SC pastor says wife died by suicide, community skeptical

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (NewsNation) — A South Carolina community is mourning the death of a pastor’s wife, but say they’re not buying everything he’s said about her final days.

The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating Mica Miller’s death after her body was found in a North Carolina state park on April 27.

Mica Miller, 30, was found dead with an alleged self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at Lumber State Park in Lumberton, North Carolina, according to the police report.

If you or someone you know needs help, resources or someone to talk to, you can find it at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website or by calling 1-800-273-8255. People are available to talk to 24×7.

Her husband, John-Paul Miller announced her death the following day to his congregation, claiming the 30-year-old had taken her own life after struggling with mental illness.

“I got a call late last night, my wife has passed away,” John-Paul Miller said. “It was self-induced and it was up in North Carolina.”

The pastor asked the congregation not to discuss her death inside the church — Solid Rock Church in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

“Y’all pray for me and my kids and everybody. You all knew she wasn’t well mentally and she needed medicine that was hard to get to her. I’m sure there will be more details to come, but keep her family in your prayers,” he said.

However, her family and friends say otherwise, urging police to “deeply investigate” what happened.

Tim Carter, a friend of Mica Miller and her widower, told NewsNation’s Rich McHugh that he has a “gut feeling” Mica didn’t commit suicide. … “I don’t believe it for a minute,” Carter said.

Similarly, Mica Miller’s former friend Ken and Alicia Young said they “absolutely believe” Mica did not take her life.

Editor’s note: NewsNation obtained documents stating Mica Miller was “afraid for her life” before her death.

According to reports, Mica Miller had filed multiple times for a legal separation from John-Paul Miller. In October 2023, she filed for divorce.

Mica Miller posted a video on Facebook on abuse just weeks ago, offering advice for people who may be in an abusive relationship. Some believe the video is proof that Mica Miller was in an abusive relationship herself.

“God hates divorce. But why? According to everybody I’ve asked, the Scriptures I’ve found, it’s because it hurts people. But does abuse hurt people? How do you think God feels about that?” Mica Miller said.

A Facebook group called “Justice for Mica” pointed out a statement in her obituary that they felt was odd.

It reads, “She would praise her husband after every church service telling him he was the best preacher in the world (even if it wasn’t true). She also told him he was the funniest preacher in the world (even though that wasn’t true either).”

More than a hundred people rallied outside the Myrtle Beach church on Sunday, demanding justice for Mica Miller.

“I came out today to support her, to support her family, to support her story because her story is important and it needs to be heard,” a rally attendee said.

Mica Miller’s sister told friends on social media to “not listen to false stories being shared about Mica.”

A friend of the 30-year-old said she spoke to Mica Miller multiple times the week she died, and her final text to her on Friday night was not a woman about to die but a woman making plans to live.

The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office has officially opened an investigation into the shooting death of Mica Miller.

“Officers are in the process of gathering information from people in South and North Carolina as part of their investigation into how Miller died,” Major Damien McLean told the New York Post.

NewsNation contacted John-Paul Miller’s church for comment, which responded by saying now was not a good time for him to interview.