Murdaugh Murders Podcast - [DROP FEED] COERCED: The Devotion & Death of Mica Francis Miller - Unraveling Evidence Of Abuse

Starting point is 00:00:02 There are no witnesses, no fingerprints, and no confession to the 1992 deaths of Tommy Griffin and his sister, Connie Branham, in East Tennessee. There are, however, for alleged and uninvestigated alternate suspects, six alibi witnesses, a disgraced medical examiner, a nearly impossible timeline, a bad search warrant, and a man named Gary Sutton sitting on death row. I'm Beth Braden, a writer and investigative journalist, and I'm going to tell you why I believe the death penalty does. more harm than good in my new podcast, Time of Death. In February 1992, 28-year-old Gary Sutton,

Starting point is 00:00:39 his uncle James Delinger, and Gary's best friend, Tommy Griffin, went out drinking. The night ended with Tommy laying dead on the riverbank. Tommy's sister, Connie Branham, went looking for her missing brother the following day and was never seen alive again. Gary and James were convicted of murdering Tommy and Connie and sent to death row, where Delinger died of natural causes in 2023 and Gary Sutton awaits his fate. Follow my investigation to explore this capital case and others as the clock ticks down towards Gary Sutton's December execution. Search for time of death wherever you like to get your podcasts. On April 27, 24, 30-year-old Micah Miller, a Myrtle Beach woman in the process of divorcing her pastor husband called 911. It would be the last time that the

Starting point is 00:01:28 world would ever hear her voice. Robinson County 911. I'm about to kill my and I just want my family to know where to find me. When Micah died, she purposely left behind a paper trail of evidence and clues for someone somewhere to find and expose the people and systems that led to her death. I got a call late last night. My wife has passed away and it was self-induced and it was up in North Carolina. Y'all pray for me and my kids and everybody. My name is Mandy Matney, together with journalist Liz Farrell. This new drop feed titled Coerce, The

Starting point is 00:02:03 The devotion and death of Micah Francis Miller is a Luna Shark production based on True Sunlight reporting. Yeah, he said my blood is going to be on your hand. But prior to that, he was threatening to come in here and he said, Call the Coss, I don't care. I'm armed and ready. Her story is about everything that led up to her death, the alleged coercive control that she faced in her relationship with her past her husband and all of the systems that failed her when she tried so hard to report that alleged abuse and escape from him.

Starting point is 00:02:33 And she said, you know, he's such a liar. And she actually said the FBI is looking into it. But now, I mean, what's come out, they have been. Be sure to follow Coerced, the devotion and death of Micah Francis Miller. On April 27, 24, 30-year-old Micah Miller, a Myrtle Beach woman in the process of divorcing her pastor husband, called 911. It would be the last time that the world would ever hear her voice. Robinson County 911. What's the address of your emergency?

Starting point is 00:03:10 Hi. Are you able to trace the location of my phone? Let me see. You don't know where you're at. A national park. What's the phone number you're calling me from? 843-655-2-4-2. Where's the park located at?

Starting point is 00:03:39 in Bear Bluffs I have my location on I think on my phone Find my phone is on I just did my share of my location Okay I'm showing

Starting point is 00:03:55 Hold on one second I don't think you are in Robeson County Are at the Lumber River State Park Yeah that's where I am Okay Tell me what's happened. I'm about to kill myself, and I just want my family to know where to find me.

Starting point is 00:04:26 Okay, ma'am. Just listen to what I'm seeing, okay? Let me make sure I got the exact location where you're at, okay? Just one minute. This 911 call was released by the Robinson County North Carolina Sheriff's Office, 10 days after Micah's death. Quickly, the Robeson County Sheriff's Office ruled Micah's death a suicide. That ruling would have made most true crime journalists quit pursuing the story,

Starting point is 00:04:57 but we aren't most true crime journalists. In Micah's story is anything but a typical suicide, if we will call it that. This is coerced, the devotion and death of Micah Francis Miller. My name is Mandy Matney. I am an award-winning independent investigative journalist who exposed Alec Murdoch. Together with journalist Liz Farrell, we investigated him for two years before he allegedly murdered his wife and son. With my husband David Moses, who is also our wickedly talented producer, we created the global hit The Murdoch Murders Podcasts, which inspired the recent hit-Hulu series Murdoch death.

Starting point is 00:05:41 in the family, starring Patricia Arquette and Jason Clark. With the Murdoch Martyrs podcast, we didn't just tell a story about one case. We changed the way that millions of people saw the justice system. We exposed evil-doers and we did not stop when some of them went to prison. We held police officers, detectives, judges, and attorneys to account, and we forced so many of them to do their jobs. In a place where most people believe that a Murdoch would never be held accountable.

Starting point is 00:06:13 We said, but has anyone actually tried? And we did not stop exposing the truth, no matter how terrifying the path to the truth became. We also changed the way people saw podcasts and journalism, as not just a tool for entertainment and enlightenment, but as a mechanism to force transparency upon government agencies and use the power of our listeners and the microphone to force them to do what is right and what is just. Which is why we chose to report on Micah Francis Miller's story

Starting point is 00:06:48 back in May 24, even after her death was ruled a suicide. Because when Micah died, she purposely left behind a paper trail of evidence and clues for someone somewhere to find and expose the people and systems that led to her death. Unfortunately, Micah couldn't save herself, but she could save other women who have been abused by their husbands and dismissed by the systems that are supposed to protect them. So, our amazing team of journalists at Lunashark investigated this story for more than 18 months, and we covered all of the twist and turns, including over a dozen lawsuits, sexual assault allegations, another mysterious death, a dark history of,

Starting point is 00:07:38 medical abuse allegations, generational abuse, a place called Gloryland, and even alleged beastiality. Very early on in our investigation, we realized that the mystery of Micah's story was about so much more than her death and whether or not she died by suicide. Her story is about everything that led up to her death, the alleged coercive control that she faced in her relationship with her past her husband, and all of the systems that failed her when she tried so hard to report that alleged abuse and escape from him. We're going to say alleged a lot in this series, as John Paul Miller has not been convicted of any crimes involving Micah yet. To understand Micah's story and how we believe that her death could have been prevented,

Starting point is 00:08:32 you have to understand coercive control, described by world-renowned criminal behavior analyst Laura Richards as a strategic pattern of behavior designed to exploit, control, create dependency, and dominate. The world would be a safer place for women if more lawmakers, government officials, first responders, police officers, judges, attorneys, detectives, and doctors truly understood the concept of coercive control. And Micah's story, we believe, is a testament to that. Today, in 2026, only a handful of states recognize coercive control in their laws.

