South Carolina pastor charged with allegedly cyberstalking wife before she died by suicide
A former South Carolina pastor has been indicted on federal charges of cyberstalking his wife, including allegedly posting a nude photo of her online, before she died by suicide in 2024, authorities said.
A federal grand jury in Columbia, S.C., returned a two-count indictment on Thursday, charging 46-year-old John-Paul Miller with cyberstalking and making false statements to federal investigators, stemming from the investigation into his wife's death.
"This case underscores the seriousness of domestic violence abuse and related offenses and serves as a reminder that such behavior has no place in our society," Robeson County, North Carolina, Sheriff Burnis Wilkins said in a statement posted on his office's Facebook page, along with photos of both John-Paul and Mica Miller.
Miller is scheduled be arraigned on Jan. 12 in federal court in Florence, S.C., according to the sheriff's office.
Miller and his 30-year-old wife were estranged and in the process of getting a divorce at the time of her death.
Mica Miller's remains were discovered on April 27, 2024, at Lumber River State Park in Robeson County, N.C., about an hour north of Myrtle Beach, S.C., according to the Robeson County Sheriff's Office.
Robeson County sheriff's deputies went to the park to conduct a welfare check on Mica Miller after she contacted the Robeson County 911 Communications Center, expressing concern that she might harm herself, according to the sheriff's office.
Deputies found Mica Miller at the park, "deceased in the water with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound," according to the sheriff's office, which also said a firearm was found near her body.
The North Carolina Medical Examiner's Office ruled her death a suicide.
"During the course of the investigation, Detectives identified information that, while not directly related to the actual cause of death, warranted further review regarding Miller’s husband, John-Paul Miller. That information was believed to be relevant in understanding the broader circumstances surrounding Miller’s death," according to the sheriff's office statement.
On May 6, 2024, Wilkins formally requested that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Carolina "investigate allegations that were reported to have occurred outside the jurisdiction of the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office," according to the statement. The FBI also joined the investigation, according to the sheriff's office.
According to the indictment, federal prosecutors said the investigation found that beginning in November 2022 and up to his wife's death, John-Paul Miller allegedly sent his wife "unwanted and harassing communications."
"The harassing behavior included Miller posting a nude photo of the victim online without her consent, causing tracking devices to be placed on her vehicle, and in one instance, contacting her over 50 times in a single day," the indictment alleges.
The indictment also alleges that John-Paul Miller "interfered with [his wife's] finances and her daily activities and on one occasion damaged her vehicle tires."
"Federal investigators interviewed Miller about these allegations and Miller lied in his responses," the indictment alleges. "Miller said he did not damage the victim’s tires, when in fact he purchased a tire deflation device online and sent messages to others regarding the victim’s vehicle."
The indictment further states that Miller's alleged cyberstalking put his wife in "reasonable fear of death and serious bodily injury," and that his conduct "would be reasonably expected to cause [Mica Miller] substantial emotional distress."
ABC News attempts to reach John-Paul Miller for comment were unsuccessful. It is unclear if he has hired an attorney.
If convicted, Miller faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison on the cyberstalking charge and two years in prison for allegedly making false statements to investigators, according to the Department of Justice. He could also face a fine of up to $250,000.
