Sara Gilson’s Ex-husband to Cover Her Funeral Expenses After Her Murder

Sara Gilson's ex-husband Lyle Landers is stepping up to give the TikTok star a funeral fit for the woman he still cared for after their divorce. Gilson was shot dead by her estranged husband, who then took his own life.

Lyle Landers is honoring a promise he made long before tragedy struck. Now, in the wake of Sara Gilson's death, he's making good on it for her grieving family.

Landers, 46, who divorced Gilson years ago but stayed close to her and her parents, has vowed to handle her funeral arrangements himself, citing his more stable financial footing as the reason he's taking on the responsibility.

Gilson, 43, was found dead in her Oklahoma home on Thursday, July 23, 2026. According to the Owasso Police Department, she had been shot by her estranged husband, Jeremiah "Shawn" Duffey, 48, who then turned the gun on himself.

In the days following her death, Landers shared that he spent his birthday, Tuesday, July 28, selecting a funeral plot for the late TikTok personality. A private ceremony is expected to take place in her honor later this week.

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe campaign launched to support Gilson's two children has already collected more than $33,000.

Per the fundraising page, the donations will go toward the children's "immediate needs, counseling, education, funeral expenses, and other costs that arise as they begin this unimaginable journey without their mother."

Speaking with TMZ, Landers explained that his bond with Gilson and her family never wavered across the 18 years they knew one another, even after both had remarried, because "'Til death do us part" wasn't just something he said at their wedding.

The murder-suicide came just weeks after Gilson had publicly accused Duffey of being a pedophile. On June 10, a woman filed a protective order against Duffey on behalf of her 15-year-old daughter, according to court documents obtained by People.

The teenager played on a youth basketball team that Duffey coached. Her mother claimed that Duffey allegedly kissed and touched her and was caught in the act by another coach.

The mother also said her daughter told her Duffey engaged in further inappropriate conduct, including sending her messages, inviting her to his hotel room during a tournament trip, and offering her money "to keep her quiet."

Gilson filed her own emergency protective order against Duffey that same day, and he was promptly ordered out of their shared home and told to stay at least 100 yards away from her, court records show.

That order was extended through August 24 on June 23. It wasn't the first time Gilson had sought protection from Duffey — she filed two similar orders against him back in 2021, according to court records, though both were dismissed after she failed to appear at the hearings.

In a recent interview, Landers admitted he never approved of Gilson's relationship with Duffey, calling him a "risk" to her from the start. Reflecting on her life, he described Gilson as "a beautiful person, inside and out," and a devoted mother to their children.

As for Duffey, his ex-wife, Stephanie Ramsay, revealed earlier this week that he won't be getting a funeral, since his own family has no interest in honoring his memory. Instead, Ramsay and Duffey's five children have opted to have him cremated, with his ashes destined for a private family plot.