Testimony began Wednesday in the child custody trial involving the young children of Lee Gilley and Christa Bauer with hard-to-ignore signs of the pending criminal and extradition cases involving the 40-year-old accused of strangling his pregnant wife and fleeing the country while on bond.

Jurors heard opening statements and started to hear from the first witness as attorneys strayed away from the murder case allegations, except for saying that Bauer died "as a result of alleged domestic violence." Right after the lunch break, Judge Angela Lancelin asked the attorneys in the courtroom about allowing prosecutors from the Harris County District Attorney's Office to join the Zoom call to observe the trial remotely.

Gilley's civil attorney and his brother's attorney objected.