Pastor John-Paul Miller became the center of a headline-making stalking case after his estranged wife, Mica Miller, died by suicide in April 2024. Though her death was officially ruled a suicide, investigators soon discovered she had been stalked for months — and the person behind it, they alleged, was the man she was trying to leave.
The case is the subject of Netflix’s August 2026 docuseries Death of a Pastor’s Wife, which digs into Mica’s death and the criminal charges that eventually landed her estranged husband in court. John-Paul has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Here’s everything Us knows about John-Paul Miller, the allegations against him and where his case stands today.
Who Is John-Paul Miller?
John-Paul Miller previously preached at Solid Rock Church in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where he ministered before Mica’s death made national headlines. The Solid Rock building has since been sold, but according to those interviewed in Netflix’s Death of a Pastor’s Wife, John-Paul has continued serving as a pastor to a small congregation of roughly 15 to 20 people at pop-up gatherings around Myrtle Beach.
John-Paul married Suzie Skinner in June 2025, and she now leads the worship portion of his services.
What Happened to Mica Miller?
Mica was 30 years old when she was found dead at Lumber River State Park in North Carolina on April 27, 2024. Medical examiners officially ruled her death a suicide, but questions quickly emerged when the extent of her separation from John-Paul — and her earlier reports to police — came to light.
In the months before her death, Mica had gone to authorities at least four times to report that she was being stalked. One month before she died, she told police she was “afraid for her life” after finding a tracking device on her car.
Before the case was reopened, John-Paul addressed his congregation at Solid Rock Church about Mica’s death, calling it “self-induced.”
“Y’all knew that she wasn’t well mentally,” he said, according to the docuseries. “And that she needed her medicine that was hard to get to her…just keep our family in your prayers.”
The Cyberstalking Charges Against John-Paul Miller
More than a year after Mica’s death, a federal grand jury indicted John-Paul in December 2025 on charges of cyberstalking and making false statements to federal investigators. He had first been arrested in November 2024.
Prosecutors allege that beginning in November 2022, John-Paul sent Mica unwanted and aggressive messages that continued until her death. Among the most damning claims: he allegedly contacted her more than 50 times in a single day, placed tracking devices on her vehicles, interfered with her finances and daily activities and posted a nude photo of her online without her consent.
John-Paul has claimed he monitored Mica’s whereabouts to “protect Mica from purchasing firearms” due to concerns about her mental health.
Mica Miller’s Siblings Say She Was Forcibly Hospitalized
In Netflix’s docuseries, Mica’s siblings offered a picture of her marriage that painted John-Paul’s control as extending far beyond digital surveillance. They claimed the pastor had Mica involuntarily committed to mental health facilities multiple times during their relationship.
Mica was diagnosed with bipolar disorder while she was engaged to John-Paul, and as her spouse, he was designated to oversee her care. Her siblings alleged he sometimes described her episodes as psychotic and suicidal.
During her first stay at a facility, Mica was released less than a week before she and John-Paul married in 2017. She was reportedly prescribed medication following her release.
Her siblings claimed her final hospitalization was involuntary, and that John-Paul contacted a mental health facility and made false claims about her mental state to have her committed. According to the family, Mica later told police that during that final stay, John-Paul took her car, phone and laptop — both devices, they said, contained nude photos of her.
Mica was open about her mental health struggles in life, but her siblings argued in the Netflix series that John-Paul’s alleged emotional manipulation worsened her mental state.
Where John-Paul Miller’s Trial Stands
John-Paul remains free after posting a $100,000 bond. His trial has been pushed back several times.
“It was supposed to happen back in the spring. It got pushed in June, to August, and now it’s October,” Death of a Pastor’s Wife codirector Michael Gasparro told Netflix’s Tudum.
A court-ordered continuance filed in mid-August 2026 moved the trial to October 2026.
If convicted, John-Paul could face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for cyberstalking and two years in prison for his false statements. He could also be ordered to pay a fine of up to $250,000.
Mica Miller’s Family Says the Charges Don’t Go Far Enough
While John-Paul waits to learn his fate, Mica’s brother, Nate Francis, told Netflix’s Tudum that he doesn’t believe the pastor’s charges are serious enough to reflect what his sister endured.
“These charges only reflect a fraction of what he did to her,” he argued.
For now, John-Paul is living a strikingly different life from the one that once played out from the pulpit of Solid Rock Church — remarried, still preaching to a small circle of followers and awaiting a trial that has already been rescheduled more than once.
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This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
