New Revelations Emerge in the Strange Case of Myrtle Beach Pastor's Late Wife Mica Miller
Details continue to be revealed in the case of Mica Miller that shows a troubled marriage, purported domestic violence and allegations of underage grooming.
Editor’s note: The following discusses the topic of suicide. If you or someone close to you requires support, assistance, or simply a listening ear, don't hesitate to reach out. You can access help through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website or by calling 800-273-8255. Trained individuals are available round the clock to lend support and guidance.
John-Paul Miller, pastor of Solid Rock Ministries in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina made headlines recently after delivering a full sermon on April 28th, announcing to his congregation that his wife, 30-year-old Mica Miller had committed suicide just hours earlier.
In a now-viral video, Miller asked the church members to stand up for an announcement rather than proceed as normal with an altar call. “I got a call late last night. My wife has passed away. Yeah, and it was self-induced and it was up in North Carolina. And we’re going to have a funeral for her next Sunday here at 3 p.m.”
Pastor Miller also asked the congregation to continue to “come to church, and serve, and give for the next little bit because I’m taking a little bit of break and I don’t want to worry about the church.” He continued, “My break may be a few days, a few weeks, I don’t know. I got a call late last night, my wife has passed away. It was self-induced and it was up in North Carolina. We’re going to have a funeral for her next Sunday at 3 p.m.”
The pastor also asked the congregation to leave quietly and exit the church without talking about the announcement while still in the building.
John-Paul said he was running on adrenaline during the sermon and announcement and asked the congregation to pray for him and his children. The pastor added, “Y’all knew that she wasn’t well mentally and that she needed her medicine that was hard to get to her.”
John-Paul Miller had been served with divorce papers just two days prior to Mica’s death, on April 25th, 2024.
Timeline Leading Up To Mica Losing Her Life
Untangling the web of what led up to Mica’s suicide reveals many things about their troubled marriage. According to The Sun News, Mica Miller filed for divorce on October 8th, 2023, but the divorce was dismissed early this year on February 13th. Subsequently, John-Paul Miller, 44, filed for separation from Mica on February 22, with the separation also being dismissed on March 12th. Mica once again filed for separation on April 15th and a hearing was set for June 5th, with a notice going out to John-Paul.
On April 27th, Mica is seen leaving her home on the couple’s ring camera around 11:38 a.m. At 12:12 p.m., Mica is seen entering Dick’s Pawn Shop. Twenty-two minutes later, the same camera located at the pawn shop shows Mica leaving having purchased a 9mm Sig Sauer handgun, one she would later use to take her life.
At 2:54 p.m. that same day, Mica called 911 to see if they could trace her call to the remote location on the bank at Lumber River State Park. During the call, Mica expressed that she planned to take her own life and was only making the call to ensure her family members would be able to locate her body after the act was carried out. Mica can be heard on the call telling the dispatcher, "I'm about to kill myself, and I just want my family to know where to find me.”
Mica’s body was found by Robeson County Sherriff’s Office with the medical examiner concluding her death as a suicide. Investigators located the gun case for the Sig Sauer in the passenger seat of Mica’s vehicle along with a receipt that confirmed her purchase of the gun just hours before from the pawn shop.
While rumors continue to fly about her now estranged husband’s involvement in her death, investigators confirmed John-Paul was at an athletic event in Charleston, South Carolina when Mica drove to Lumber River State Park. In addition, his vehicle was seen on the NC Hwy-17 Bypass in Horry County at 2:22 p.m. on the day of Mica’s death.
“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,” Sheriff Burnis Wilkins said in a news release.
Dual memorial services were held on May 5th at 3 p.m. for Mica. One was held at Solid Rock with John-Paul, and another on the beach, held by her family and close friends. The family held Mica’s memorial in the same location on the beach where she had recently been baptized.
Also on May 5th, an email went out to members of Solid Rock Ministries announcing the official release of all Pastor John-Paul Miller’s ministerial functions and was signed by elder Charles Randall.
Police Reports: Past and Present
Since gaining nationwide attention, additional information has surfaced, including accusations by Mica against John-Paul, which she shared with family members and close friends during their relationship, as well as police reports filed by Mrs. Miller.
Two police reports from March 11th obtained by ABC15 News in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina state Mica Miller had reported a razor blade having been placed in her tire and that this incident was the second time it had happened that week. According to the documents, the responding officer explained to Mica that the metal she found in her tire was a tire deflation device easily obtained online.
A short clip obtained by News Nation shows Mica and John-Paul at a gas station as Mica was on her way to repair the tire at East Coast Honda. In the clip, John-Paul can be heard threatening to post indecent images of Mica on Facebook.
The original police report from March 11th read in part, “the suspect in this incident showed up next to her at the pump trying to talk to her. She told him to go away she does not want to talk and then when she pulled her out to record he sped off,” according to WFLA News, and added that during the vehicle’s inspection on March 26th, a mechanic located a GPS tracking device on Mica’s vehicle.
