Influencer's ex 'begged' her to leave husband before she was killed after paedophilia accusations

Warning: This article contains discussion of domestic violence and child abuse which some readers may find distressing.

The father of Sara Gilson's two children 'begged' her to leave her husband, Jeremiah Duffey, for years before he killed her less than two weeks after she accused him of being a paedophile on TikTok.

Police officers were responding to a domestic violence incident in Owasso, Oklahoma, USA, on July 23 when they found both Gilson, 43, and Duffey, 48, dead from reported gunshot wounds to the head in what police believe was a murder-suicide.

Lyle Landers, 46, shares two children, a son and a daughter, with Gilson and has revealed he did all he could to get her out of the relationship.

“She had been stuck in a relationship where domestic abuse seemed ‘okay,’" Mr Landers told PEOPLE.

"I had begged her for five years to get away from him. I had offered to help her, in any way I could, to get away from him.

"But he seemed to have some sort of control over her, and she couldn’t seem to get away.”

Mr Landers and Gilson divorced around seven years ago but managed to get back to being good friends as they raised their children in tandem.

“She loved people immensely, and without judgment," he added. "Her greatest achievement in life, though, was in our two babies.

“It had been the best thing in the world for our kids, but also for us. We co-parent as well as anyone, and it has shown in our kids.

“She was a wonderful mother and would die for her children. In fact, her trying to protect children is what ultimately led to her death."

Gilson's paedophilia accusations against Duffey

Sara Gilson was killed by her husband

NBC reported that court documents show police were told by a girl and her parent on June 9 that her girl's basketball coach Duffey inappropriately touched her during an elementary school event.

Another coach witnessed it and told the girl's mother.

Police said: "Similar conduct by this coach towards this particular juvenile player was reported to have occurred over an extended period of time, in multiple law enforcement jurisdictions, across multiple states prior to this incident."

On June 10, Gilson was granted an emergency protective order against Duffey after police informed her he had been accused of molesting a minor.

Duffey was ordered to stay a minimum of 100 yards away from Gilson and her home.

Gilson took to TikTok on July 12 and the text in the video said: "Preparing for when Netflix drops a documentary about my soon to be ex husband who I just found out is a pedophile"

A caption added: "I wish I was joking."

11 days later, on July 23, police were called and a dispatcher heard a woman screaming and what was thought to be a gunshot.

When dispatchers tried to call back, they didn't get an answer, but a call from a neighbour's house soon came in, in which a boy said his stepfather and just shot his mother.

A GoFundMe for Gilson's children has been set up to help raise money to support them.

A friend of Gilson wrote: "Her sudden and heartbreaking loss has left an entire community grieving, but the greatest loss is felt by her two precious children, who must now face life without their loving mother.

"Sara was an incredible mom. Her children were the center of her world, and everything she did was for them. She loved them fiercely, worked hard to provide for them, and dreamed of giving them the best life possible."

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-8pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence to the national domestic violence helpline Refuge on 0808 2000 247, available 24/7, or via live chat, available 10am-10pm, Monday to Friday.