Mica Miller, the wife of a South Carolina pastor, tragically took her own life last year, citing years of alleged abuse by her husband.
John-Paul “JP” Miller, the pastor in question, now faces federal charges, though the specifics remain undisclosed. His attorney confirmed the indictment to the Post & Courier via a text message. According to the True Sunlight Podcast, which has been closely monitoring the situation, the charges include “cyberstalking” and “making false statements to federal authorities.”
Mica Miller’s suicide occurred at a North Carolina state park on April 27, 2024, just months after she had initiated divorce proceedings. She had confided in police, family, and friends about her husband’s abusive and controlling behavior, claiming he had “groomed” her from the young age of 10 at his church, leading to their marriage 14 years later, as reported by CrimeOnline.
At the time of her death, Miller was in Charleston, South Carolina, with another woman with whom he was reportedly romantically involved. Meanwhile, Mica purchased a firearm, drove to the park, and ended her life, as detailed by the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office. It is unclear whether this woman was Suzie Skinner, whom Miller began dating in 2021 and subsequently married in June, according to FITSNews.
Despite numerous reports from Mica Miller about her husband’s alleged misconduct, including accusations of grooming, police took no action, citing their legal marriage as a factor, as noted by CrimeOnline.
Police did nothing about multiple reports from Mica Miller about her husband’s behavior, including the grooming accusations, saying they were still legally married, CrimeOnline reported.
In an overwrought “eulogy” delivered at Solid Rock Church after his wife’s death, the pastor claimed he was distraught, that he tried to raise her from the dead, and that he mistook his wife’s sister for her at a mall.
“I thought I raised her from the dead … I can’t wait to see her again one day,” he said.
His attorney later sent a letter to media outlets demanding that they stop reporting what Miller and her family said about him.
Friends and family believed the pastor was somehow involved in his wife’s death, but a thorough investigation by the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina exonerated him from any direct involvement since he was elsewhere with his girlfriend, as CrimeOnline reported. She was seen on video leaving her home on April 27 and buying a gun from a Myrtle Beach pawn shop before driving to Lumber River State Park in North Carolina.
There, she called 911 and asked if they could track her cell phone, telling the dispatcher she was “about to kill myself” and wanted to be sure her family could find her. Dispatched deputies were unable to reach her in time. A nearby fisherman reported hearing someone crying minutes before a gunshot.
Federal authorities searched a home connected to John-Paul Miller last year, and he was arrested following a confrontation with protesters in front of his church, as CrimeOnline reported.
Miller’s status as a pastor is unclear. Earlier this year, the Solid Rock Church property was sold to a holding company for $2.1 million, WPDE reported. The holding company sold an unedeveloped property to Solid Rock Ministries for $1.2 million, and the ownership deeds were transferred to Living Water Church. John-Paul Miller is the registered agent for that entity. The Solid Rock Church was emptied out shortly after the FBI searched it last year.