Starting point is 00:09:13 Hawaii is the only state that specifically criminalizes it. We believe, if any story could motivate women around the world to get coercive control laws passed, it is Micah's. Everything about this story is complicated, starting with Micah's name in itself. Her name was technically Micah Miller when she died, but we discovered in her divorce filings that she asked the court to restore her name to her maiden name, Micah Acacia Francis, before her death. While Luna Shirk has honored that wish to recognize Micah by the name that she wanted

Starting point is 00:09:50 her identity to be, most of the media and Netflix did not. And we want these episodes to be discovered by anyone interested in learning the truth about what happened to Micah, and we want her story to inspire real change. That said, we decided to add Miller to the title of this drop feed because Micah's story can't change the world if it is impossible to find. Now, what is a drop feed exactly? You have heard of feed drops, where one creator will put their show in the feed of another show. This is kind of like that, but a drop feed, a new phrase that we've coined, a dedicated standalone podcast feed, branded under a parent network that focuses exclusively on a single case investigation or sub-topic drawn from the network's

Starting point is 00:10:40 broader editorial universe. A drop feed has its own RSS, its own cover art, and its own listing on podcast platforms, but it is anchored to the parent network's identity, audience, and editorial standards. Usually in True Sunlight, we have about five active cases at any given time, and those stories will get updates or breaking news at the same time. Such was the case with developments of J.P. Miller's federal trial in Florence, South Carolina. That means that each episode of True Sunlight can include news and analysis about multiple cases, which can be confusing. So we are launching these drop feeds to keep information about each case straight and maybe introduce the flagship True Sunlight feed to new audiences along

Starting point is 00:11:29 the way. This new drop feed titled Coerced, the devotion and death of Micah Francis Miller, is a Lunar Shark production based on True Sunlight Reporting. We'll be updated from time to time as we have enough information to populate it with another episode, but all current updates will occur on True Sunlight Weekly. I also want to introduce journalists, and Lunas Shark producer Grace Hills, who will be our guide between episodes to help us get the story straight on when these archive episodes came from

Starting point is 00:12:01 and perhaps add some updates when needed. We will be publishing drop feeds for a number of our cases so that we can elevate the voices of the people who really matter and why we work so hard to expose the truths on True Sunlight Podcast. For Krista Bauer-Gilly,

Starting point is 00:12:18 for Scott Spivey, for Charity Bialis, for Micah Miller. You'll start seeing those feeds pop up on players soon, but the current information will always go to the True Sunlight podcast feed first. So be sure to follow from your favorite app or join Lunashark Premium from a link in the description for early episodes, video episodes, live or virtual events, bonus episodes, and so much more. Thank you for supporting our mission.

Starting point is 00:12:46 Thank you for following along from wherever you are in the world. And thank you for helping us hold. hold public agencies accountable and amplifying victims' voices. So let's dive in to coerced the devotion and death of Micah Francis Miller. Micah's death became national news for a few reasons. Chiefly, because of the bizarre sermon her estranged husband gave on the Sunday after her death. Listen to this. On Sunday, April 28th, one day after Micah was found dead,

Starting point is 00:13:27 At the end of his church service, John Paul Miller told his congregation that his wife died. I want you to hear this clip. We're not going to do an altar call today. Instead, I'm going to have you stand up and I'm going to make an announcement. And after the announcement, I'm going to ask that you leave church quietly and don't talk about the announcement here in the building. And so y'all can stand to your feet. before I make the announcement I also want to say that my request to you is that you will continue to come to church and serve and give for the next you know a little bit because I don't want to have I'm taking a little bit of a break and I don't want to have to worry about the church my break maybe a few days a few weeks I don't know I got a call late last night my wife has passed away and yeah it was it was self-induced and it was up in North Carolina and we're going to have a funeral for her her next Sunday here at 3 p.m.

Starting point is 00:14:31 And so it's all I can, yeah, I'm just kind of going on adrenaline right now. So, y'all pray for me and my kids and everybody. And she was, she wasn't, you all knew that she wasn't well mentally. And that she needed her medicine that was hard to get to her.

Starting point is 00:14:47 And so, I'm sure there'll be more details to come. But just keep our family in your prayers. And I'm going to let Pastor Randall, a bishop, he can pray. I get a microphone and pray out. And if you have anything you want to share as well, I appreciate it. So, it is hard to judge a person's reaction to a tragedy like this one.

Starting point is 00:15:05 It is hard to say what a normal, non-abusive person would do or say in this situation. However, considering the well-documented allegations of abuse here, I want to point out what aren't just red flags. They are alarm bells ringing during this speech. First of all, there is something incredibly difficult. disturbing about a man commanding a sea of people to stand to hear that his estranged wife died and to see the congregation just doing that and complying. It shows what kind of control and power this man is used to.

Starting point is 00:15:43 It is disturbing to hear this man's immediate concerns about his church members, who are ultimately his money makers, leaving him because of his wife's death. But the most disturbing part is how quick he is to accept that. her death was a suicide. How did he know for sure in that moment it was a suicide? And why publicly blame her mental illness before knowing all of the facts? Why did he feel like his congregation needed to know that? And since they were estranged, shouldn't her family be the ones to announce what happened to Micah?

