June 11, 2024
Warning: Mention of suicide and abuse. Read discretion advised.
On April 27, 2024, 30-year-old Mica Miller was found dead in Orrum, Robeson County.
At around 2:55Pm on April 27, 2024, a 911 call was placed to Robeson County E911 Communications from a female caller informing the dispatcher she was going to end her life. The caller stated that she wanted her body to be found, and asked if her device could be located, so her family would be able to recover her remains.
“I’m about to kill myself and I just want my family to know where to find me,” she stated.
Although she did not identify herself, or her exact location to the dispatcher, the caller would later be identified as Mica Miller, the wife of Pastor John-Paul Miller of Myrtle Beach.
Miller’s approximate location was pinpointed, and deputies worked with state park rangers to find her.
They soon discovered her black Honda Accord in the Lumber River State Park parking lot in Orrum, North Carolina, and noted the South Carolina license plates. The vehicle belonged to Miller.
Inside the Honda Accord, officers found the receipt for the Sig Sauer handgun, which had been purchased from a local pawn shop that day.
Realising that time was of the essence, officers and rangers began searching for the victim.
A civilian who had been fishing in the area noticed officers searching in the vicinity and handed over a bag he had found near the water. Officers were able to identify Miller as the owner after finding her I.D inside. Johnnie Jacobs told officers that while he was fishing he had heard a woman crying, followed by a gunshot.
A 911 call soon reported the discovery of a body. The body was later identified to be that of Mica Miller. A Sig Sauer handgun found in the water was confirmed to correspond with the Sig Saur box found in Miller’s vehicle.
Robeson County Medical Examiner, Dr. Richard Johnson, later concluded that Miller died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He would go on to tell WPDE: “Based on the nature of the wound, that it is consistent with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. And it was not in the back of the head, as it has been speculated.”
Investigators began looking into Miller’s personal life, and discovered that she had an estranged husband, a pastor named John-Paul Miller who resided in Mrytle Beach. John-Paul was the pastor at Solid Rock Church in Market Common.
The pair were living apart, and divorce was on the table. John-Paul Miller had a new romantic interest, reports say.
On the day of Mica's death, John-Paul had attended an event in Charleston, surveillance cameras on Highway 17 put him in Horry County at approximately 2:20PM on the day of Mica's death.
Surveillance footage revealed a timeline of Mica’s movements on the day of her death, including the purchase of the firearm she used to end her life that same day.
It was later revealed that John-Paul Miller was served with divorce papers on April 25, 2024, two days before mica was found dead.
The following day, John-Paul Miller announced that Mica had died. He stated that he would be taking a leave of absence for a short period of time. As the death was being investigated by authorities, Jean-Paul was released from his ministerial duties.
Mica alleged that her estranged husband had been stalking her. After having her tires slashed she took her vehicle into a dealership, and media outlets report that the dealership found a GPS tracker on her vehicle.
Mica made complaints about the slashed tires on March 11, 2024, stating the incident happened near Springmaid Pier. Hours later, the GPS was discovered at a dealership on East Coast Honda on Highway 17 Bypass. Mica told police a male suspect had been following her, and multiple incidents had allegedly occurred.
Not only that, but Mica’s siblings alleged that Mica feared for her life, and allegedly told them that if she died an untimely death, her estranged husband would be responsible.
Sierra Francis, Mica's sister, stated that Mica alleged she was being followed by individuals hired by her husband, and that John-Paul had transferred the joint assets to his son.
In an affidavit Francis stated:
“I know my sister to have expressed the abuse and violence against her by her husband to others, including family members and members of the church congregation.”
“My sister expressed to me that she was fearful that she would not make it to the divorce and that her life would be taken from her.” “It is my belief based on conversations with my sister that she told multiple people, including other family members,” adding “Mica stated to me on many occasions, ‘If I end up with a bullet in my head, it was not by me. It was JP.’”
Francis also said that John-Paul allegedly took away her vehicle, money, phone, and other personal possessions in an attempt to control Mica. Adding that every time Mica tried to leave, he would “harass and stalk her to the point she just felt like she had to give up and go back.”
In a February 2024 complaint to police, Mica claimed that John-Paul had stolen her personal vehicle following an involuntary hospital stay in regards to her mental health. She claimed that John-Paul's motive for committing her was to steal her vehicle.
Jean-Paul Miller denied these accusations, and released a statement through his lawyer, Russell B. Long, saying:
“Following the untimely death of Mica Miller, unfounded rumors and false accusations began circulating on social media and in various media outlets, suggesting Pastor Miller’s involvement in her demise.”
“This created a buzz, causing local and national media outlets to be proliferating these falsehoods, on a mammoth proportion. Our client refutes any report that suggests he ever abused his wife.”
In a statement to the public, the Robes County Sherifs office wrote:
“This incident has garnered much attention from across the Carolinas and beyond. I want to assure everyone that a very methodical investigation was conducted by our Criminal Investigations Team and Crime Scene Investigative Team.
Unfortunately, rumors and conspiracy theories were spreading quickly, and assumptions were being made. However, in the end, we must make decisions based on the facts, and evidence that has been gathered. While I know it’s not what many people wanted to hear, the evidence is quite clear and compelling, and we are as saddened as anyone that this occurred. There are many factors that we have reviewed that occurred over an extended period of time that are probably related to the reason for this investigation, but in the end, sadly, a tragic decision was made by Mica that ended her life.”
John-Paul Miller's ex-wife, Alison Williams, has been attempting to get sole-custody of their two youngest children.
In an affidavit, Williams stated: “J.P. would preach sermons on Sundays our children were with him and present in the congregation, disparaging Mica and indicating she had mental health issues, and eventually putting her in a mental hospital.”
Mica was born in Wichita on March 7, 1994. Her family described her as "energetic, affirming, adventurous, faithful, loving, giving, forgiving, talented, joyous, creative, assertive, bold, determined, authoritative, passionate, hardworking, a risk taker, and so much more." She was a graphic designer, a worship leader, the women's ministry leader, and a pastor's assistant. She will be dearly missed by friends and family.
John-Paul has denied being abusive towards Mica.
November 19, 2024
