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Details are still surfacing about the tragic motor vehicle accident that claimed the life of Johnnie Jacobs – a North Carolina fisherman who discovered the belongings of South Carolina pastor’s wife Mica Francis Miller on the day she died (Saturday, April 27, 2024). Jacobs’ discovery last spring helped lead law enforcement to Mica’s body – which was recovered in a swampy, wooded area just off of the Lumber River.
Jacobs, 56, of Robeson County, N.C. was killed in a two-vehicle collision on Friday, March 14, 2025 at the intersection of Iona Church Road and Raynham Road – a rural crossroads two miles from his home (and fifteen miles northwest of where Miller’s body was found eleven months ago).
Jacobs had become one of the most controversial figures in the Mica Francis Miller case – and his death has fueled significant speculation as people closely following Mica’s story try to sort fact from fiction.
Was it really an accident which ended his life?
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For Jacobs, April 27, 2024 was supposed to be a peaceful day of fishing at a place he loved – and visited often. But, what he experienced at North Carolina’s Lumber River State Park that afternoon became a significant part of the narrative surrounding Mica’s suspicious death.
He unwittingly became a key witness to an event that sparked international attention after it was first reported by FITSNews.
That afternoon, Jacobs said he heard someone crying in the woods – followed by a gunshot. While looking for the source of these sounds, he found Mica’s belongings – but not her body.
He subsequently told media outlets that he saw three people nearby on the water on a boat at the time of the shooting.
“Did y’all hear that gunshot?” Jacobs said he asked the three boaters, who responded in the affirmative.
The boaters denied having heard the crying, however.
Jacobs eventually tracked the source of the sounds to an opening in the river. Twenty yards into this opening, he found Mica’s “fanny pack” located approximately two-feet from the water’s edge – next to her cell phone and glasses. The fanny pack contained Mica’s license, bank card, keys, purse, credit cards and a small Bible, according to Jacobs.
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RELATED | FISHERMAN WHO HELPED FIND MICA MILLER KILLED IN ACCIDENT
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Whatever knowledge Jacobs may have had about that fateful spring afternoon has now gone to his grave after the car he was driving was T-boned by another vehicle at the aforementioned intersection – located approximate forty miles south-southwest of Fayetteville, N.C.
Friday night’s collision report has yet to be released by the North Carolina Highway Patrol (NCHP), but authorities have provided some information about the accident.
According to the NCHP, the accident occurred around 7:30 p.m. EDT when another motorist ran a stop sign and struck Jacobs’ vehicle at a high rate of speed – causing it to overturn. Jacobs was ejected from his vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. Charges are expected to be filed against the other driver, who was transported by helicopter for treatment of their injuries.
The condition of the other driver is unknown – and their identity has not been released.
“Fatal crash investigations require substantial time to be finalized,” said Sgt. Marcus Bethea, public information officer for the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. “It will likely be a couple weeks before a report becomes available.”
Curious onlookers who visited the crash site on Sunday found little remaining evidence of the wreck. Debris had been cleared and any marks left on the pavement appeared to be washed away by heavy rainstorms. While officials have confirmed some details of the accident, speculation continues to grow, with many questioning whether there is more to the story.
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CONTROVERSY AND SCRUNTINY
Jacobs faced significant scrutiny in the aftermath of Mica’s death, with many accusing him of withholding information – or being involved in a conspiracy. He repeatedly expressed frustration over the backlash.
“I’ve got so many people hating on me and everything about this case,” Jacobs said. “I’m trying to get my name cleared on this thing. I mean, I’m trying not to let people get to me. I feel like they need some type of explanation. I understand that, you know, trying to figure out what’s going on.”
As media outlets and independent content creators reported on Jacobs’ passing, his family voiced their anger over insinuations linking his death to Mica’s. They insisted he was unfairly targeted by online speculation.
In recent weeks, Jacobs was once again under scrutiny following an interview with a YouTube content creator. During that conversation, he revealed his concerns over social media comments upset him so greatly in the weeks following Mica’s death that he had accidentally set fire to a bag containing $1,300 in cash – thinking it was trash. The emotional toll of public suspicion weighed heavily on him.
“No one has talked more,” said Robbie Harvey, an independent content creator covering the case. “No one has given more interviews.”
Meanwhile, another content creator, Steph from Steph’s Case Files, responded to criticism that her announcement of Jacobs’ death was lacking compassion.
“It’s my job to report the news,” she said. “You don’t know me, who I am, or what I stand for.”
Steph emphasized that, having lost multiple family members in tragic circumstances, she understands grief and strives for accuracy tempered with kindness in her reporting.
As investigations continue, so do the twists and turns of this ongoing saga. Stay tuned to FITSNews for further updates on this developing story.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Callie Lyons is a relentless investigative journalist, researcher, and author known for exposing hard truths with heart and precision. As a journalist for FITSNews, she dives into high-profile and murky cases—like that of Mica Francis Miller— with fearless resolve and a sharp eye for detail, whether it’s tracking white-collar crime, uncovering religious abuse, or examining the often-bizarre behavior of those who believe they’re above the law.
Callie made waves with her groundbreaking 2007 book Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal, the first to reveal the dangers of forever chemicals, a story that helped inspire the film Dark Waters and influenced global scientific dialogue. Her work has appeared in numerous documentaries, including Toxic Soup, National Geographic’s Parched: Toxic Waters, and more recently Citizen Sleuth, which examines the complexities of true crime podcasting.
Whether she’s navigating environmental disasters or the darker corners of society, Lyons operates with one guiding belief: “Truth never damages a cause that is just.”
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