Starting point is 00:16:19 We weren't the only ones horrified by how glib and strange this was. Over the weekend, we got flooded with so many emails and messages from our listeners asking us to look into this case, to put sunlight on it. So that is what we did. We dove into the sea of red flags left in the wake of Micah's death. Since you're listening, you already know that we're investigative journalists. So our sunlight starts with the facts. But we also advocate for a victim's first approach in our reporting and in the justice system, meaning we are also whatever the podcast version of an opinion columnist is. We do the reporting, we do their research, we FOIA for documents, we cultivate

Starting point is 00:17:07 sources, we provide the context and then connect the dots and then offer our take on it. More than anything, we believe in holding law enforcement accountable to investigations and we do not give the good old boys in our system a pass simply because they are powerful or simply because they're just doing what's always been done, as so many other legacy media outlets seem to do. For instance, with stories like this one, legacy media reporters too often approach the details surrounding the narrative with the base assumption that our system is not broken. We've had a lot of experience there, so our brains immediately go to scanning cases for red flags. Obviously, a weird sermon does not a murderer make. And, as it turns out, the evidence shows that JP wasn't near Micah when her life ended.

Starting point is 00:18:00 In fact, the evidence released by police seems to absolve JP from pulling the trigger. But we'll get there because there is more than one way to end a life. When we took on the Murdoch murders in 2021, we were quickly and suddenly immersed in the true crime world, something neither of us were at all familiar with having backgrounds and journalism. Beyond documentaries and news shows, we really didn't know that social media has a true crime ecosystem that comes alive during these big true crime. crime events. That ecosystem drives a host of media organizations to cover different angles of the story. From what we've learned, there are, let's say, five major pieces to this ecosystem. First, you have the victim's families who are simply trying to get answers and attention for their loved ones' cases.

Starting point is 00:18:48 Second, you have the journalists who gather facts and tell the story according to a code of ethics. That includes official sourcing, documentation, and attribution. Third, you have the Uber true crime fans who stake out their territory and social media to be the first page moderators or create content related to their own reporting and research, which unfortunately oftentimes turns out to be not entirely reliable and to share their opinions about what happened. Fourth, you have the people digesting this news and this content who express their support of the victims and their families, who use their own platforms to put pressure on the system to do the right thing. And lastly, you have the devil's advocate. For every person who knee jerks into automatically believing a person is guilty of something,

Starting point is 00:19:34 there's a person who knee jerks into automatically believing that a person isn't guilty of something. So all of this, the good, bad, and ugly of the true crime ecosystem came alive over the weekend and the internet all but indicted Micah's husband and information started emerging about him, his history and his church. On Monday, the board of the church that he started, quote-unquote, released JP from, quote, all ministerial functions for a time of healing, counsel, and guidance pursuant to a governing instrument. What does that even mean? I'm not sure. The church took down its website after the news of Micah's death went viral.

Starting point is 00:20:19 Considering that he started the church, chances are highly unlikely that he is going to face any repercussions from that institution. Now again, the evidence provided by the Robeson County Sheriff's Office appears to show that J.P. did not pull the trigger that ended Micah's life. But before that evidence was released Tuesday, there was a surplus of fact and fiction being circulated that seemed to make him look like an immediate person of interest. Why? Because of the red flags that we are telling you about today. And frankly, those red flags are still telling us something. something, and that is that Micah's death will not be in vain. The red flags feel like Micah is speaking to us from the grave to expose the evil that ultimately ended her. Again, evidence appears to show that he did not kill her. But even so, Micah was pointing all of us in this direction for a reason,

Starting point is 00:21:18 like she knew what she was doing and leaving a powerful man was a dangerous and deadly road to walk. So she left pieces of her life for the world to see in case something happened, starting with her Facebook page. Underneath Micah Miller's profile picture where she is flashing a confident, subtle smile like a woman on a mission. A tagline reads the words, Seek justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God. Micah 6.8.

Starting point is 00:21:48 On April 19th, eight days before her death, Micah posted a selfie with a caption, when terrible, terrible things happen to you. Y'all know what I'm talking about. R.P.F. Resting Peaceface. Hashtag still blessed. Hashtag God is good. Religion played a central role in Micah's life,

Starting point is 00:22:09 and she posted about navigating her religion while also leaving an abusive relationship. I want to be clear here. Micah never said her husband's name in those posts. On March 22nd, just a month before her death, Micah posted the following caption. Please share this with anyone struggling with a dangerous situation because they think God will be mad at them. Hashtag abuse awareness, hashtag God loves you.

Starting point is 00:22:38 With that, she posted a video of herself in a baseball cap and a braid. So today my heart's a little heavy. I've had a lot of women that have reached out to me about situations of abuse. and I just want to tell you what a lot of people have told me lately and reminded me because I think I forgot. I knew, but I pushed it in the back of my head just because of my situation. But you are the bride of Christ. Before anybody else's bride, male or female, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what gender you are.

Starting point is 00:23:24 Abuse is abuse. And you are the bride of Christ. And my Bible says that he took all the abuse you could think of for you so that you didn't have to live that life of slavery and bondage and pain. Jesus took it all for you. So you don't have to stay in a... in a abusive relationship, whether that's sexual, whether that's somebody forcing you to take illegal drugs or alcohol abuse or physical abuse, psychological abuse, making you think that this is

Starting point is 00:24:14 all your fault or you're a bad mom or you're a bad wife or you're a bad husband or you're not giving it your all when you know you are. God hates divorce, but why? 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? So I want to remind you like a bunch of people have been reminding me lately

Starting point is 00:24:48 that I'm God's pride first. And even an earthly spouse who's, who's a good spouse when they know that their bride is being hurt. Just imagine what an earthly spouse does. What do you think your heavenly spouse does when you're the bride of Christ and he sees his bride going through abuse and hurt? What do you think he thinks about that? So encouragement in all this is you are the bride of Christ first before anybody else's.

Starting point is 00:25:27 And he's got you. And he sees you. And he loves you. This video tells us a lot about Micah. She did not want to go quietly. She wanted to use her suffering to help other women who were experiencing abuse, especially those who were taught harmful religious beliefs that trap them in abusive marriages. This was her way of saying it is okay to put yourself above your marriage,

Starting point is 00:25:56 because God truly loves you, and God doesn't want you to suffer in an abusive relationship. It is important to note, her estranged husband, J.P. Miller, filed a police report about this Facebook post, which we will talk about in a minute. But that gives you an idea of the kind of coercive control J.P. had over Micah Miller's life. More on that. After a quick commercial break, we'll be right back. Your playlist might get you through the workday. But have you ever wondered how your ancestors spent theirs? What work helped them build a life?

