Influencer Sara Gilson's Ex Begged Her to Leave Husband Before Alleged Murder-Suicide

Sara Gilson's ex-husband says he spent years begging the influencer to leave the man authorities say eventually killed her ... but she could never fully break free.

Lyle Landers -- who shares two children with Sara -- tells PEOPLE he warned her for five years to get away from estranged husband Jeremiah "Shawn" Duffey, whom he says had been a threat to her from the beginning.

Lyle told the outlet he offered to help Sara escape the relationship in any way he could ... but claims Duffey appeared to have "some sort of control over her."

He and Sara divorced about seven years ago ... but Lyle says they eventually became friends and built a strong co-parenting relationship. He remembers her as a devoted mother who poured everything into their children ... as well as a hairdresser who took tremendous pride in her work.

As we reported, Sara and Duffey were found dead from gunshot wounds inside her Owasso, Oklahoma home Thursday. Authorities say Duffey shot Sara before turning the gun on himself.

TMZ obtained chilling dispatch audio from the night of the shooting ... with a dispatcher telling responding officers a woman could be heard "screaming and crying" before a loud bang rang out in the background.

Sara had filed multiple protective orders against Duffey, including one last month. She also recently accused him of being a pedophile in a viral TikTok ... writing she had just learned the disturbing allegation about her soon-to-be ex-husband.

Court records reviewed by TMZ show Duffey had also been ordered to stay at least 100 yards away from a local child and the child's home.