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Last Friday (July 19, 2024) embattled South Carolina pastor John-Paul “JP” Miller once again attempted to steer the narrative regarding the death of his late estranged wife, Mica Miller, during a bizarre interview with Rich McHugh of NewsNation.
In the months following Mica’s death, Miller had maintained a low public profile – at least until mid-June, when he began releasing a series of bizarre videos from a TikTok account belonging to a user named “TrueCrimeRI.” These videos purported to counter what Miller claimed was misinformation about him – and vowed to debunk “a lie every night.”
While the TikTok videos fizzled fast, Miller’s desire to tell his side of the story has not. McHugh’s interview showed an erratic – and at times emotional – side of the pastor that surprised many. During the interview, Miller told McHugh the reason he had decided to do an interview now was simple – his attorneys gave him the go-ahead. According to Miller, his attorneys are working on defamation cases and advised him “it’s easier to win a defamation case the more the people talk.”
McHugh’s interview with Miller was notably the first sit-down interview in which Miller responded to questions. And while he provided some answers, he certainly didn’t provide much clarification. In fact, according to Mica Miller’s family, the conversation contained litany of lies. In a follow up interview on Monday (July 23, 2024), Mica’s sister Sierra Francis said at one point while watching the interview she just “burst out laughing.”
“We can prove basically everything he said was untrue,” she said.
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To recap: Mica Miller’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. Mica had traveled to this remote location from Myrtle Beach, S.C. earlier that day. Her body was discovered by police in a swampy area located approximately forty meters away from where shell casings and her belongings were recovered.
Mica Miller died less than two weeks after filing for divorce from John-Paul Miller – and less than 48 hours after he was served with divorce papers.
Mica’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 only hours earlier. On that call, Miller calmly told a police dispatcher of her plans – and inquired as to whether her phone could be tracked so that her family members would be able to locate her body. But after 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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WHERE THE TRUTH LIES …
McHugh told NewsNation’s Ashleigh Banfield the interview with John-Paul Miller was easily the “craziest interview” he’s done in his career – comparing it to being on a roller coaster. He said a simple question would elicit unexpected responses and that Miller admitted lying several times during the interview – including when asked about why he didn’t know where Mica was the day she died if he had hired a private investigator to follow her (an admission allegedly made by Miller himself in a letter to his estranged wife that also included an apology for slashing her tires).
Miller told McHugh he had stopped paying the private investigator about three weeks prior to her death when he ran out of money – then later texted the reporter admitting that was a lie.
The entire interview was full of bizarre, scarcely believable moments including sudden outbursts, sobbing and plenty of fidgeting by Miller – and enough allegations that Mica’s family decided to sit down with McHugh and respond to many of the statements made.
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RELATED | JOHN-PAUL MILLER BREAKS HIS SILENCE
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“OH CRAP. THAT WAS A LIE.”
McHugh began addressing Miller’s response to his question regarding if he had a drug problem.
“I’ve never done an illegal drug in my whole life,” he said.
That statement was retracted almost as quickly as it came out of his mouth when he loudly interrupted and said, “oh crap – that was a lie.”
His explanation was that when he was 16 he was in a truck with some friends smoking pot and they did a thing called “hotbox” so he “got some of that.” He then said he had tried steroids one time.
According to Sierra Francis, the family has plenty of evidence to the contrary.
“We know that (he’s done drugs) for a fact, so we can prove that he’s done it more than once,” she said.
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“MICA WAS TELLING ME A LOT OF HORRENDOUS THINGS”
When asked by McHugh, Miller denied ever being abusive to his estranged wife. According to attorney Regina Ward — who was representing Mica prior to her death – this claim is also untrue.
Ward was given permission by Mica’s sister – who was appointed the special administrator to her estate – to share some details of what Mica told her before her death. Ward told Mchugh, “Mica was telling me a lot of horrendous things. Things that shocked my conscience.”
When asked what kind of abuse, Ward expounded, “Every kind that you can imagine and even kinds that you can’t image as a normal, rational human being.”
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“WE WANTED WHAT MICA WANTED …”
During his interview with Miller, McHugh asked the pastor if there was anything that he would change and Miller’s response sent shockwaves through the family.
“I would not involve her family when she’s having mental episodes and is schizophrenic, is off, off off her meds,” he replied.
According to Francis, the family supported Mica’s choices.
“We wanted what Mica wanted,” she said.
She told McHugh that Miller’s concern about her mental health and “the medicine” was his “only way to control the narrative.”