Starting point is 00:26:34 How did they adapt as the world around them changed? With Ancestry, you can search Select Historical Occupational Records for free for a limited time and discover the stories behind the jobs in your family tree. You've got questions. We've got ancestors. Search free until August 31st. Visit Ancestry.ca for details. Terms apply.

Starting point is 00:26:55 On April 27, 24, 30-year-old Micah Miller, a Myrtle Beach woman in the process of divorcing her pastor husband, called 911. It would be the last time that the world would ever hear her voice. Robinson County 911. I'm about to kill myself, and I just want my family to know where to find me. When Micah died, she purposely left behind a paper trail of evidence and clues for someone somewhere to find and expose the people and systems that led to her death. I got a call late last night. My wife has passed away.

Starting point is 00:27:31 It was self-induced, and it was up in North Carolina. Y'all pray for me and my kids and everybody. My name is Mandy Matney, together with journalist Liz Farrell. This new drop feed titled Coerce, The Devotion and Death of Micah Francis Miller, is a Luna Shark production based on True Sunlight reporting. Yeah, he said my blood is going to be on your hand.

Starting point is 00:27:51 But prior to that, he was threatening to come in here, and he said, call the cost, I don't care. I'm armed and ready. Her story is about everything that led up to her death, the alleged coercive control that she faced in her relationship with her pastor-husband and all of the systems that failed her when she tried so hard to report that alleged abuse and escape from him. She said, you know, he's such a liar.

Starting point is 00:28:15 And she actually said the FBI is looking into it. But now, I mean, what's come out, they have been. Be sure to follow coerced the devotion and death of Micah Francis Miller. According to court records, Micah had been in the process of divorcing JP since at least October 2023. But because we live in South Carolina where women are still second-class citizens and our laws are designed to make divorce difficult and dangerous, Micah's divorce filing was dismissed by the court in February. She filed for divorce again in April and just two days before she was found dead, J.P. was served with divorce papers, which is another giant, glaring,

Starting point is 00:29:00 red flag in this case. Micah was taking control. She was leaving her husband. She was entering the most dangerous period in an abusive relationship for women. But even in her death, J.P. still managed to take control of the narrative, or at least he tried and it backfired deeply. Which brings us to the next red flag. Micah's obituary, which sources have said was written by JP and it certainly appears to be written by him. Micah Miller's obituary was written as if her husband was stomping all over her grave and continuing to taunt and torture her after her death. Despite Micah's well-documented desire to leave her husband and start a new life, her obituary, presumptively written by her estranged husband whose photo is oddly featured

Starting point is 00:29:53 in a selfie at the top of the page, covers none of that. Instead, true to what we believe, shows John Paul Miller's narcissistic, manipulative, and abusive personality, J.P. Miller took the opportunity to craft a narrative about Micah's life that was far from reality, starting with the third sentence of the obituary, where he lists himself first among those who are survived by her. He complimented her in some places, as abusers do. and stabbed her in the heart in others. Here is a sentence to give you an example. Micah was energetic, affirming, adventurous, faithful, loving, giving, forgiving,

Starting point is 00:30:37 talented, joyous, creative, assertive, bold, determined, authoritative, passionate, hardworking, a risk taker, and so much more. Nice, right? But he couldn't help himself. He is mentioned in the next sentence, as if her relationship to him was her most important quality. She and JP have been friends since 2009, married in 2017, and spent most every single day and night together. Well, Red Flag, because first of all, Micah was around four. 15 in 2009, and JP was around 30, and he was married to another woman. Why would he mention a detail like that in which most of society would think was really weird? And of course, that isn't even the full truth of it. In a police report filed just two months before

Starting point is 00:31:44 Micah's death, she told police that she was groomed by JP when she was a child. The National Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Children defines grooming as when someone builds a relationship, trust, and emotional connection with a child or a young person so they can manipulate, exploit, and abuse them. The fact that Micah used this term in February to describe her relationship shows how far removed she was from her own marriage at that point. It shows to me that she sought some sort of professional support to process her relationship for what it was. The obituary went on to say that she loved her dog, outdoor activities, running and was known to take on challenges, then of course it goes again back to JP and it gets exceedingly weird.

Starting point is 00:32:34 Micah was a great stepmother and an amazing wife and helpmate. She helped pastor JP with the church in every way. Micah was the worship leader, graphics designer, youth leader, women's ministry leader and pastor's assistant, and she did all of this with the utmost integrity and faithfulness. Micah made the greatest of efforts to always be the best wife she could be. She truly served Jesus and her husband with all of her heart. She would praise her husband after every church's service, telling him he was the best preacher in the world, even if it wasn't true. She also told him he was the funniest preacher in the world, even though that wasn't true either. Y'all, that is seven sentences in a row used in her obituary to talk about her estranged husband.

Starting point is 00:33:43 Every time I read this, I get more angry for her. Even after her death, the man who allegedly groomed Micah was still controlling her life story. It goes on and it gets weirder when it talks about her relationships with her family in a way that feels taunting and manipulative and reeks of jealousy. Micah loved her family so much. She looked forward to every text from her father or brother. She sought every opportunity to pour into her sisters. There were thousands of nights that she would pray out loud for God to always bless and take care of her family. They were constantly on her mind.

Starting point is 00:34:38 Micah wanted more than anything for each member of her family to serve Jesus continually. Micah loved her ice bath. Nice, car. sauna, house, etc. But more than anything on earth was her desire to see people come to Jesus. We want you to keep this obit in mind as we go through these next two parts. Okay, so the world was hearing about Micah's strange death and J.P.'s strange sermon afterward over this past weekend. They were hearing about Micah's marriage.

