Federal prosecutors have charged a South Carolina pastor, John Paul Miller, with cyberstalking his estranged wife, Mica Miller, and making false statements about her behavior in the months leading up to her death. The charges, filed in December, allege that Miller used electronic services to engage in a course of conduct that placed Mica Miller in reasonable fear of death and serious bodily injury, causing her substantial emotional distress.
Mica Miller died by suicide in a North Carolina swamp on April 27, 2024, two days after serving John Paul Miller with legal separation papers. While John Paul Miller maintains his estranged wife was struggling with mental health issues, her friends and family assert that he subjected her to abuse and manipulation. As she sewed the rhinestones into Mica's wedding dress, Angela Clark, a friend, recalled having a bad feeling about the upcoming marriage to John Paul Miller, then 38, while Mica was 23.
Mica became John Paul Miller's assistant and babysat his children. According to Mica's sister Sierra, John Paul Miller aggressively pursued Mica, sending messages praising her and asking her out. By the time Mica was 21, she had divorced her first husband, and John Paul Miller had divorced his first wife, Alison. The couple became engaged shortly thereafter. Their union at Solid Rock church in November 2017 was marked by a sense of unease for some, including Angela Clark, who noted Mica's recent release from psychiatric care following breast implant surgery and subsequent adverse reactions to medication.
Angela Clark recounted that Mica seemed "delusional" and spoke "crazy talk" when Clark called her in the hospital. "The entire day, she just wasn't herself," Clark said of the wedding day. Despite these concerns, the Millers settled into married life, and the Clarks initially participated in activities with them. However, Angela Clark soon grew concerned about how John Paul Miller managed his church, particularly his use of congregants' personal problems in sermons and an organizational chart that placed himself at the top.
The Clarks eventually left Solid Rock church around 2017, and Mica Miller severed contact with them. In mid-February 2024, Mica reached out to Angela Clark via Facebook Messenger, expressing a desire to talk and requesting that her new phone number be kept private, stating she was "keeping my circle very small" and had to change her number each time John Paul Miller obtained it.
During a five-hour lunch meeting, Mica Miller confided in Clark that John Paul Miller had been controlling and manipulating her for years, sharing what Clark described as "horrific" stories. According to the federal indictment, John Paul Miller is accused of using interactive computer and electronic communication services from November 2022 until Mica's death with the intent to harass and intimidate her, placing her in fear of death and serious bodily injury. He is also accused of threatening to use nude videos and photographs of Mica to harass her and posting one such photograph online.
Mica Miller moved in with Dianna Niosi, a former member of Solid Rock church, who told Netflix producers that Mica considered her a grandmother figure and insisted on installing a Ring camera due to mistrust of John Paul Miller. The indictment includes allegations that John Paul Miller falsely claimed Mica called him more than he called her on a specific date, when in fact, he had called her at least 50 times more.
Mica Miller began to rebuild her life, finding a waitressing job and reconnecting with friends and siblings. She also attended Beach Church, where she found comfort among other former members of Solid Rock. Angela Clark last communicated with Mica Miller via text the Friday night before her death, with Mica expressing anticipation for seeing Clark sing at church. Clark learned of Mica's death on Sunday morning, April 28, 2024, while rehearsing at Beach Church.
John Paul Miller has pleaded not guilty to the charges. If convicted of cyberstalking, he faces a maximum of five years in prison and two years for making false statements. He declined to speak with Netflix producers and did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily Mail. The next pre-trial hearing is scheduled for early October in Florence, South Carolina, with a trial potentially later this year.
