MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Following is a timeline in the case of Mica Miller, a Myrtle Beach woman and former pastor’s wife who was found dead in Robeson County.
APRIL 25: John-Paul Miller is served with divorce papers
John-Paul Miller was served with divorce papers just two days before Mica’s body was found in Robeson County, according to an affidavit filed by Sierra Francis, Mica’s sister.
APRIL 27: Mica Miller found dead in Robeson County
Mica Miller, 30, was found dead in the Orrum community of Robeson County on April 27, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office told News13. Authorities said their investigation did not indicate there was a danger to the public.
APRIL 28: John-Paul Miller announces Mica’s death
At the end of a sermon at his Solid Rock church, John-Paul announces Mica’s death to the congregation. A video of the sermon was posted online.
“I’m taking a little bit of a break and I don’t want to have to worry about the church,” John-Paul said before announcing her death. “My break may be a few days, a few weeks, I don’t know.”
MAY 5: Memorial tributes pour in for Mica
Hundreds of people pay tribute to Mica, whose body was found at Lumber River State Park in Robeson County.
MAY 5: John-Paul released from ministerial duties amid Mica’s death investigation
The pastor of a Myrtle Beach church whose wife was found dead in Robeson County has been released, according to an email obtained by News13 that was sent to church members on Sunday.
“I, Charles Randall, by the authority vested in me as overseer, hereby release Pastor John-Paul Miller from all ministerial functions for a time of healing, counsel, and guidance, pursuant to our governing instrument,” the email reads.
MAY 6: Police reports show Mica had GPS tracker placed on her car weeks before her death
A Myrtle Beach woman found dead last week in Robeson County had a tracking device placed on her car that was discovered after she took it to a dealership to repair a tire that had been slashed, according to Horry County police reports.
Mica Miller, 30, made two complaints on March 11 — the first coming after her vehicle’s tire was found slashed near Springmaid Pier, the report said. The second complaint, filed hours later, came after Miller took her vehicle to East Coast Honda on Highway 17 Bypass to have the tire repaired. The police reports indicate that the suspect in both incidents was a male.
The suspect’s identity is redacted in both reports, but Miller said she “noticed strange activity and what she believes as people following or watching her.” Miller also told officers that the suspect “has a history of similar actions against her.”
MAY 6: ‘If I end up with a bullet in my head, it was JP’: Mica Miller’s siblings describe her fears amid split from pastor husband
“Mica stated to me on many occasions, ‘If I end up with a bullet in my head, it was JP,’” Mica’s sister, Sierra Francis, said in an affidavit asking to be named the special administrator of Mica’s estate. “JP” refers to Mica’s husband, John-Paul Miller, a senior pastor at the Solid Rock Church in Market Common.
Francis said her sister told her that people were following her and indicated that her husband had hired people to follow her. The affidavit also alleges that John-Paul transferred assets, including the deed to their home, to one of his sons and moved his wife’s personal belongings from their home while she was undergoing treatment at a mental-health facility.
MAY 7: ‘I’m about to kill myself,’ Mica Miller told authorities in 911 call
Mica Miller called 911 on April 27 and told authorities she was about to kill herself, Robeson County authorities said on Tuesday.
“I’m about to kill myself and I just want my family to know where to find me,” Miller said in the call, according to authorities.
That was at 2:54 p.m., and by 3:03 p.m., deputies were sent to Lumber River State Park where her body was found. Relatives of the Myrtle Beach woman were given the information during a meeting with Sheriff Burnis Wilkins and other investigators.
MAY 8: Mica Miller’s husband ‘groomed’ her years before their marriage, refused to let her drive, police report says
Mica Miller made the allegation in a Feb. 21 complaint to police about a stolen vehicle after being discharged from an involuntary hospital stay.
Miller met with police in the Coastal Grand Mall parking lot to report the theft of her car. She was hospitalized between Feb. 8 and Feb. 10 and told officers she believed John-Paul committed her to steal the vehicle.
“The CP stated that she has known her husband since she was 10 years old and that he ‘groomed’ her while she worked for him at Solid Rock Church until they were married six years ago,” the police report states.
MAY 8: Mica Miller was suspect in now-closed Solid Rock church theft investigation, Myrtle Beach police say
Mica Miller was the suspect in a now-closed theft investigation in which nearly $1,200 in donations meant for the Solid Rock Ministries’ missionary efforts in Africa were reported stolen, according to Myrtle Beach police. Miller, who authorities said died from suicide at a state park in Robeson County on April 27, allegedly took $1,199 and placed it into her personal bank account.
The March 14 complaint filed with Myrtle Beach police was filed by someone from the Market Common church, but police said the investigation was closed on April 8 after the city attorney determined that there was no probable cause and that the case was a “civil matter between [the] involved parties.” Miller’s name not did not appear in the police report, but police confirmed that she was the “offender.”
