A jury has decided that the family of Christa Bauer will have custody of her two children with Lee Gilley. The verdict ends a custody trial that ran alongside the ongoing criminal case tied to Bauer's death. Members of the Bauer family reacted with joy in the courtroom when the verdict was read. The jury also ruled there will be no geographic restrictions on where the children can go.
The dispute centered on whether the children would stay with their maternal grandparents, Chris and Sharon Bauer, in South Carolina, where they have lived since their mother's death. The alternative was placement with their paternal aunt and uncle, Cristin and Matthew Gilley, who argued the children should keep strong ties to their father's side of the family.
Jurors heard testimony from the Bauers that the children have found stability, support and routine in South Carolina. Chris Bauer described a deep mistrust between the families after his daughter's death. The Gilleys testified that they had been active in the children's lives before the death. They also disputed claims that the children had improper contact with their father after he fled to Italy.