The death of Mica Miller, the wife of a South Carolina pastor, has been ruled a suicide by the Robeson County medical examiner, Dr. Richard Johnson. However, friends and family members of the 30-year-old woman are questioning the findings, expressing doubts about the circumstances surrounding her death.
Miller's body was found in Lumber River State Park in North Carolina on April 27, approximately an hour's drive from her hometown of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. According to Dr. Johnson, Miller died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. "Based on the nature of the wound, it is consistent with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. And it was not in the back of the head, as it has been speculated," he told ABC 15.
The Robeson County Sheriff's Office acknowledged the medical examiner's findings and announced that Sheriff Burnis Wilkins has scheduled a meeting with Miller's family to discuss the case. The sheriff's office plans to release "detailed information to substantiate" the medical examiner's findings on Tuesday evening. Sheriff Wilkins urged the public to "please await the full timeline of events before making assumptions and coming to conclusions."
Despite the official ruling, friends and family members of Mica Miller are expressing skepticism about the suicide determination. Tim Carter, a friend of Miller's, told NewsNation that he has a "gut feeling" that she didn't take her own life. "I don't believe it for a minute," Carter said.
Alicia Young, another friend of Miller's, echoed Carter's sentiments. "I absolutely do not believe that she took her own life because she was energetic and her faith in God was unwavering," Young told NewsNation's Ashleigh Banfield. "She was always quick to encourage somebody else including myself. We went to lunches together, we worked out together. You know, just the things that I do know about John-Paul. I truly do not believe that she took her life."
New reports released by the Horry County Sheriff's Office on Monday shed light on harassment incidents Miller reported in the weeks leading up to her death. According to documents obtained by ABC 15, Miller told police that a razor blade had been placed in her tire on two separate occasions within a week. She also claimed that she noticed "strange activity" and believed people were following or watching her.
In one incident, Miller reported that an unidentified suspect, who had a history of similar actions against her, pulled up alongside her at a gas station. She told the suspect to go away, and he sped off before she could record the encounter. During this interaction, Miller told an officer that she "was afraid for her life."
The Horry County Clerk's Office in South Carolina confirmed that Miller had filed three "separate support and maintenance" requests since last year, with the latest filed on April 16. These requests allow one spouse to receive court-ordered support from another spouse without officially divorcing.
Since Miller's death, her family and friends have been using the hashtag "JusticeforMica" on social media to express their doubts about the official findings. Miller's sister pleaded with friends not to "listen to false stories being shared about" her, describing Mica as "a God-fearing, joyful, loving woman who did not deserve the abuse she endured."
In light of the ongoing investigation, Solid Rock Church, where Miller's husband, John-Paul Miller, served as a pastor, announced that he had been released from his ministerial functions "for a time of healing, counsel, and guidance, pursuant to our governing instrument," as reported by ABC 15. The church's website has also been suspended.