MAY 8: News13 exclusive: Man who found Mica Miller’s belongings says her suicide ‘changed my life’
A man who was fishing nearby when authorities say Mica Miller shot and killed herself at a state park near Lumberton says he heard the gunshot and then found some of her personal items on the riverbank when he went to investigate.
In an exclusive interview with News13, Johnnie Jacobs said he has been harassed on social media since the April 27 incident in which authorities said Miller bought a gun in Horry County and then went to the park near Lumberton and took her own life.
MAY 9: Attorney for John-Paul Miller says claims he ‘groomed’ his wife, abused her are false
An attorney for John-Paul Miller, the wife of Mica Miller denied claims made in a police report that he abused his late wife and ‘groomed’ her from the age of 10.
“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,” attorney Russell B. Long said in a news release. “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.”
MAY 10: Police records show 4 instances of GPS trackers reported on Mica Miller’s vehicles
Horry County police investigated the first incident on March 11 after Miller filed two complaints after she said a tire on her vehicle was slashed while she was at the Springmaid Pier. Mechanics at East Coast Honda on Highway 17 Bypass found the tracking device while repairing the tire.
Miller’s name is also associated with reports filed with Myrtle Beach police on March 14, March 26 and April 15.
The reports do not give any indication from police about who placed the trackers on the vehicles.
MAY 13: John-Paul Miller says he put GPS trackers on Mica’s vehicles, posted nude photo of her, report says
Her husband, John-Paul Miller, former pastor at Solid Rock Church in Market Common, admitted in text messages with NewsNation’s Rich McHugh to putting the GPS trackers on her vehicles. He also apologized for the damage he caused her vehicles. He was released from his ministerial duties on May 5.
“I’m sorry for putting a picture of you on the internet,” the email reads. “It was for less than one hour and immediately taken town. I was hurt that you are telling everyone horrible intimate details of my past sin, and I just wanted to try and hurt you. Please forgive me. It was evil of me to do that.”
MAY 14: Miller family attorney hints at lawsuit against Mica’s estranged husband; Solid Rock Ministries worth millions
A potential wrongful death lawsuit could be coming against Solid Rock Church, as documents left behind by Mica Miller suggest her estranged husband John-Paul used its authority to isolate her, a family attorney says
“There seems to me that there could be a civil action. Not against the police — the police under the circumstances responded appropriately under what was happening at the time — but there are other things that happened that are related to this church,” Conway-based attorney Regina Ward told NewsNation last week.
MAY 14: ‘Call the cops, I don’t care’: Mica Miller’s sister called 911 in November over ‘threatening’ texts from John-Paul
Mica Miller’s sister in November called 911 after receiving threatening texts from Mica’s estranged husband John-Paul Miller, according to the phone call obtained by NewsNation.
In the call, Mica’s sister told the dispatcher that John-Paul was threatening suicide and that he texted “blood is going to be on your hands.” The sister asked for a police officer to check the roads to ensure John-Paul did not show up.
MAY 14: News13 exclusive: Mica Miller’s attorney and family speak out
The attorney representing Mica and her family told News13 in an exclusive interview that Mica did not steal money from Solid Rock Ministries and said she has a document that proves Mica had reason to think she had legal access to the church’s bank accounts.
Attorney Regina Ward said a postnuptial agreement, which is made after you’re married, was drafted between Mica and John-Paul in February. It states that “Mica shall be entitled to the Africa missions, Dare to Care Mission and the bank account at South State Bank.”
MAY 15: ‘We’re not seeing grief:’ Body language expert says John-Paul Miller forced sadness in wife’s viral death announcement
A now infamous clip of Solid Rock Church Pastor John-Paul Miller announcing the death of his wife Mica from the pulpit of Solid Rock Church just a day after she died reveals more about him than he intended to show, a body language expert said.
“We’re not seeing any grief here. We’re not seeing what we call adaptors, the things we use to self-soothe,” Scott Rouse told NewsNation on Tuesday night. “He’s got what’s supposed to be tears happening, that’s not happening. He’s got no tissues with him, his nose isn’t running … these are all the classic cues of someone who is faking an emotion.”
MAY 22: ‘Very, very sick:’ Mica Miller’s father-in-law weighs in on suicide
In the email, Wayne Miller said that Mica suffered previous psychotic episodes and had earlier tried to kill herself. At one point, he even described Mica as “a very, very sick young woman.”
And while the elder Miller is now chiming in on this latest series of events, he himself also has a headline-making past.
In 2014, Munn investigated claims at Cathedral Bible College in Marion, where international students say they were forced to work for Wayne Miller with little to no pay.
