Watch Mica Miller's Pastor Husband Deliver Her Eulogy

Watch Mica Miller's Pastor Husband Deliver Her Eulogy

John-Paul Miller, the South Carolina pastor whose wife, Mica, allegedly killed herself in April, told mourners that he tried to "raise her from the dead" during a eulogy delivered on May 5.

The full 20-minute speech was posted by Miller's church, Solid Rock in Myrtle Beach, on Saturday.

Mica, 30, was found dead in a North Carolina state park on Saturday, April 27. She died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Robeson County Medical Examiner Dr. Richard Johnson.

Her friends, however, have raised questions over the official story about her death.

"I absolutely do not believe that she took her own life because she was energetic and her faith in God was unwavering," Alicia Young, a friend, told the cable network NewsNation.

"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."

Robeson County Sheriff's Office posted to Facebook multiple times in the past week trying to dispel the rumors swirling online about Mica's death.

"Sheriff Wilkins is also asking for everyone to please await the full timeline of events before making assumptions and coming to conclusions," one post read.

Mica Miller Timeline: What We Know So
Mica Miller Timeline: What We Know So Far John-Paul Miller/Mica Miller/Facebook

Miller, 44, casually announced Mica's death to his congregants on May 2 at the end of a service, saying she had died by suicide after a struggle with mental illness.

"I got a call late last night, my wife has passed away," he said. "It was self-induced and it was up in North Carolina." He also told the worshippers not to discuss the events while in church.

During his May 5 eulogy, Miller said he visited his wife's body at the morgue at least four times. "Each time it still didn't hit me," he said. "I even tried to raise her from the dead one time this week."

The pastor also told a story about visiting a mall and thinking he saw Mica, but it ended up being her sister. He spoke of Mica's "integrity" with the work she did for the church, and talked about their travels and how she would "talk for hours and hours and hours" even if he tuned out sometimes.

"Everyone knew how beautiful she was on the outside," Miller said. "But only, I think, a spouse knows how beautiful that person was on the inside."

Mica had filed for divorce from Miller in October, according to online records. The case was dismissed on Feb. 13, according to local reports. Later that month, Miller filed for separation.

Miller removed Mica's personal items from their home sometime in February, and she was admitted to Waccamaw Center for Mental Health, according to a sworn affidavit from her sister, Sierra Francis.

In the affidavit, Francis said her sister had claimed Miller was abusive.

"Mica stated to me on many occasions 'if I end up with a bullet in my head, it was not by me, it was JP,'" Francis said, using Miller's initials, according to the affidavit.

On March 22, about a month before her death, Mica posted a video on Facebook offering advice to anyone who may be in an abusive relationship.

"God hates divorce. But why?" she asked. "According to everybody I've asked and the scriptures that I've found, it's because it hurts people. But does abuse hurt people? How do you think God feels about that?"

More than a week prior to recording that video, she told a police officer that she was "afraid for her life." In two incident reports, Mica indicated someone was following her.

On April 25, two days before Mica was found dead, Miller was served divorce papers again, according to Francis' affidavit.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.

Uncommon Knowledge

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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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Monica is a Newsweek reporter based in Boston. Her focus is reporting on breaking news. Monica joined Newsweek in 2024. ... Read more

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