Starting point is 00:35:16 Former girlfriends of JPs were speaking up on Facebook. And former church members were secretly speaking out about concerns they had about what they perceived as J.P.'s increasingly questionable conduct at church. Specifically, the tone of his sermons, which they say included slights against Micah and demands for more tithing. On May 2nd, less than a week after Micah's death, her siblings stepped in. They hired attorney Jarrett Bouchette, whose name you might remember from the Murdoch case. Jarrett was one of Cousinetti's attorneys from the start. Jarrett helped Micah's sister Sierra file paperwork to be appointed special administrator of Micah's estate. In other words, Micah's family fought back to keep the man whom they hold at least somewhat responsible for Micah's death accountable.

Starting point is 00:36:06 And they won. The court ruled in their favor. Here's why. In the affidavit, Sierra said that she and her family with a total of six siblings moved to Myrtle Beach. in 2007. She said she was close with Micah and spoke to her and visited her often. Then, Micah's sister documented her knowledge of the abusive relationship that Micah had with JP. She put this in a legal document, which gives reporters like us a trail of breadcrumbs to follow, which is what we did. We'll have David read this part.

Starting point is 00:36:40 I know my sister to have expressed the abuse and violence against her. by her husband to others, including family members and members of the church congregation. Micah told me that there were people following her, keeping track of where she went. She thought that Mr. Miller hired people to follow her. Mr. Miller later confirmed this during a sermon I watched. Micah confided in me that Mr. Miller was moving assets that were in his name, such as his vehicle, changing the deed to their house, to the church, transferring interest in crocodile rocks to one of his sons. It should be noted that we are still coming through Miller's finances, but it appears that he was part owner of Crocodile Rock's piano bar in Myrtle Beach,

Starting point is 00:37:36 which is an odd side gig for a preacher, but whatever. And like a lot of the men who we investigate on this podcast, J.P.'s financial history appears to be, be plentiful and complicated. In the affidavit, Sierra testified to several abusive incidents in her sister's relationship, but are also documented by police reports that we will discuss in a minute. Sierra said that J.P. Miller allegedly took control of at least one of her social media accounts and allegedly took the evidence that Micah was planning to use against him in the divorce proceeding while Micah was hospitalized at a mental health facility in February. Sierra said that Micah had big plans for her life after her divorce. She wanted to move to Kenya and even ship some of her items over there in preparation for that.

Starting point is 00:38:26 The affidavit just screams, I don't believe my sister killed herself and here is why. And Sierra's affidavit is backed up with convincing evidence. But perhaps most concerning is this part of the affidavit I will have David read. My sister also expressed to me that she was fearful, that she would not make it to the divorce, and that her life would be taken from her. Micah stated to me on many occasions, If I ended up with a bullet in my head, it was not by me. It was J.P.

Starting point is 00:39:04 Micah forwarded a family group text message notifying us that Mr. Miller was served the divorce papers on April 25, 2004. On April 27, 2024, my sister, Micah A. Miller, was found dead as a result of a gunshot wound. There's a lot contained in that affidavit, but I want to repeat this part. If I end up with a bullet in my head, it was not by me, it was JP. Mika's sister knows that Mika can no longer speak for herself, so she stepped up and bravely put all of this in a legal document.

Starting point is 00:39:46 And so did Mika's brother. Micah's brother Nathaniel also filed an affidavit in support of Sierra's appointment, a special administrator for Mika's estate. In his affidavit, he talks about how he was a member of J.P.'s church, but left the congregation because of behaviors he observed. Nathaniel said that Mika had confided in him that J.P. moved her belongings, to another woman's residence so that he could, quote, keep an eye on her. He said that J.P. told him he didn't know of any reason there should be a divorce.

Starting point is 00:40:18 And he talked about an April email from J.P. to Micah, in which J.P. said he was angry, quote, when Micah confided or, quote, put her family before him and that made him want to hurt her. Quote, in his words, when someone hurts me, I try to hurt them back rather than forgive. and instead of me forgiving you, I just attack and cause pain. Nathaniel said that Micah had told him on numerous occasions that she was scared of JP and, quote, just wanted to escape him. He also mentions several police reports that were made over the previous few weeks. Now, before Robinson County Sheriff's Office released its evidence showing why they believed Micah did in fact kill herself,

Starting point is 00:41:05 this is what the world had. A bizarre sermon, a video from Micah talking about abuse. Affidavits showing her family was intervening with her state because Micah feared for her life at the time of her death. An obituary that reads like Regina George from Mean Girls Reddit. The knowledge that JP's criminal history includes violence against women, and his application for a pardon which, though it doesn't say it explicitly, seems like the sole reason listed is to obtain a firearm. Plus, there were bits and pieces from his sermons being circulated where he spoke poorly of Micah

Starting point is 00:41:36 and of women in general using violent imagery. In one sermon, he told his flock that women talking about their marital problems with friends is the demon in them. He said that he looked in Micah's phone and saw that 18 people had reached out to her to say if she ever needed to talk about her husband, they would keep it confidential. He talked about wanting to shoot someone with a bazooka using the example of, did you intentionally wear those shoes with that dress? And he talked about praying to God for money and to get a quote, hot wife who loves Jesus.

Starting point is 00:42:11 In the meantime, a woman purporting to be a former girlfriend of JPs who said she was 14 at the time and he was 19, put a pin in that one for a second, posted online that J.P. was a philanderer and very into state and national park. So again, there was a circus occurring with people on Facebook and TikTok believing that there was a path, that was going to take the police straight to J.P. And as disturbing as social media circuses are, I think you can see what they were seeing. Mandy and Liz will dive into the police reports shortly. We'll be right back.

Starting point is 00:42:58 On April 27, 24, 30-year-old Micah Miller, a Myrtle Beach woman in the process of divorcing her pastor husband, called 911. It would be the last time that the world would ever hear her voice. Robinson County 911. I'm about to kill myself, and I just want my family to know where to find me. When Micah died, she purposely left behind a paper trail of evidence and clues for someone somewhere to find and expose the people and systems that led to her death.

