Couple found dead in apparent murder-suicide after wife posted TikTok video alleging her husband was a pedophile

OWASSO, Okla. (TCN) -- A 43-year-old woman and her husband were found dead from gunshot wounds in an apparent murder-suicide weeks after she posted a TikTok video accusing him of pedophilia. 

On July 23, police responded to a domestic violence incident, Upper Michigan’s Source reports. A woman could be heard screaming on the call to 911, followed by a gunshot. Dispatchers tried to call back, but no one answered. A few minutes later, a child also called 911 and claimed his stepfather had shot his mother. KOCO reports the child went to a neighbor’s house to make the 911 call.

When police arrived, they found Sarah Gilson and her husband, Jeremiah Shawn Duffey, deceased from gunshot wounds to the head in an apparent murder-suicide.

Investigators learned that on July 11, Gilson posted a video to her TikTok account as part of a video trend where users pretend to be sitting down for an interview, according to Upper Michigan’s Source.

In the video, she alleged, “Preparing for when Netflix drops a documentary about my soon-to-be ex-husband, who I just found out is a pedophile,” along with the caption, “I wish I was joking. #plottwist #netflix #documentary.”

Duffey worked as a girls basketball team coach. On June 9, a family reported he had touched a 15-year-old girl inappropriately, alleging several incidents had taken place between Duffey and their daughter at multiple locations. A judge granted a protective order on June 10 for Duffey to stay 100 yards from Gilson and her children, Upper Michigan’s Source reports. 

According to People, Gilson claimed in the protective order that Duffey had threatened to commit suicide and then went on the run.

KOCO reports Duffey was charged with lewd molestations of a minor. According to the outlet, Gilson reportedly filed restraining orders against Duffey in 2021 for stalking and abuse. These orders were dismissed because Gilson did not go to the hearing, per People.

Lyle Landers, Gilson’s ex-husband who shared custody of their children, told People, “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.”

Gilson had approximately 78,000 followers on her TikTok account at the time of her death, per KOCO. The video where she claimed Duffey was a pedophile garnered more than 22 million views.

According to a GoFundMe set up by a loved one, Sarah Gilson is described as “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.

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