Miller was charged with crimes that carried a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
MAY 23: Questions continue to swirl around John-Paul Miller and Solid Rock Ministries
The centerpiece of Solid Rock’s planned expansion is a new church and school, for 1st through 9th grade students, off Highway 17 Bypass, near the new Publix Supermarket complex off Coventry Boulevard.
If Solid Rock Church were on the tax rolls, its coveted Market Common footprint would have an overall value of $1.93 million, according to Horry County land records.
MAY 23: What protections are in place for victims stalked and harassed in South Carolina?
According to state law, for someone to be convicted of stalking, victims must be able to show a pattern of two or more acts within a 90-day period.
Mica Miller made at least five police reports related to harassment and stalking in that 90-day period. However, no arrests were ever made.
MAY 28: News13 exclusive: John-Paul Miller’s former associate says he’s ‘not the man I thought he was’
For years, the 68-year-old worshipped at Solid Rock Church in The Market Common alongside pastor John-Paul Miller and his wife, Mica — earning a leadership post in October that gave him more access to the charismatic preacher.
Kenerson has since left Solid Rock, troubled not only by Mica’s April 27 suicide but John-Paul’s demeanor in the days that followed. He also wonders about Solid Rock Ministry’s $5.59 million real estate portfolio and the inner workings of the church that, even as an elder, were kept from him
JUNE 2: Dozens attend ‘Justice for Mica’ rally in front of Solid Rock Church
Dozens of protestors on Sunday stood in front of Solid Rock Church in Market Common, hoping to bring awareness about domestic violence and abuse in the wake of Mica Miller’s death.
Holding up signs that read ‘Justice for Mica,” the group has been rallying outside of the church since the 30-year-old estranged wife of Solid Rock’s pastor, John-Paul, died on April 27.
JUNE 3: Solid Rock pastor Miller’s ex-wife alleges infidelity, lust for power in custody filing
Alison Williams recently asked a judge to temporarily grant her sole custody of their two youngest children, with all contact suspended until John-Paul completes a psychological and parental fitness exam.
News13 obtained the records, which also depict John-Paul’s infidelities, including an affair with Mica that began while she worked as a nanny for John-Paul and Alison’s children. The filing also alleges that John-Paul hired prostitutes and was “sexually inappropriate with several underage female members” of Solid Rock.
JUNE 5: Deal releases Mica Miller’s belongings to family attorney
Some of Mica Miller’s personal belongings will be turned over to an attorney after lawyers for her family and her husband John-Paul Miller reached an agreement Wednesday.
“One of the primary issues we were seeking a court order from the judge is possession of Mica’s personal property that’s being held in the possession of the Robeson County Sheriff’s Department,” Conway attorney Regina Ward said at an hourlong news conference outside the Horry County government building.
JUNE 5: Law buried in South Carolina Legislature might have saved Mica Miller, attorney says
Four years ago, a South Carolina lawmaker filed a bill that would criminalize “coercive control,” with punishments of up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Since that time, efforts to get such a law on the books have stalled in both chambers of the General Assembly.
A “coercive control” bill was most recently filed in 2021 by state Republican Sen. Katrina Shealy of Lexington. However, it never made it out of the Judiciary Committee, which is now led by Conway Republican Luke Rankin.
JUNE 7: ‘Political cheap shot’: Horry County Sen. Rankin upset after attorney challenges lawmakers to enact ‘Mica’s Law’
A day after an attorney representing Mica’s family urged South Carolina lawmakers to go to work on “coercive control” legislation aimed at helping victims of domestic violence, an Horry County Republican appeared to take offense to her comments.
“No law enforcement, victims advocate, family court judge or family law attorney — including Ms. Ward — has ever asked me to help make this bill a law,” Rankin said. “The statement or suggestion made otherwise is completely false. While I always seek ways to strengthen SC laws to protect the innocent, I realize for a bill to become law it requires action by the majority of the House, Senate, and the Governor. I stand ready to help continue to make SC and our community the place so many love to call home.”
JUNE 12: John-Paul Miller, Mica’s relatives battle for her name, assets in new court filings
Mica’s family wants to posthumously change her name and require John-Paul to partially pay for a forensic accountant, News13 has learned from newly filed court records.
The 45-year-old founder and senior pastor of Solid Rock Church in Myrtle Beach’s Market Common area is asking a judge to deny the family’s requests, according to motions made through an attorney on June 6 in Horry County Family Court.
JULY 26: News13 investigates: John-Paul Miller and the path to ‘Mica’s Law’
For the first time, News13 is hearing from Solid Rock Church pastor John-Paul Miller in a wide-ranging interview with our network partner NewsNation about his relationship with his late wife Mica.
John-Paul, who has refused to talk to News13 specifically several times, spoke in the interview about abuse allegations and how he claims Mica’s family let her down.
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Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.