A South Carolina pastor's wife is dead, and while he claims she died by suicide, some of her family and friends believe he had something to do with it. Mica Miller, 30, was reportedly found dead in Lumber River State Park in North Carolina, about an hour from her home in Myrtle Beach on April 27.
Her estranged husband, Pastor John-Paul Miller, addressed the congregation at Solid Rock at Market Common on April 28, and announced Mica Miller's death as "self-inflicted" at the end of the service, stating his wife had a history of mental illness.
Video of the announcement began circulating on social media and caught the attention of millions, many of whom questioned what really happened. According to WPDE, police in Myrtle Beach are actively investigating what happened to Mica Miller and have yet to release a cause of death.
More from CafeMom: 3-Year-Old Girl Told Mom 'I Love You' as She & 2 Adults Killed Her During Alleged Exorcism
The pastor reportedly held an entire church service before mentioning his wife.
Big-name influencers began posting videos of John-Paul Miller's April 28 service on social media. Robbie Harvey, @therobbieharvey, explained that John-Paul Miller waited until the end of the service and after his sermon to mention his wife's death.
Harvey posted the clip where the pastor explains he received the call the night before that his wife was dead, and he asked that no one talk about his announcement until they were outside of the church.
John-Paul Miller called his wife's death a suicide.
The pastor told WPDE that his wife struggled with mental health issues, and she had been under the care of doctors in the past.
"She had struggled with suicide before. Each time we would help her through it and take her to the doctor, and we got through it and everything was fine. She even gave a few testimonies here at church that we have on video," John-Paul Miller said. "She battled suicide but God took care of her and got her through it."
He encouraged anyone struggling with mental health issues to get help. "If you see any type of sign, get them to a doctor," the pastor said. "I mean the second you see it. Don't wait."
Mica Miller apparently filed for divorce days before her death.
According to Harvey, John-Paul Miller had been served with divorce papers 48 hours before his wife's body was found. Mica Miller captioned a Facebook video dated March 22, "Please share this with ANYONE struggling with leaving a dangerous situation because they think God will be 'mad' at them."
Per Fox News Digital, the Horry County Clerk's office confirmed Mica Miller filed three support and maintenance requests last year that would have allowed for court-ordered financial support without officially divorcing.
John-Paul Miller reportedly acted strangely in the weeks leading up to his wife's death.
Harvey has done a deep dive into the pastor's past and found some interesting things. First, he was allegedly having an affair with Suzie Skinner, a woman whose husband died a few years ago in a tragic accident.
Additionally, during his sermons throughout the past several months, John-Paul Miller reportedly spoke negatively about his wife and made seemingly passive-aggressive statements about her desire to move to Africa and build a school.
But her obituary told a different story. "Mica was the worship leader, graphics designer, youth leader, women's ministry leader, and Pastor's assistant. And she did all of this with the utmost integrity and faithfulness. Mica made the greatest of efforts to always be the best wife she could be. She truly served Jesus and her husband with all of her heart. She would praise her husband after every church service telling him he was the best preacher in the world (even if it wasn't true). She also told him he was the funniest preacher in the world (even though that wasn't true either)," it reads.
More from CafeMom: Pastor Dressed as the Grinch Stands Outside School Telling Young Kids 'Santa Is Fake'
Loved ones don't believe Mica Miller's death was a suicide.
The woman's friend, Kenn Young, told WPDE he wants to know what happened to Mica Miller.
"This has to be at least looked into deeply," he said. "There's got to be some accountability here. Because yeah, a tragic life was lost, and it's not just as simple as mental health issues."
Major Damien McLean with the Robeson County Sheriff's Office, confirmed to WPDE that they are actively investigating Mica Miller's death as #justiceformica trends on social media.
Her sister, Sierra Francis, wrote on Facebook April 28: "Please do not listen to false stories being shared about her. Mica was a God-fearing, joyful, loving woman who did not deserve the abuse she endured. If you hear anything about this from anyone other than her family please question it, reach out to her siblings or parents. Keep our family in your prayers and if you have any information that needs to be shared please contact one of us. Please respect us in this time and honor her memory with joy that she is no longer suffering."
Note: If you or any of your loved ones are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can always reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling 988. They are available 24/7 by phone or online chat.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of domestic abuse, you can find help and support at DVIS.org, the National Domestic Abuse Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or by contacting your local women's shelter domesticshelters.org.
