Influencer’s ex ‘begged’ her for years to leave husband she accused of paedophilia who killed her

The ex-husband of influencer Sara Gilson has spoken out after she was allegedly murdered by the husband she had accused of being a paedophile in a viral TikTok just weeks earlier.

Sara, 43, was found dead at her home in Oklahoma on July 23. Police said her estranged husband, 48-year-old Jeremiah “Shawn” Duffey, fatally shot her before taking his own life.

Now, Sara’s ex-husband Lyle Landers, who shares two children with her, has revealed he had actually spent years trying to convince her to leave Duffey because he believed she was in an abusive relationship.

‘I had begged her for five years’

via Facebook

Speaking to PEOPLE, Lyle said, “Shawn had been a risk for her since they got together.”

He added, “She had been stuck in a relationship where domestic abuse seemed ‘okay.’ 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.”

Lyle’s comments come just weeks after Sara publicly accused Duffey of being a “paedophile” in a TikTok that quickly went viral.

Using the popular trend where people pretend they are being interviewed for a Netflix documentary, Sara wrote, “Preparing for when Netflix drops a documentary about my soon to be ex husband who I just found out is a paedophile.”

Sara’s TikTok came after allegations were made against Duffey involving a teenage girl

@mrsgilson

I wish I was joking. #plottwist #netflix #documentary

♬ original sound – Sara 🌸🐚🌺

According to court documents previously reported by The Oklahoman, a woman filed a protective order on behalf of her 15-year-old daughter. She alleged Duffey kissed and touched the teenager while coaching her basketball team.

The court filing also claimed he sent her messages. He allegedly invited her to his hotel room and offered her money “to keep her quiet.” Those are allegations contained in court records.

Sara had also filed protective orders against Duffey herself. In June, she was granted an emergency order after alleging he had a gun, threatened suicide and “went on the run.”

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Duffey was ordered to stay at least 100 yards away from her. The order was later extended until August 24.

‘She was a beautiful person, inside and out’

via GoFundMe

Lyle explained that although he and Sara divorced around seven years ago, they had actually become close friends. “It had been the best thing in the world for our kids, but also for us. We coparent as well as anyone, and it has shown in our kids,” he said.

He also shared, “She was always so worried before we had kids that she wouldn’t know what to do, or that she wouldn’t be a good mom. Turns out, she was a great mom. She went over the top for our kids, and always made sure that they knew she loved them.”

Lyle described Sara as “a mom, a daughter, a sister and a friend.” He added that she was “a beautiful person, inside and out.”

He continued, “She loved people immensely, and without judgment. Her greatest achievement in life, though, was in our two babies.”

As well as being a devoted mum, Lyle said Sara also “took great pride” in her work as a hairdresser.

Looking back on everything that happened, he said, “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.”

Lyle also paid tribute to Sara in a Facebook post after her death. He wrote, “Sara was a fun, life of the party girl, who loved her kids fiercely and would fight to the death for them.”

He added, “We did our best to always keep things comfortable and the same for our children, even though we weren’t together anymore. Her death is unfathomable.”

A GoFundMe has since been set up to help support Sara and Lyle’s two children.

More information from officials is expected to follow.

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