/local\/2026\/06\/19\/man-claims-ownership-of-heights-home-where-lee-gilley-allegedly-murdered-wife-before-fleeing-to-italy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><b>Man claims ownership of Heights home where Lee Gilley allegedly murdered wife before fleeing to Italy<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>Jackson has been here before<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Last May, Houston homicide investigators searched a home on Edgebrook Drive in southeast Houston and found a missing man\u2019s remains wrapped in plastic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">About two weeks after KPRC 2 News aired live coverage of the search warrant being executed, a tenant returned to the home on May 31 and called Houston police after finding that Jackson had moved in and that some of her belongings were missing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\"><b>MORE ON THAT INCIDENT: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.click2houston.com\/news\/local\/2025\/05\/13\/missing-man-found-dead-inside-clear-lake-home-after-search-warrant-executed-what-we-know-so-far\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><b>Decomposing body found in home during search for missing man in Edgebrook area<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Officers said he had fraudulent papers referencing Save A Life Homes LLC. Jackson allegedly told police he had seen the house on the news and claimed to have a lease agreement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">He was arrested on a trespassing charge, court records show, but the case was later dismissed after Jackson completed 16 hours of community service and a decision-making course.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Now, the same pattern appears to be repeating \u2014 this time at a much higher-profile address.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 etvbxt font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\"\/><\/ul>\n<p><b>The timeline raises questions<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">On May 6, the Harris County District Attorney\u2019s Office executed a search warrant at the Gilley home on Allston Street, and KPRC 2 News was the first crew live on the scene as investigators worked the case.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 etvbxt font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\"\/><\/ul>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Two days later, on May 8, property records show a deed was signed transferring the home to Jackson and Save A Life Homes LLC. However, neither Gilley nor Bauer, who remain the legal owners of the home, appear to have signed the document.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Attorney Lori Hood is not connected to the case but has handled at least seven fraudulent deed transfer cases in the past year. She said the paperwork posted in the window is not legitimate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cIt\u2019s something somebody typed up and put in the window to scare people off \u2014 to scare the real owners off,\u201d Hood said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Hood said it appears Jackson filed an affidavit of adverse possession and then a warranty deed within days of each other \u2014 a timeline that would make both documents legally invalid under Texas law.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cAdverse possession in Texas takes longer than two days,\u201d Hood said. \u201cAnd if you look at the affidavit of possession, it doesn\u2019t even state how long they\u2019ve been in possession of the property. We know this family lived there, and Mr. Gilley lived there until he went to Italy on or around May 1, so it hasn\u2019t been vacant that long.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>The suspected end game: Money<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Hood said the scheme follows a recognizable pattern: targeting homes left temporarily vacant by families in crisis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cThe pattern mirrors what we see a lot of times with what I\u2019ll call these people who take advantage of those experiencing life chaos,\u201d Hood said. \u201cThey\u2019re nothing short of criminals. They\u2019re taking advantage of a lack of attention to a piece of property by families \u2014 whether it\u2019s an elderly person, a poor person or, in this case, someone who\u2019s had a horrible event happen to their family.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The financial motive, Hood said, is straightforward.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cThe long-run game is to get them out. You have to file a lawsuit, and a lot of times they demand money in order to leave the house,\u201d she said. \u201cFor them, it doesn\u2019t cost anything but a filing fee \u2014 about $20 for a warranty deed \u2014 and the cost of changing the locks. All of a sudden, they\u2019re in the catbird seat.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">And even when a deed is clearly fraudulent, as Hood believes this one is, she said the real owners face a costly legal battle to get it removed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cIn order to clean up title, you have to file a lawsuit to get that piece of paper removed, and it\u2019s very expensive,\u201d Hood said. \u201cThey\u2019ve taken these houses hostage \u2014 blackmail, whatever you want to call it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">KPRC 2 News has attempted to track down the notary whose stamp appears on the May 8 deed, without success.<\/p>\n<p><b>Where things stand now<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Jackson is currently out on bond in connection with a separate April 2026 trespassing case at an apartment complex in southeast Houston.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">When reached by phone, Jackson\u2019s defense attorney in that misdemeanor case said he did not have information about Jackson\u2019s latest activities involving the Gilley home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Jackson is not facing any charges connected to the Gilley property, though records show he has been involved in civil disputes at both the state and federal levels involving other properties.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">KPRC 2 News has attempted to reach Jackson for comment by email, phone and at an address listed in court records. No one answered the door.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The ownership dispute is unfolding as Gilley remains in custody in Italy. Authorities say he cut off his ankle monitor while out on bond and fled last month, just weeks before his capital murder trial was scheduled to begin.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">A new trial date has not been set. However, attorneys involved in the criminal case confirmed that the U.S. Department of Justice has submitted a formal extradition request to the Italian government.<\/p>\n<p>Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston &#8211; All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HOUSTON \u2013 A man arrested last year for moving into a southeast Houston home that was the scene&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":888323,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5130],"tags":[4219,820,4345,303140,50,196565,358,3187],"class_list":["post-888322","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-crime","tag-fraud","tag-houston","tag-lee-gilley","tag-news","tag-squatting","tag-texas","tag-tx"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116802359730298112","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/888322","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=888322"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/888322\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/888323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=888322"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=888322"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=888322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}