|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
by WILL FOLKS
***
The crew that produced the ‘Murdaugh Murders’ documentary on Netflix is about to launch another South Carolina-based series – this one focusing on the mysterious April 2024 death of Myrtle Beach, S.C. worship leader Mica Francis Miller.
The Netflix series – entitled Death of the Pastor’s Wife – is scheduled to premiere on the streaming service on August 26, 2026. Producers say it intends to chronicle “the events leading up to Mica’s sudden and mysterious death and the fight for answers that continues today.”
It touts “never-before-seen footage and direct accounts from friends and family speaking out for the first time.“
“What stayed with us about Mica’s story was how hard she seemed to be fighting to be heard,” producers said in a release touting the launch of the series. “We felt it was important to look closely at what she was experiencing and give the people who loved her the space to tell the story of the woman they knew. We made this series to ask difficult questions, listen closely to Mica’s own voice, and make sure that what she was trying to say is not forgotten.”
Miller’s death – exclusively reported by this media outlet – captured the attention of a global audience and prompted all manner of criminal investigation, civil litigation and public discussion. It also sparked a renewed focus on the issue of coercive control – and legislation aimed at addressing it.
***
Miller’s husband, former pastor John-Paul Miller, was indicted by federal authorities last December following allegations of prolonged cyberstalking and coercive control in the months leading up to his wife’s suspicious death.
Miller, the former leader of Solid Rock Church in Myrtle Beach, has been charged with cyberstalking and making false statements to investigators. Authorities say he engaged in a prolonged campaign of electronic harassment and surveillance of his wife dating back to November 2022 – and continuing up to the day of her death.
Just this week, U.S. district court Joseph Dawson III ordered Miller’s trial – originally set to begin next month in Florence, S.C. – delayed until October 2026.
Miller was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head at 4:23 p.m. EST on April 27, 2024 at North Carolina’s Lumber River State Park – a sprawling 14,000-acre wilderness located roughly an hour’s drive northwest of Myrtle Beach.
Her body was discovered at this secluded location a short time after she called 911 asking the operator to pinpoint her phone – stating she was “going to kill herself” and wanted her family to be able to find her body.
Mica had traveled to the park from Myrtle Beach earlier that day, and her body was ultimately found in a swampy area approximately 40 meters from where police recovered spent shell casings and her belongings. She died less than 48 hours after serving divorce papers to John-Paul Miller.
***
***
Less than twelve hours after her death, Miller announced her passing from the pulpit in a manner many found unsettling, instructing congregants to leave the church quietly without discussing the matter. The announcement, combined with the timing of pending divorce proceedings and prior law-enforcement interactions, sparked widespread public concern and intense online speculation.
“Don’t talk about the announcement,” Miller admonished his congregants as they left church that Sunday afternoon.
Miller also hastily whipped up an obituary for his late wife which led readers to believe theirs was a happy, loving relationship full of joy and mutual admiration – something subsequent revelations proved was patently false.
Mica Miller’s death was officially ruled a suicide by North Carolina investigators and medical examiners, but the bizarre manner in which her husband revealed it – and subsequent allegations of harassment and abuse leveled against him in multiple court filings and previous 911 calls – raised doubts.
In addition to the ongoing federal investigation into John-Paul Miller, his case has prompted an array of civil suits. It also prompted authorities in Myrtle Beach to take another look at the death of Chris Skinner, a 41-year-old motivational speaker and quadriplegic who drowned in a neighborhood pool on September 6, 2021. Skinner was married to Suzie Skinner, John-Paul Miller’s former alleged paramour who became his wife last June.
***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
***
SOUND OFF…
Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.
