- Sara Gilson was allegedly killed by her estranged husband in a murder-suicide incident
- Gilson had accused her husband of being a paedophile in a TikTok video 12 days before her death
- Protective orders were filed against her husband alleging inappropriate behavior towards a teenager
Sara Gilson, a social media influencer, was allegedly killed by her estranged husband less than two weeks after she posted a TikTok video accusing him of being a paedophile, according to police and court records. Police said Sara Gilson, 43, also known as Sara Duffey, was found dead with a gunshot wound alongside her estranged husband, 48-year-old Jeremiah Shawn Duffey, at their home in Collinsville, a suburb of Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Thursday night. Investigators believe Duffey shot Gilson before taking his own life. The case remains under investigation.
The deaths came weeks after Gilson sought a protective order on 10 June to keep Duffey away from the family home, NBC News reported.
Court records show that, on the same day, another woman also filed for a protective order alleging Duffey had behaved inappropriately towards her teenage daughter. According to legal filings reported by The Oklahoman, a fellow youth basketball coach allegedly caught Duffey kissing and fondling the girl.
The filings further claim the teenager later told her mother that Duffey had sent her inappropriate text messages, invited her to his hotel room during basketball trips and gave her money to "keep her quiet". Those allegations were reported to police in Owasso, Oklahoma.
In her own court filing, Gilson referenced the allegations against Duffey and also claimed he had access to firearms, had threatened suicide and had "gone on the run".
A month later, on 11 July, Gilson shared a sombre TikTok video with her tens of thousands of followers. Sitting silently on a chair, the on-screen text read: "Preparing for when Netflix drops a documentary about my soon-to-be ex-husband who I just found out is a paedophile."
"I wish I were joking," she wrote in the caption.
Twelve days later, at about 11.15pm on Thursday, police received a 911 call from inside the Collinsville home. Dispatchers heard a woman screaming, followed by what appeared to be a gunshot, before the call disconnected. Moments later, a young boy called 911 from a neighbour's house and told dispatchers his stepfather had shot his mother, police said.
When officers arrived, they found Gilson and Duffey dead from apparent gunshot wounds to the head. Authorities believe the incident was a murder-suicide, though the investigation is ongoing.
Gilson's son was taken into protective custody before being released to another parent who was not involved in the incident. She is survived by her son and daughter.
An online fundraiser for her children described Gilson as "an incredible mom" whose children "were the centre of her world".
"She loved them fiercely, worked hard to provide for them and dreamed of giving them the best life possible," the fundraiser said.
Following news of her death, Gilson's TikTok video spread widely online, amassing around 15 million views by Sunday.
The case has also renewed attention on intimate partner violence in the United States. According to data cited by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than half of female homicide victims are killed by a current or former male intimate partner. The same data shows that about one in five homicide victims overall are killed by an intimate partner.