This prompted a new police report, followed by an officer accompanying Mica to the magistrate’s office to obtain a restraining order against John-Paul. WFLA News reported the officer adding to the new report, “While I was standing out front of the magistrates office with the victim a white in color Honda Accord slow rolled down Scipio Lane in front of the magistrates office.”
In addition to the March 2024 police report, a separate police report was filed in February 2024 after Mica completed an involuntary hospital stay. The 2024 report states in part, “When the complainant was discharged from the hospital, hospital staff informed her that her husband picked up her purse and her keys. The complainant believed that her husband fraudulently initiated her involuntary hospitalization and ‘stole’ her car while she was in the hospital.” The report also stated, “The complainant stated that she has known her husband since she was ten-years-old and that he 'groomed' her while she worked for him at Solid Rock Church until they were married.” Mica began working at Solid Rock Church at the age of 14 and was babysitting the children of John-Paul Miller.
As seen in the report below, John-Paul deflects and claims Mica goes through annual “episodes” near Christmas where “she becomes reckless and spends large amounts of money when she stops taking her prescribed medication.”
According to Mica’s friends and family, Mica had been keeping documents and other evidence on her phone that she had planned to use in the divorce. Mica explained to them that when she recovered her phone from John-Paul, all of the evidence had been deleted.
John-Paul also admits to having gone through her phone during a sermon while she was hospitalized, which, to reiterate, was involuntary with John-Paul being Mica’s power of attorney.
Infidelity, Claims of Pedophilia, & Yet Another Mysterious Death
Alison, the initial wife of John-Paul Miller, initiated divorce proceedings in 2015 upon uncovering her husband's extramarital relationship with Mica. A source for The Daily Mail reported the affair between Mica and John-Paul was discovered when they were caught in a sexual act in 2015.
Remarkably, Mica, then serving as the babysitter for the couple's four children, was also wed to her first spouse at the time, Jeremy Deas. The couple’s wedding was officiated just three years earlier, in 2012 by Deas’s then-best friend, Pastor John-Paul Miller.
“In an affidavit dated June 2017, Miller's first wife said: 'Our separation was a result of my discovering that the defendant was having an affair with the praise and worship leader in our church, who was also the weekly babysitter of our four children, and the wife of his best friend.’
“'His marital misconduct not only destroyed my marriage, but also caused me to lose my church family and income, along with severely damaging the relationship between the defendant and our children.'
The affidavit also mentioned Alison’s claim that John-Paul had an addiction to prostitutes and confessed to her that he had performed sex acts on minor females in the congregation:
“The documents added that Miller allegedly ‘confessed' to his then-wife and members of the church that he had sexual encounters with young females from the church, who were under the age of sixteen.'“
Both Alison and Mica experienced infidelity in their marriage to John-Paul Miller. According to multiple sources, John-Paul had an affair in 2021 with another Solid Rock Ministries member, Susie Skinner.
Susie’s husband, 40-year-old Chris was paraplegic and confined to a wheelchair from an accident he was in while in college. Chris was an author and motivational speaker, often speaking to high school students about the dangers of driving while intoxicated. According to WMBF News, Skinner was found unresponsive in a neighborhood pool he often frequented, with the coroner finding his drowning to have been accidental.
Though it’s unclear if the affair began before or after Susie’s husband Chris’s tragic death, it is certain Susie and John-Paul were seeing each other regularly throughout his marriage to Mica. Chris and Susie were both very active in Pastor Miller’s church.
Bizzare Video Of Mental Breakdown of Pastor John-Paul Miller Surfaces
On May 10th, a man named Ty Longerbeam posted a video of John-Paul Miller in what is said to be his then-wife Alison’s front yard shortly after Alison had learned of his affair with Mica. The video shows Miller in a state of mental breakdown, sprawled out face-first on the grass complaining of ants crawling all over his body and sobbing. He repeatedly says he thought he was “going to see Jesus,” and “just needs to get to Jesus.”
Longerbeam’s video has been viewed thousands of times and is accompanied by the following message to John-Paul:
“I believe the saying goes ‘Getting a Taste Of Your Own Medicine’ (and I mean that quite literally) You have USED and ABUSED for wayyy too long, only to get up on that pulpit and consistently discredit your victims by airing out intentional degrading, inappropriate personal information. Doing that allows you to control the narrative. Now we have the death of your wife that you claim only took her life because of mental illness. Fact is… NOBODY was ever mental until they met you. You are the common denominator in all of this.This video is only proof that YOU yourself have issues and YOU know what medication can do to someone. Imagine being in a vulnerable state like this and being met with control, manipulation and shame…what’s the long term effect on that??? Now add abuse on top of that… all forms that may apply. Who can handle that??? Yet you were met with a soft tone and a water bottle that you didn’t deserve.