Francis said her sister’s alleged signs of mental illness began the day her sister married John-Paul Miller. According to Francis, the first time Mica was hospitalized for mental health issues was just three to four months after her marriage to Miller and she when she began to see a pattern to the hospitalizations, she “spoke up.”
According to Francis, Miller’s response to her speaking up was to serve her with a cease and desist letter and put stipulations on her relationship with her sister. One of the stipulations? That Francis write an apology letter to Miller to be “able to continue to speak to your sister.” She refused to comply, causing nearly a year to go by before she was able to speak with Mica.
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“IT ABSOLUTELY IS EVIDENCE OF ABUSE”
According to Mica’s family, the more John-Paul Miller speaks the more ammunition they will have in court. Ward said that even the short video Mica managed to capture of Miller prior to her death is vital because without it, “the world would not get an inside view of John Paul.”
“He is very crafty in spinning his web,” she said. “He is always spinning the narrative.”
Ward said as far as Miller being behind bars, “that takes a prosecutor.” However, she believes she has plenty of evidence and with Mica’s case, it is “the totality of the circumstances that becomes a crime.”
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Ward also addressed bizarre exchange Miller had with McHugh regarding his recent appearances in a Spiderman costume, to which the pastor said “I can neither confirm nor deny that I’ve ever put on a Spiderman costume …but you’ll never see me in the same room as Spiderman, I will say that.”
“Isn’t that appropriate for him,” Ward said. “John-Paul Miller is Spiderman because he’s always spinning a web to navigate through life.”
Count on our media outlet to keep our audience up to speed on the very latest developments related to this case – including the upcoming hearing in Horry County Probate Court next Monday (July 29, 2024). We will also keep tabs on the status of any legislation introduced in the S.C. General Assembly related to Mica Miller.
For more on that, be sure to check out our founding editor Will Folks‘ interview with attorney Lauren Taylor in the most recent edition of our Week in Review.
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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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5 comments
It’s times like this that I’m glad I’m not religious because belief in that stuff is an “in” for all sorts of shady bastards to pull the wool over your eyes. I’d curse myself over every red cent going to this psycho thinking I was giving my money up to Christ.
Has anyone taken a serious look into Mica’s family? Her mother has been married numerous times and who knows if her girls were molested with the revolving door of men. If that isn’t bad enough, her current husband was convicted of murdering a 31 year old woman and served 20 years in prison. If Fits is going to tell the story, TELL THE WHOLE STORY. Not just that, JP is also a victim of abuse which he couldn’t help as a child.
How many begging campaigns has the Francis family set up? There seems to be no accountability for funds they’ve raised and what are they planning on doing with the money?
Jenn, you can seriously do better by giving a fair and balanced story so the viewers can decide on their own who is credible, who the murderer is and who committed suicide. I’m not a fan of John Paul Miller but ask why the Francis family would want him to purchase plane tickets for them to come to South Carolina and why they needed thousands of dollars in funeral jewelry. Why did they not pay for Mica’s cremation or a cemetery plot? And for God’s sake, Robbie Harvey is about as reputable as a three eyed snake.
Sparkle, thanks for the filler! My bs detector has been beeping with the incessant whining that has been coming from this family for a while, now. I get the feeling Fits is looking for another “story that just will not go away” as the Murdaugh fiasco mercifully, albeit very slowly, fades away. Here’s hoping thar FitsNews does not keep this nothingburger festering as long as they did with the Murdaughs.
It wasn’t Sierra that did the interview. It was Anna Francis. If you are going to report on something get the facts straight first!! And to the comments above… I haven’t seen ANY “incessant whining” from this grieving family. They have always held themselves with grace and composure. What is wrong with you? That’s just a very cruel comment to make! Put yourself in their shoes!! They have lost a beloved family member. At the hands of a man who is clearly the one who is mentally unstable. And pushed this beautiful soul to take her own life. The Francis family has already stated how they plan on using the funds that have been donated. And “begging campaigns”, please. They have never once did ANY interview where they mention making donations to the family. The donation platforms that are set up were done by loving, caring community members who want to help this family get justice. But my main question is why would someone even think that just because the mother has had multiple marriages, the first conclusion they arrive upon is that her children could have been molested!?! Wow. Just WOW! It’s hard to believe that people can be this ignorant! Families aren’t perfect! What does dragging this family thru the mud accomplish? Does it satisfy your thirst to be a hateful human being? This case isn’t about her family! Nor is it about who her mother was or is married to. It’s about the horrific abuse that Mica endured that ultimately attributed to her taking her own life. Show some grace and respect!
When you keep your family’s dirty laundry in the public’s face so much of the time, don’t complain when people start to form opinions and comment.