Who Was Mica Miller? Everything to Know About Her Death, Marriage and the Case Against JP Miller

Mica Miller's life, troubled marriage and tragic death are at the center of the new Netflix documentary series Death of the Pastor's Wife.

The wife of John-Paul Miller was found dead at a North Carolina state park on April 27, 2024, and her death from a self-inflicted gunshot wound was officially ruled a suicide. Two years later, the three-part documentary series, which premiered on August 26, sheds light on Mica's "promising life, toxic marriage and the mysterious circumstances of her death."

Here's a deeper look at Mica's life, the events that preceded her death and the case that followed.

Mica was one of six children and spent her early years in Wichita, Kans., before her family relocated to Myrtle Beach. After the move, she immersed herself in her church community from a young age and discovered an early passion for music and ministry.

By her teenage years, she began serving as a worship leader and became known within the congregation for her confidence and strong faith.

"My whole family is very musically talented, but Mica has the best voice," Mica's brother Nate Francis said in Death of the Pastor's Wife. "She loved singing."

Mica met the Solid Rock Church pastor, who is 15 years her senior, when she was 13. She then married her first husband, Jeremy, when she was 18 during a ceremony JP officiated.

Mica and JP married in November 2017 after divorcing their respective partners.

"Their 15-year age difference was significant, but even more important was the fact that Mica first met John-Paul 'JP' when she was at such a young age," Death of the Pastor's Wife co-director Julia Willoughby Nason told TIME. "She grew up in the church, dedicated much of her life to it, and spent an enormous amount of time around JP and the congregation during some of her most formative years. Mica looked up to JP as both a pastor and an authority figure."

Mica first filed for divorce from JP on October 8, 2023, after six years of marriage, according to court documents. The divorce was dismissed on February 13, 2024, just before Valentine's Day

Ten days later, JP filed for legal separation, but it was dismissed without prejudice on March 12, 2024. Mica returned to court on April 15 of the same year in another effort to end the marriage. According to the affidavit, JP was formally served on April 25, 2024, with notice of the upcoming hearing.

On the morning of April 27, 2024, just two days after JP was served with court papers, Mica left the apartment where she had been staying and was due to begin a noon shift at the café where she had recently found work. Instead, at 12:12 p.m., she was seen purchasing a firearm and ammunition at Dick's Pawn Shop in Myrtle Beach. She left the store at approximately 12:34 p.m. before driving to Lumber River State Park in North Carolina.

At 2:54 p.m., she called 911 and told the dispatcher that she intended to take her own life, asking that her location be traced so her family could find her. Later that day, her body was discovered at the park.

Authorities subsequently investigated the circumstances of her death. Then, on May 7, officials in Robeson County determined Mica had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and ruled her death a suicide.

"Though JP did not kill her, through over a decade of grooming her from a young age, and then the abuse in all sorts of ways … there was an escalation of the abuse, both mentally and psychologically, that led her to those circumstances," executive producer Alana Goldstein told Tudum.

In Death of the Pastor's Wife, Mica repeatedly reported stalking and harassment incidents. Because she and JP were still legally married, the behavior reportedly fell outside the state's criminal stalking statute.

"The police weren't able to do a single thing for Mica," her sister Anna said in the documentary series. "Because you're married to someone, that's not harassment in South Carolina. That's why 'Mica's Law' is so important to us as a family."

The bill, named in honor of Mica, is proposed South Carolina legislation that aims to make coercive control a criminal offense and broaden the state's domestic violence laws to cover psychological, emotional and financial abuse. As of press time, SB 702 has not been enacted into law. The measure stalled during the 2026 legislative session, but co-sponsor state Senator Stephen Goldfinch has indicated he intends to bring the proposal back in the next session.

In December 2025, a federal grand jury indicted JP on one count of cyberstalking and one count of making false statements. He pleaded not guilty and has not been charged in connection with Mica's death.

His trial has since been delayed several times and is currently scheduled for the October 2026 term of court. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison on the cyberstalking charge and up to two years on the false-statements charge.

JP remains free on bond.