John Paul “JP” Miller, a Myrtle Beach pastor and the estranged husband of Mica Miller, whose 2024 death by suicide drew attention due to their troubled relationship, was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury on charges of cyberstalking and making false statements to federal investigators.
According to the indictment obtained by The Independent, JP Miller, the 46-year-old former pastor of Solid Rock Church, allegedly engaged in a pattern of unwanted and harassing communications directed at his estranged wife beginning in November 2022 and continuing through her death on April 27, 2024.
Although Mica Miller’s death was officially ruled a suicide by the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina Medical Examiner’s Office in May 2024, her family’s allegations of abuse prompted further investigation, culminating in the federal indictment of JP Miller.
Prosecutors allege the behavior included posting a nude photo of Mica Miller online without her consent, repeatedly contacting her – in one instance, more than 50 times in a single day – and causing tracking devices to be placed on her vehicle.
Investigators also say JP Miller interfered with Mica Miller’s finances, her daily activities, and damaged her vehicle’s tires.
In interviews with federal agents, JP Miller is accused of lying about key aspects of his actions.
While he claimed to have hired a private investigator to protect Mica Miller from purchasing firearms due to her alleged mental health issues, prosecutors allege the investigator was in fact employed to cyberstalk her over alleged adultery.
The indictment also states JP Miller denied damaging Mica Miller’s tires, despite evidence that he purchased a tire deflation device online and sent messages regarding the victim’s vehicle.
JP Miller now faces a maximum five‑year prison term on the cyberstalking charge and up to two years for the false statements count, as well as fines potentially totaling $250,000.
His arraignment is scheduled for January 12, 2026, in federal court in Florence, South Carolina.
The Independent has contacted Miller’s lawyer, Russell Long, for comment.
Mica Miller’s case captured national media attention since she was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at Lumber River State Park in North Carolina.
Mica Miller’s death was officially ruled a suicide by medical examiners, though family and friends publicly expressed concern that it was a staged death by suicide, citing alleged domestic abuse and coercive control by JP Miller, which she had spoken about in social media posts.
Mica Miller filed for divorce from JP Miller twice: first in October 2023, which was dismissed in February 2024, and again on April 15, 2024, just days before her death.
Mica Miller’s body was found about 131 feet from where her purse, phone, and shell casings were located, leading her family to argue it could not have floated there naturally and may have been moved.
Her body was released to JP Miller and cremated without an autopsy, toxicology report, or gunpowder residue testing, which her family said destroyed critical evidence.
Two of Mica Miller’s siblings claimed in court documents that she feared for her life during divorce proceedings, with her sister Sierra Francis stating that Mica often said, “If I end up with a bullet in my head, it was JP.”
In May 2024, a month after Mica Miller’s death, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office released footage showing her purchasing a gun and driving to the park, where she called 911, saying she planned to take her own life.
JP Miller has denied any abuse or involvement in his wife’s death. Despite ongoing concerns from her family and the attention of social media campaigns using #JusticeForMica, he was never considered a suspect in her death investigation.
In November 2024, the FBI searched JP Miller’s Myrtle Beach home, though the reasons for the raid remain undisclosed.
If you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you’re in the UK, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