Starting point is 00:43:29 I got a call late last night. My wife has passed away, and it was self-induced, and it was up in North Carolina. Y'all pray for me and my kids and everybody. My name is Mandy Matney, together with journalist Liz Pharrell. This, new drop feed titled Coerce, the devotion and death of Micah Francis Miller, is a Luna Shark production based on True Sunlight reporting. Yeah, he said my blood is going to be on your hand, but prior to that, he was threatening to come in here, and he said, call the cops, I don't care, I'm armed and ready. Her story is about everything that led up to her death, the alleged coercive control that

Starting point is 00:44:04 she faced in her relationship with her past her husband, and all of the systems that failed her when she tried so hard to report that alleged abuse and escape from him. And she said, you know, he's such a liar. And she actually said the FBI is looking into it. But now, I mean, what's come out, they have been. Be sure to follow coerced the devotion and death of Micah Francis Miller. Okay, back to the police reports. The first one we want to talk about is perplexing. Even though we submitted our FOIA request for reports to Myrtle Beach police, It appears the same reports we received were also released to other media. In our FOIA request, we asked for calls to service and reports involving J.P.'s

Starting point is 00:44:49 Church, of which only a few were included, but all of those seemed to involve either him by name or by reference to the pastor, with his name redacted. They certainly don't appear to be the sum total of what we might expect when asking for calls to service to a church of that size. When Beth Braden asked Myrtle Beach police a question that we had, she was told, quote, I sent you all the incident and CAD reports that we have for the two of them. You can read them and see if any say anything about that. That made us realize that the FOIA that we got back appears to only be for reports that

Starting point is 00:45:27 mentioned Micah and JP by name in some capacity and not for calls to service to the church itself. I note this because I don't know why this report was included. It is not clear how it is connected to J.P. or Micah directly in the way that Myrtle Beach seems to think the FOIA release is, because so much of that report is either redacted or not included. Here's what it says. In August, 2022, police write a report in reference to something that allegedly happened at J.P.'s church. The victim's information is redacted, and so is the person of interest information. The report states that a caller from New Jersey said that she had received lewd text messages and photos from the offender, and that she received a video call from the offender while he was performing an obscene act. The officer spoke to this unknown offender who stated he was in Myrtle Beach during the time of the video call, and that was it. The investigation is still listed as active. Another report that is merely interesting, in April 23, J.P. was cited for driving through a grass median, changing lanes multiple times without signaling and going 70 miles per hour

Starting point is 00:46:42 and a 55 mile per hour speed limit. Not sure what was going on there, but that seems extra. A year later, three days after Micah's body was found, the Myrtle Beach Police Department was called to Micah's apartment by JP. According to the report, he quote, stated that his wife passed away and that he was trying to get her belongings out of the apartment, but that leasing manager wouldn't let him do it due to her not liking him. The report notes that a redacted person's name was given an indefinite warning for the entire complex and that, quote, the mail moved along with no issues. This is a good time to tell you how absolutely inconsistent South Carolina law enforcement agencies can be when it comes to what they choose to redact. In this stack of reports we got from

Starting point is 00:47:33 Myrtle Beach PD, it is sometimes hard to tell who the victim is and who the complainant is because of the strange redaction. Police are allowed to redact personal information such as birth dates and social security numbers and the names of minors and information related to active investigations that can compromise the investigation if released. Information that is generally pertinent to the report, such as the name of the person who was warned against returning to Micah's apartment complex after her. her death would most likely not be redacted. But alas. All right, as they relate to Micah, let's talk about a report that she made on February 21st of this year. I also want to note that when we say Micah was 30, she had just turned 30 before her death. In February, she was still 29 years old. Micah called police to tell them that her car had been stolen. She had been separated from her husband

Starting point is 00:48:32 since January 2023. Quick note that I want to mention, the timeline of Micah's divorce and separation seems to start in October 2023, according to court documents. But, like with any failing relationship, particularly one with significant age difference and power differential,

Starting point is 00:48:52 the timeline has some hiccups in terms of their back and forth. Remember, Micah was dealing with abuse and a pastor husband who had members of his flight, lock backing him up. Plus, he was a devout Christian and highly concerned about all that entails. Anyway, on February 21st, Micah told police that she was involuntarily hospitalized earlier in the month on February 8th. She was released two days later. Now, it is not clear why she was hospitalized. It is not clear how that hospitalization came to pass. Who brought her to the hospital? But we do know this.

Starting point is 00:49:31 It happened in a Walmart parking lot and the police were not involved. Beth called over to the Myrtle Beach Police Department and they have no record of anything other than a traffic-related incident happening in that location. Additionally, as we told you earlier, Micah's sister said that when Micah came back from the hospital, she found all of her evidence of JP's alleged abuse and bad behavior had been destroyed. According to Micah's sister, J.P. was using Micah's accounts to message others as Micah those few days. According to the police report, when Micah was taken to the mental hospital involuntarily, again, by who, we don't know, or 2019 Silver Honda Accord was left in the parking lot of Walmart.

Starting point is 00:50:19 You might notice that a silver Honda Accord is different from the Black Civic that she was driving on the day of our death. And you might also recall that strange line from her obit that referred to her nice car. We have seen a few unconfirmed reports that claim Solid Rock Church owns several cars. We plan on combing through all of the church's assets in a later episode. According to the police report, hospital staff told Micah when she was discharged that her husband had come to get her purse and her car keys when she was hospitalized. said that she returned to the parking lot and discovered the vehicle was gone. She told police that she believed that JP had, quote, fraudulently initiated her involuntary hospitalization

Starting point is 00:51:06 and stole her car while she was in the hospital. Now, this next part is going to be difficult to hear, but at the core of everything. Quote, Complaintant stated that she has known her husband since she was 10 years old, in that he, quote, groomed her while she worked for him at Solid Rock Church. Now, that police officer might have misheard Micah's age in that report, or she might have misreported her age. She was actually 13 when she met J.P. Miller, which is just as bad. That is the police report I was mentioning earlier. She knew enough to get that word on an official document. According to the police report, an officer called J.P. And J.P. told them that he and Mika were not legally separated and that Mika suffers from, quote, mental health disorders. J.P. told police that

Starting point is 00:52:05 Mika experiences, quote, episodes on an annual basis around Christmas time. Does that sound familiar? He said that this is when she, quote, becomes reckless and spends large amounts of money and she stops taking her prescribed medication. He told the officer that he had Micah's car and that he had to prevent her from selling it during that episode. He pointed out to the officer that the car was joint marital property and that he was not going to give it back to Micah for a month because of how long those, quote, reckless episodes last.