JP I could have done this anonymously but I want you to see its coming from me so you don't go after anyone else. You know I’ve got receipts… and you know I’m not scared. Ive never met anyone like you but what i have learned and been taught is people like you repeat their behavior and every so often they slip up and show who they really are. Sometimes they even type it in an email. I think it’s abundantly clear that you haven’t been held accountable for any of your actions over the years and I never hit the recycling bin.
Solid Rock let me introduce you to your pastor, you don’t see this version on Sundays. This is the guy you allow to give you and your family council. This is the guy you give permission to speak into your life, the guy you share personal vulnerable information with that he will USE against YOU when and if you question him. It’s time to really take a step back and evaluate what’s going on. JP you are a complete shit stain to all of the other pastors that truly desire to lead people to the lord. You are a liability to the christian faith and to anyone that you set your eyes on.
The reason why most people didn’t speak up the first time is because they know your reaction is ruthless, you have a little bit of local power with enough financial resources to hurt people legally and they fear putting their family at risk. And the few others that don’t speak up believe it’s not the ‘christian thing to do’ Well… neither is doing nothing. I also believe Jesus flipped over some tables. So here we go.
You’ve already had the chance the first time around ‘for a time of healing, counsel, and guidance, pursuant to our governing instrument ‘ (2nd time your reverend had to give that same PR speech to a church body ) yet you chose to smack every former member in the face that would have supported you if you got the help you NEED. So please DON'T mistake this video as a broken man who misses his family. This is a twisted individual using one of his many tactics to manipulate his way back into control. But his target didn’t let that happen, she kept her foot down and you changed gears and got nasty. Over the years his ways to manipulate have only gotten more effective with percision.
*To the ones who are the reason I’m involved ( I won’t name ) I hope you understand why I had to do this.* enough is enough
Some want to raise AWARENESS and MOST want JUSTICE
“Godspeed” JP ( IYKYK )
Internet do your thing”
In response to comments questioning the contents of the video, Longerbeam confirms the video was recorded sometime between late 2015 and mid-2016:
“The last thing on my mind when doing this was having to ‘confirm’ that it's jp or dispute his vehicle at the time. But I can see how the date is reasonable. I don't have the specific date. I copied this onto a separate drive and I had to mute the two individuals names out of the video for privacy. So I don't have the exact date but it was between the back half of 2015- middle of 2016 I believe. wasn't expecting to have to put my hand on the Bible and swear it. The important part is the video his character, actions and I'm sorry guys I know the winning makes it difficult to get through.
He has pulled this act in many different ways. He would pull up to the house on crutches but limping with the wrong foot. He used his health as something to dangle in front of his ex wife, kids and wifes parents to get some form of sympathy to take the spotlight off of what he had done. What he does doesn't make any sense unless you know a narcissist or educate your self on the patters, tendencies and how they operate.
Yes he was prescribed medication, no this is not the doctors fault. towards the end he tried to blame it on the church and his mom. I know that everyone wants more but it will take time for people to make the decision to come forward. We live in a day were someones statement doesn't mean anything anymore, a picture can be faked, and even with this video there are people saying its an actor. So how do you expect a victim that only has her statement as proof to come forward.”
New Evidence Prompts FBI Investigation
Mica Miller’s sister, Sierra Francis, along with her attorney Regina Ward joined News Nation last week to discuss some of the details of what Mica had been going through prior to her taking her own life. In the interview, Francis states Mica kept daily journals, chronicling her life that are still being parsed through in hopes of gaining perspective of Mica’s actions.
Ward told News Nation of Mica, “She was brainwashed by this man. He abused her in every possible way that there is.” Ward explained how John-Paul would restrict Mica’s access to her vehicle and the bank account when she attempted to leave him and that he would stalk and harass his wife until she felt she had no other choice but to return to him. Ward also mentioned there is talk of civil action against the church based on questionable activities surrounding Mica’s employment at Solid Rock Ministries and John-Paul’s use of the facility.
Sierra was asked to explain why Mica had told the police John-Paul had been grooming her since the age of 10, Sierra offered the assumption that her sister had meant 2010, not 10 years old, which she says would line up with when Mica joined the church around age 14.
The Latest
New questions surrounding this incident and what led to it continue to accrue as details emerge daily. The most recent update, according to Inside Edition, is that the FBI has now opened an investigation into the matter, with the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office saying in a statement on Monday, “Based on the information gathered during the investigation and jurisdiction reasons, the Sheriff’s Office has requested the assistance of both agencies.”
A change.org petition titled “Enforce South Carolina Law to Protect Against Stalking and Harassment-Mica’s Law” was created on May 15th calling for the state to enact stronger laws protecting women and others against harassment, threats, and stalking. The family has also set up a GoFundMe to help facilitate legal fees.
It is unbelievable what a tangled mess humans can make.
How could anyone sit in a "church" with that type of confessions coming from the pulpit. That man needed help, the kind found in prison.
I remember the story when it first came out, the suicide, then it seemed to fall out of the news I saw.
I started to watch but just had to stop. Cringe for sure.