Mica Miller Case: Strangulation Allegations Surface

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Recently obtained incident reports have shed new light on interactions between the Horry County Police Department (HCPD) and Mica Francis Miller related to her relationship with her estranged husband, South Carolina pastor John-Paul Miller.

One incident in particular stands out as potentially significant given the recent push to pass a standalone strangulation bill in South Carolina – and the alleged role strangulation played in a high-profile murder case in the Palmetto Upstate.

Specifically, a dispatch report (.pdf) noted Mica had allegedly been strangled – and perhaps also “throat-punched” – by John-Paul Miller in the weeks leading up to her death.

“He put his hands around her throat about a week ago,” the report noted. “Someone was strangled or choked.”

Later, the report noted Mica “advised that he choked her.”

To recap: Mica was found on the afternoon of Saturday, April 27, 2024 with a gunshot wound to the head a stone’s throw from the Lumber River – a scenic blackwater river that flows into the Yadkin-Pee Dee watershed. Mica traveled to this remote location from Myrtle Beach earlier that day, and her body was discovered by police in a swampy area approximately forty meters away from where spent shell casings and her belongings were recovered.

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Mica’s death was officially ruled a suicide by investigators and medical examiners. On April 28, 2024 – less than twelve hours after being notified of her death – John-Paul Miller delivered a sermon at Solid Rock which closed with a bizarre announcement of her passing (and instructions to his congregants not to discuss it as they left the church).

News of Mica Miller’s suspected suicide were first reported by FITSNews on May 2, 2024. From there, the story exploded onto the national stage – fueling all manner of suspicion (most of it revolving around John-Paul Miller). Interest in the story reached a fever pitch last month when agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were spotted conducting a search at Miller’s Myrtle Beach residence.

The latest HCPD release raises fresh questions about how the Millers’ case was handled by police – and whether a standalone strangulation law could have benefited Mica.

The detailed case notes begin at 10:05 a.m. EDT on the morning of February 15, 2024, when Mica placed a 911 call to Horry County dispatchers regarding John-Paul’s mental health. 

“I have somebody who I believe to be in a manic state and is a direct danger to the people in his household and himself and others,” Mica told a dispatcher. “I need an immediate pick-up not the 72-hour pick-up that a spouse can initiate. I need this to be a little quicker because he is a flight risk. There’s been domestic violence – he’s put his hands on me. I need an immediate pick-up, not a 72-hour where he can flee the county.”

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“He’s very hyperactive right now,” Mica added later on the call. “He’s causing a lot of damage very quickly.”

The 911 call – and associated dispatch report – occurred shortly after Mica was involuntarily committed to a mental health facility by her husband (on or about February 8, 2024). The strangulation or throat-punching incident allegedly took place prior to her involuntary commitment – and at one point during the 911 call she said a “panic attack (from) what was happening” led to her being hospitalized.

“When I got out he was impersonating my identity,” Miller said. “He’s texting everybody, he hacked my social media.”

“He has possession of her car, her purse – all her valuables,” Mica’s father interjected on the 911 call.

Then, in what some contend was eery foreshadowing, Mica noted her husband was in possession of “guns that were bought in my name that I fear he’s going to use and then say it was in my name.”

“He’s got my CWP license, he’s got my public notary license and my seal and my stamp,” Mica continued. “He’s been trying to force me to sign a post-nup(tial) for the last year and a half- and I fear that he’s going to use my seal to impersonate my signature like he’s been impersonating my identity for the past three days.”

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RELATED | STRANGLED VOICES

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As of this writing, no charges filed against Miller for domestic violence. FITSNews has reached out to HCPD to obtain a copy of its policies for officers responding to domestic violence calls.

As recently reported by FITSNews, South Carolina is the only state in the country which has yet to enact legislation specific to strangulations. Many believe such a bill to be long-overdue as experts have noted strangulation is a key indicator for future violence. According to the Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention, a woman who has suffered a “nonfatal strangulation incident with her intimate partner is 750 percent more likely to be killed by the same perpetrator… with a gun.”

Last week, state representatives Micah Caskey, Tommy Pope and Doug Gilliam filed legislation – H.3522 – which would define strangulation (and aggravated strangulation) as standalone criminal offenses.

Count on FITSNews to track the progress of that legislation as we continue to investigate all angles of the Mica Miller story.

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THE INCIDENT REPORT…

(Horry County)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Callie Lyons is a journalist, researcher and author. Her 2007 book ‘Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal’ was the first to cover forever chemicals and their impact on communities – a story later told in the movie ‘Dark Waters.’ Her investigative work has been featured in media outlets, publications, and documentaries all over the world. Lyons also appears in ‘Citizen Sleuth’ – a 2023 documentary exploring the genre of true crime.

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