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Anna Francis – one of the sisters of the late Mica Miller – is speaking publicly for the first time following the suspicious death of the beautiful South Carolina pastor’s wife.
In her first interview, Francis shared exclusive details about the days and months leading up to her sister’s sudden death – as well as her family’s ongoing fight for justice in the aftermath of what they contend was a disappointing and incomplete investigation conducted by the Robeson County, N.C. sheriff’s office.
Anna also raised several troubling new questions regarding the conduct of the North Carolina medical examiner who first declared her sister’s death to be a suicide.
“We did see her body and there was bruising all over her hands and her arms,” Francis said. “And whenever we talked to the medical examiner, he said ‘what bruises?'”
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For the first time since her sister’s death, Anna Francis speaks about what happened to Mica Miller … Full interview dropping this week. @fitsnews pic.twitter.com/r3aOPRJsNI
— Jennifer Wood (@IndyJenn_) June 2, 2024
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To recap: Mica’s body was found at 4:23 p.m. EST on April 27, 2024 at North Carolina’s Lumber River State Park – a sprawling 14,000-acre wilderness straddling this scenic blackwater river. Her body was found in a swampy area approximately forty meters from where shell casings and her belongings were recovered.
Mica Miller died less than two weeks after filing for divorce from her husband – John-Paul “JP” Miller of the Solid Rock at Market Common church – and less than 48 hours after her husband was served with divorce papers.
Miller’s death was officially ruled a suicide following investigators’ assessment of the scene – and the release of a 9-1-1 call she placed prior to allegedly shooting herself in the head with a gun she purchased just hours earlier. However, given the bizarre manner in which her husband announced her passing to their congregation – and subsequent allegations of abuse raised by Mica Miller’s family and friends – suspicions of foul play have run rampant. In fact, Mica’s family has insisted her body was “placed” where it was found by police – and that her suicide was “staged.”

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“I believe that it was all staged,” Mica Miller’s father, Michael Francis, told NewsNation last month. “I believe that the whole thing was premeditated.”
According to Francis, before the family even had time to grieve her sudden loss they were thrown into “fight mode” after receiving a text from Miller around midnight the day Mica died. The text bluntly informed them that Mica had died – and that they were allegedly to blame.
“This is what happens when you try to encourage something to divorce the person they love and tell them they don’t need medicine and that they’re not ill when they are,” John-Paul Miller wrote. Good job francis family.”
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Hours later, John-Paul Miller would announce his wife’s death at the end of a sermon – instructing his parishioners not to discuss it amongst themselves as they left the church.
Things got worse from there, with John-Paul allegedly controlling access to Mica’s body – forcing family members to sign papers assenting to her cremation prior to being allowed to view her.
In her interview with this media outlet, Francis detailed the months leading up to her sister’s death as Mica desperately worked to escape a husband “who controlled her whole life.” According to Francis, the final straw for Mica was when John-Paul Miller had her put into a “mental hospital against her will” when she attempted to leave him – telling counselors and police she was going to kill herself.
After this event, Francis said her sister began documenting what she says was years of abuse at the hands of her husband. Mica began collecting evidence, affidavits – and even reported the church her husband ran to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
That report was made the week she died, according to Francis.
My interview with Anna provides new and exclusive insight into the family’s fight for their beloved sister and the changes they hope to make to keep others from going through what Mica and her family have experienced.
“I think it had to come to this,” Anna Francis said. “I really believe that if she didn’t pass away, and this much attention happening, then he would never have been have been held accountable for any of his actions. He would just live like nothing ever happened.”
Keep it tuned to FITSNews this week as we publish the full interview with Anna Francis …
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Jenn Wood is FITSNews’ incomparable research director. She’s also the producer of the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts and leading expert on all things Murdaugh/ South Carolina justice. A former private investigator with a criminal justice degree, evildoers beware, Jenn Wood is far from your average journalist! A deep dive researcher with a passion for truth and a heart for victims, this mom of two is pretty much a superhero in FITSNews country. Did we mention she’s married to a rocket scientist? (Lucky guy!) Got a story idea or a tip for Jenn? Email her at jenn@fitsnews.com.
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4 comments
Bruises? Google “liver mortis”. Had Ms. Miller fallen face forward after her suicide, she’d look, to a layperson, like she’d been in a fist fight.
I would again offer that it was in fact staged – by Mica.
She bought the gun, that’s beyond debate.
“But she bought gas and filled her car when she was going to kill herself!” So? Except in my early days when I was broke and $1 would buy a gallon of gas, I always fill my car, out of habit, including the car that I currently have for sale.
“But she was dressed for work!”. Again, So? Habit? A desire to be dressed in all black when she killed herself? A desire to make anyone she accidentally ran into think all was normal?
“But she drove to Lumberton!” Yeah, she did. We know SHE did from the video trail.
“But you don’t know Mica, she could never have done this!” Well, she did.
Applying logic to suicide is rather pointless.
The reporters keep referring to where shell “casings” were found. Plural? How could there be more than one casing in a suicide?
Ack – forgot that one.
“But there were multiple shell casing found!” – Yep, not unusual at all, there are many reports of “test fires” prior to a person killing themselves and the area she was in is apparently a popular place to let off a little steam. Investigators did not report “multiple gunshot wounds” to the body.
This was a tragic suicide. The background noise about relationship issues and feuding families is not a news story. It happens in EVERY marital breakup.