Starting point is 00:52:42 The officer ends his report by saying that his hands were tied because the car belonged to both JP and Micah. I cannot imagine how diffused and devastated Micah felt in that moment. At every turn, he reminded her how hard her life would be if she chose to go through with the divorce. Now, let's talk about a report that was made on March 14th. A GPS tracker was found under the chassis of a blue Volkswagen jetta owned by, according to the redacted report, an 80-year-old woman. It doesn't give a name.

Starting point is 00:53:22 Before officers arrived at Micah's apartment complex, Micah and or her brother had removed the tracker, apparently leaving handprints in the area where they removed it, which the officer noted. According to the report, Micah and her brother were the only drivers of the car. So it appears that Micah might have been using a neighbor's car or maybe another family member's car, and it ended up with a tracker on it. No mention was made in the report of who Micah or the victim believed to have placed the tracker. The report does note that no one knew when the tracker was placed, and there's no note indicating whether police took the tracker into evidence. Then on March 26, just 12 days later and just over a month before Micah's death,

Starting point is 00:54:06 Micah called police to her apartment and told them she found a GPS tracker on her black Honda Civic, and she believed it to be her, quote, soon-to-be ex-husband who put it there. The tracking device was collected as evidence, according to the report. The next day, J.P. called police to tell them that Micah and her family were harassing him by text and on social media. But he was unable to offer the officer any evidence of this alleged harassment, according to the report. The report notes that J.P. had no texts or any example of getting harassed on social media. What J.P. claimed to be harassment was actually the video of Micah in which she spoke about abuse, in which his name was not even mentioned.

Starting point is 00:54:52 We're pleasantly surprised to read that police sent J.P. packing and didn't try to mess with Mika over this, at least not what it seems like from the report. On April 8th, less than 20 days before Micah's death, she called police to report that J.P.E. had posted a nude photo of her on a Facebook page called Big Boobes and Nice Curves and tagged her old Facebook account that he had access to. According to the report, Micah told police that she had taken the photo of herself for her husband six months earlier and that her husband was the only person she ever sent photos like that too.

Starting point is 00:55:29 Because her nipple was blurred out in the photo, police said that the photo did not meet South Carolina's Code of Law for nudity, and that because the photo was posted anonymously, there was nothing they could do. The report ended with the officer's note that he advised Micah that once a photo is sent, the person who the photo was sent to is now the owner of the photo. I am not sure that would withstand the test of copyright law, but the bottom line was that they told her that there was nothing they could do about it. It is so hard to read that because when we do, our minds start racing. Is there a resource out there for women that could have helped in this case? because this had to have been humiliating and devastating for Micah,

Starting point is 00:56:13 and obviously we know she's not the only one who experiences things like this. Could someone have subpoenaed Facebook for an IP address of whoever posted the photo? Could someone have helped her retrieve her old Facebook account so that he couldn't have access to it anymore? If you're an IT person and you're looking for a volunteer opportunity, maybe consider offering your services for free to women who need help regaining their digital footprint from their alleged abuser. On April 15th, the police are again called to Micah's apartment.

Starting point is 00:56:46 Another tracker was found on Micah's black Honda Civic and she wanted police to take it as evidence. This time, police did not take it as evidence, according to the report, because, quote, the two are still legally married. So these police reports, they were made available to us on Wednesday and they give us a brief look at what Micah's life was looking like leading up to her death. On Tuesday, before the sheriff's office released its evidence in the case, all the public had to go on was most of what we just told you, plus an uncountable number of tidbits about JP, his father,

Starting point is 00:57:21 and their churches, as well as stories purporting to be about JP's former relationships. And that makes sense. When there's an information vacuum, people tend to fill it. and information was spilling in. We're only sharing facts that we can substantiate here, but we heard all sorts of things from private planes being used, accusations of embezzlement, stories about sexual abuse,

Starting point is 00:57:46 strange real estate transactions. Additionally, a man came forward on Facebook to say he was fishing near where Micah killed herself at the time of her death and heard the gunshot. Turns out he was real, according to the report published by Robeson County, Sheriff's Office, which we're very used to seeing half-ass police work, and we have to commend the Sheriff's Office for their well-written and thorough press release along with their helpful PowerPoint

Starting point is 00:58:12 presentation. According to deputies, Michael was seen via ring camera, leaving her apartment at 10.13 a.m. on the day she died, and returning at 11. She was wearing a black hat, sunglasses, a gray sweatshirt, a backpack, and holding a water bottle. When she returned, she returned, she was. was carrying a white paper bag and seemed to also be holding a Frappuccino-type drink. Her hair is in a loose ponytail. At 1138, Micah leaves her apartment again. This time, her hair is in a single braid. She's wearing sunglasses and a backpack and is dressed in all black. She left her apartment and then drove to a place called Dick's Pawn Shop, which she apparently searched on her phone before going. She's shown entering the store at 12.12 p.m. At 12. 13, she's at the cash register.

Starting point is 00:59:02 purchasing a 9mm SIG-Sour and ammo. The total purchase cost $571.16. It's not entirely clear, but the receipt deputies provided that they found in her car seems to show that Micah paid for the gun in cash, or the gun was already paid for when she got there. In the security video at the pawn shop, Micah has her glasses on top of her head and looks serious in one still shot, but then appears to be smiling in another. She has almost a Lara Croft look, akin to the kind of outfit one might wear

Starting point is 00:59:36 if going to a lesson on how to shoot a gun. It's hard to tell if she looks resigned or resolute. Perhaps she was both. Was she simply going through the motions of her plan, or was it something else altogether? According to deputies, Michael left the store at 12.34 p.m. It took her 22 minutes to obtain the tool

Starting point is 00:59:55 she would use to end her life. From here, the timeline goes very quickly. Micah seemed to be moving fast. A lot of listeners have wondered about why Micah's stint in the mental hospital wouldn't have flagged her in a background check at the pawn shop. We don't have an answer for that. We don't know if Micah initiated the purchase on that day or was simply picking up the gun on that day. And we don't know how she answered questions on her background check forum. After Micah left the pawnch up, she stopped at 41 grocery and grill in Mullins' South Carolina.

