Social media influencer Sara Gilson, who was killed after publicly accusing her husband of child sexual abuse, “couldn’t seem to get away” from Jeremiah Duffy despite filing multiple protective orders, her ex-husband has stated.
Lyle Landers, Gilson’s ex-husband and father of her two children, told People that he had urged her for five years to leave Duffy, stating, “She had been stuck in a relationship where domestic abuse seemed ‘OK’.”
Gilson posted a video on TikTok on 11 July, accusing Duffy of child sexual abuse. Twelve days later, police received a call from Gilson, during which a gunshot was reportedly heard. Police found the bodies of Gilson and Duffy at her home in Owasso, Oklahoma, both with gunshot wounds to the head. Police suspect Duffy killed Gilson before turning the gun on himself.
Court records reported by local press indicate Gilson filed for protective orders twice in 2021, which were dismissed after she did not appear in court. This month, a protective order was granted, ordering Duffy to leave Gilson’s home and stay at least 100 yards away. Gilson had stated in her application that Duffy had threatened suicide and possessed a firearm.
In a separate case, the mother of a 15-year-old girl sought a protective order against Duffy, a basketball coach, alleging inappropriate behaviour. Police attempted to locate Duffy, but he had left the school where the allegations took place. The investigation into alleged lewd behaviour toward a minor was referred to the US attorney’s office in Tulsa, as the alleged crimes occurred on Cherokee land and Duffy was a member of the Osage tribe.