(NewsNation) — Some of Mica Miller’s personal belongings will be turned over to an attorney after lawyers for her family and her widower 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,” Regina Ward, the attorney representing Mica Miller and her family, said at an hourlong news conference outside the Horry County government building.
“The property that’s with them is her personal cellphone, her purse, whatever’s inside her purse, her vehicle and whatever’s in her vehicle, Ward said. “As far as anything beyond that, we’re not sure what all is available, but that was something that we wanted to make sure we got in our custody.”
John-Paul is the founder and senior pastor of Solid Rock church at The Market Common and had sole control of Mica’s assets. Mica was found dead April 27 at Lumber River State Park in Robeson County in what authorities deemed a suicide — two days after John-Paul was formally served divorce papers.
Less than a week later, Mica’s sister, Sierra Francis, filed court papers seeking to become the special administrator over her estate.
The deal came shortly before a scheduled hearing in Horry County Family Court to discuss Mica’s estate. That session was later canceled.
Ward said the car Mica drove to Lumber River was titled to her godmother, who will retain possession of it under the terms of the agreement.
“His lawyer would be able to ask us about having access to it too, but right now, we are very satisfied and happy that he has been advised by his attorney to allow us to get that property in our possession,” Ward said.
The agreement, which wasn’t immediately made public, also contains several restraining orders.
“In this particular case, the restraining order is basically saying that the parties are mutually restrained from contacting one another, communications will be handled through the attorney’s office so there’s no need for any direct communication,” Ward said. “We’re also on a mutual restraint to not go into the area of a (personal) residence or where they work. They are to turn around and leave if the other person is there.”
Affidavits filed May 2 by Sierra and Nathaniel Francis, Mica’s sister and brother, bolstered claims that John-Paul abused his late wife. Those claims included him placing multiple GPS trackers on her vehicle, slashing her vehicle’s tires with razor blades and leaking an explicit photo of her online.
“Mica told me on numerous occasions that she feared John-Paul and just wanted to escape him,” Nathaniel wrote in his affidavit supporting Sierra’s claim to administer Mica’s estate.
“I believe that my sister Sierra is the appropriate person to step into Mica’s shoes and continue what was started by her, both to secure her assets and to determine her portion the marital estate,” he wrote.
Mica Miller’s family is also pushing for a coercive control bill that would be titled “Mica’s Law.”
“A lot of people suffer in silence over this … If it gets passed, (it) should be an empowering moment for those who are victims,” Ward said.
NewsNation investigative correspondent Rich Mchugh asked Ward if she was speaking with the FBI about the investigation, but she wouldn’t address the question.
Ward also told NewsNation that a wrongful death suit against John-Paul Miller was being considered.