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When our media outlet traveled to South Carolina’s Grand Strand earlier this week to conduct interviews and attend a probate hearing tied to the Mica Miller saga, we had no idea we would be reporting on a major settlement related to this case.
Nor did we have any idea how controversial that agreement would soon become …
As our team arrived in Myrtle Beach, S.C. and started unpacking our gear for an interview with Mica Miller’s attorney, Regina Ward, we had no idea that the conversation we were preparing to film would be Ward’s final interview prior to the announcement of the global settlement between Miller’s family, embattled pastor John-Paul Miller and his church, Solid Rock at Market Common.
Nor did we have any idea upon our arrival that in addition to speaking with Ward, we would also be given the opportunity to meet (and interview) Abigail Francis – Mica Miller’s youngest sister.
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To recap: As first reported by our media outlet, 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 adjacent to the river – approximately forty meters away from where shell casings and her belongings were found.
Mica Miller died less than two weeks after filing for divorce from John-Paul Miller – and less than 48 hours after he was reportedly served with divorce papers. In fact, her attorney stated this week that John-Paul Miller may have actually been served on the same day Mica died.
Mica’s death was officially ruled a suicide by North Carolina investigators and medical examiners – based in large part on the release of a 9-1-1 call placed moments before she allegedly shot herself in the head with a gun she purchased hours earlier. On that call, Miller relayed her plan to kill herself to a police dispatcher – specifically inquiring as to whether her phone could be tracked so that her family members would be able to locate her body.
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MICA MILLER SAGA | COMPLETE COVERAGE
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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, members of Mica’s family have suggested her body was “placed” where it was found by police – and that her suicide was “staged.”
Abigail had never previously given an in-person interview, and my impromptu conversation with her wound up being the final interview given by any member of Mica’s family prior to the settlement being reached. In fact, my conversation with Abigail took place scarcely one hour before the settlement was announced.
During our chat, Abigail recalled the isolation tactics purportedly employed by John-Paul Miller in an effort to control Mica’s interactions with her family members.
“We would maybe get five minutes with her – we could go get a coffee – some days we wouldn’t even see her,” Abigail said. “I would call her and I would get five minutes with her on the phone and then we wouldn’t see her for awhile.”
“Are you still my sister?” Abigail recalled asking Mica at one point.
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Abigail also observed how her sister would try to shield her family from knowing too many details of the full spectrum of abuse she was allegedly enduring.
“In the last couple of months when her and I were talking, it was like – ‘what’s going on in this situation?'” Abigail recalled asking Mica. “And she sometimes wouldn’t want me to know.”
“Mica did not want anybody to know the full extent of whatever she was going through,” Abigail added. “She didn’t want to drag anybody down – she didn’t want to out anybody’s sins.”
In one particularly compelling moment during our conversation, I asked Abigail about John-Paul Miller’s bizarre announcement of his wife’s death and subsequent attempts to frame the narrative against her – and against the Francis family.
“I think there’s a difference between worldly anger and righteous angry,” she responded. “Whenever you’re righteously angry, God’s got it. He’ll figure it out.”
FITSNews continues to investigate every aspect of the case involving Mica Miller in order to bring you the latest developments. If you have information to share, reach out to research@fitsnews.com.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the owner and founding editor of FITSNews. Prior to founding his own news outlet, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina, bass guitarist in an alternative rock band and bouncer at a Columbia, S.C. dive bar. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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