Starting point is 01:00:27 Mullen's is on the way to I-95 from Myrtle Beach. It was about a 54-minute drive for Micah, according to deputies. Micah arrived at the gas station at 1.27 p.m. According to deputy, she got gas and a drink. Photos show that there was still an open can of an energy drink in the console of her car when police arrived. According to a receipt found in the car, Micah charged $25 at the gas station at 1.33 p.m. Whether that was $25 in gas, or $25 in gas and the drink is not clear. But, and we know it's really hard to analyze the actions of people who take their lives and the lead up to taking their own lives.

Starting point is 01:01:09 The question has to be asked. Why get that much in gas? That's potentially over seven gallons of gas or more than half the capacity of the gas tank on her civic. Orum, where Micah died, was only 30 miles from the gas station. Deputies say that Micah searched her phone to find national parks near me. As you know, she was found in a state park. Again, it's not clear why she chose the spot if it held any meaning for her. According to deputies, Micah got to the park and walked a mile to the spot where her body was found.

Starting point is 01:01:43 At 254, she made her call to 911. As part of their investigation, deputies looked into J.P.'s movements. According to their report and automated license plate readers showing a pickup truck with heavily tinted windows, as well as an unnamed eyewitness statement. J.P. was in Charleston on the night before Micah died and did not return to Myrtle Beach until 222 p.m. the day she died. According to the report, J.P. was also traveling with unnamed individuals. So, yes, the evidence presented by police so far seems to solidly point to Micah ending her own life. But at the risk.

Starting point is 01:02:29 of sounding like a conspiracy theorist, it is also fair to say that it is not entirely impossible for Micah to have been killed by someone else, based on the evidence shared by the Robeson County Sheriff's Office. We are not saying that she was murdered. We are saying there are still unanswered questions here. Was there a note? Why call 911 when she also appears to have dropped a location pen, according to the report. Why did she get what seems like to be a half tank of gas? Why did she smile like that at the pawn shop? Why go through the trouble of divorce filings and shipping items to Kenya? Has the 911 call been analyzed to be certain that it was not produced by AI software that allows for deepfakes? Have her calls and messages been looked at to see if she was

Starting point is 01:03:24 corresponding with anyone that day in the days leading up to the day that she died. What about the other cell phone evidence? The kind that usually takes months to get from cell phone companies, the kind that can show deleted phone calls, texts, etc. And what about her social media accounts? What about J.P.'s phone data and accounts? We know where J.P.'s truck was on the day of the murders. But what about him? Are there any witnesses who were not church members confirming that he was far away from Micah that entire day. Is it possible that she had plans on meeting someone at a secluded park to learn how to shoot a gun? Could she have forgotten the name of the park, which is why she Googled it?

Starting point is 01:04:12 Was her phone unlocked when police got a hold of it? Did someone unlock it? I know how we sound when we ask these questions. It feels necessary to ask you. them considering the amount of circumstantial evidence pointing away from suicide, at least for now, because we are still dealing with a system where abused women are at a heavy disadvantage. We didn't know Micah, but we feel like we owe it to her to look at this from all angles. We have FOIA for the investigation and we will continue to FOIA for more documents and talk to sources so we can get a better picture of what went down. Please reach out to us if you have information on this story.

Starting point is 01:04:58 We are still pulling at a lot of strings. Micah's story is a heartbreaking one. Did she take her own life to escape the hell that she felt awaited her? Did she believe her estranged husband would never let her go? Or was something else happening? Micah's story is one that has really captured people's attention because it details how painfully hard it is for women in this country to leave their abusers, and how little accountability abusers face in our current justice system.

Starting point is 01:05:29 Micah's story could be a watershed moment for survivors of abuse to change the justice system. Now that they have ruled her death as suicide, are we going to choose to pack up and move onto the next hot story in the true crime world? Or are we going to choose to do something about it? it. We aren't turning away, Micah. We see you. We hear you. Stay tuned. Stay pesky. And stay in the sunlight. Coerced, the devotion and death of Micah Francis Miller is a Lunas Shark production, with reporting from journalists Manny Matney, Liz Farrell, and Beth Braden, made possible by producers Kate Thomas, Grace Hills, and David Moses. Learn more about our mission and membership at

Starting point is 01:06:25 lunasharkmedia.com. On April 27, 2024, 30-year-old Micah Miller, a Myrtle Beach woman in the process of divorcing her pastor husband, called 911. It would be the last time that the world would ever hear her voice. Robinson County 911. I'm about to kill myself and I just want my family to know where to find me. When Micah died, she purposely left behind a paper trail of evidence and clues for someone somewhere to find and expose the people and systems that led to her death. I got a call late last night. My wife has passed away, and it was self-induced, and it was up in North Carolina. Y'all pray for me and my kids and everybody.

Starting point is 01:07:18 My name is Mandy Matney, together with journalist Liz Pharrell. This new drop feed titled Coerce, The Devotion and Death of Micah Francis Miller, is a Luna Shark production based on True Sunlight Reporting. Yeah, he said my blood is going to be on your hands, but prior to that, he was threatening to come in here and he said, call the cops, I don't care. I'm armed and ready. Her story is about everything that led up to her death, the alleged coercive control that she faced in her relationship with her pastor husband and all of the systems that failed her when she tried so hard to report that alleged abuse and escape from him.

Starting point is 01:07:54 She said, you know, he's such a liar. And she actually said the FBI is looking into it. But now, I mean, what's come out, they have been. Be sure to follow coerce. the devotion and death of Micah Francis Miller.

Murdaugh Murders Podcast - [DROP FEED] COERCED: The Devotion & Death of Mica Francis Miller - Unraveling Evidence Of Abuse

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.