Murdaugh Murders Podcast - TSP #128 - JP Miller (Finally) Federally Indicted & What This Means For The Justice For Mica Movement

Episode Date: December 18, 2025

For almost 20 months, investigative journalists ⁠Mandy Matney⁠, ⁠Liz Farrell⁠ and ⁠Beth Braden⁠ have covered the Mica Francis case. They’ve filed dozens of Freedom of Information Act requests, listened to hours of recordings, gone through stacks of police reports, court documents, transcripts and text messages to piece together what the final months, weeks and days of Mica’s life looked like as she tried to extricate herself from her husband, “Pastor” John Paul Miller.  On April 27, 2024 — the day Mica killed herself in a remote part of a North Carolina swamp — JP was the leader of Solid Rock Ministries in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where he had built, destroyed and rebuilt his megachurch all while, according to records and accusations made by family, friends and former church members, using his position of power and his so-called connection to God to bully, harass and torment his young wife, Mica — all the while denying wrongdoing and escaping accountability.  On Dec. 18, 2025, the United States Government announced that JP Miller (finally) was going to be held accountable for his alleged actions against Mica, who investigators say killed herself as a result of JP’s threats and abuse.  He has been charged with one count of cyberstalking for his alleged actions between Nov. 16, 2022 and the day of Mica’s death and one count of lying to federal investigators. Today we’re enjoying vindication and a day of celebration that Mandy and Liz hope will have more people talking about the effects of coercive control abuse.  So much to cover, so let’s dive in! 🥽🦈 Episode References ⁠Mica Francis Case & the “Unrighteous” Millers⁠ Spotify Playlist 🎧 ⁠FBI’s Press Release Post⁠ - Facebook, Dec 18, 2025 🌐 ⁠“Ark. Mom Attended Final Divorce Hearing with Husband. The Next Day, She and Her 2 Kids Were Found Slain”⁠ - People Magazine, Dec 8, 2025 📰 Join the LUNASHARK® Premium Community and support independent journalism! ⁠⁠Get 50% off our annual Soak Up the Sun membership through December 31, 2025⁠⁠ ☀️⭐☀️  *Be sure to choose the annual option to unlock the savings.* Leave A Review for Hulu's Original Series! ⁠⁠⁠“Murdaugh: Death in the Family” on IMDB⁠⁠⁠ ⭐ ⁠⁠⁠“Murdaugh: Death in the Family” on Rotten Tomatoes⁠⁠⁠ 🍿 Stay Tuned, Stay Pesky and Stay in the Sunlight...☀️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support Our Show, Sponsors and Mission: https://lunasharkmedia.com/support/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hungry Root⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bombas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.to/4cJ0eVn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** ALERT: If you ever notice audio errors in the pod, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[e-mail]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and we'll send fun merch to the first listener that finds something that needs to be adjusted! *** For current & accurate updates: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lunashark.supercast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram.com/mandy_matney⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   |   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram.com/elizfarrell⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bsky.app/profile/mandy-matney.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bsky.app/profile/elizfarrell.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TrueSunlight.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/TrueSunlightPodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram.com/TrueSunlightPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/@LunaSharkMedia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tiktok.com/@lunasharkmedia⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When I look back at my younger self, I remember the feeling of being bullied and disrespected. I remember hating that feeling, and I remember the day that I resolved that it would never happen again. When I founded Blan Richter with my partner, Ronnie Richter, we committed to build a firm that demanded respect that would fight for the powerful on behalf of the clients who felt powerless. Since forming Blan Richter, we've stood tall against the largest law firms in the state in the country, and in the world, and we've remained true to the commitment not to be pushed around to give tenacious representation with proven results. Tenacious representation, proven results, Bland Richter. Learn more about what we do and who we are by visiting blan-rictor.com. That's B-L-A-N-D-R-I-C-H-E-R dot com.

I don't know what took so long, but after more than 19 months of reporting on J.P. Miller and the alleged abuse, his estranged wife, Micah faced, throughout their relationship up until the day she died, I am here to say that the infamous Myrtle Beach pastor has finally been indicted on two federal felonies this week. And y'all, that is a big deal. My name is Mandy Matney. This is True Sunlight, a podcast exposing crime and corruption, previously known as the Murdoch Murders podcast. True Sunlight is a Luna Shark production, written with journalist Liz Farrell. Well, hello. Today is a good day for justice, so let's get right into it. Longtime listeners know how we have a running joke about how news tends to break on Wednesdays, you know, right as we're in crunch mode and trying to get the latest episode to y'all.

So it figures that the one piece of news that we have been waiting on for almost 20 months now would come on a Wednesday. On Wednesday, John Paul Miller was indicted in connection with the death of his wife, 30-year-old Micah Francis Miller, who was found shot to death in a North Carolina Park on April 27, 2024. That is a big deal. It is a good day for justice in South Carolina. And I do not say that lightly. So many women who have faced this kind of coercive control abuse that Micah endured have rallied for this day to come. While many wish that the charges carried a heavier sentence, we are still stunned that this man is facing any accountability at all. Good old boy pastors like J.P. Miller rarely faced days like today, where the walls are

finally closing and their lies have caught up to them at last. As we said before on this podcast, federal charges are no joke. They are carefully crafted and investigated, and they are rarely ever escapable. According to a 2018 Pew Research study, more than 90% of federal criminal cases end in guilty pleas and less than 2% of all federal cases actually go to trial. When federal defendants do go to trial, they face a nearly 99% conviction rate. So yeah, any charge from the feds is a big deal and a major milestone in the Justice for Micah Movement that began shortly after Micah's 24 death. By the way, we refer to Micah Miller by her maiden name, Micah Frances, podcast, ever since we found out that she applied for her name to be changed before her death.

Our hearts are with every person out there who didn't just wish for this day to come, but who did the work to make sure J.P. Miller would be held accountable for what he put Micah through. Our hearts are especially with those who are still waiting for justice in their own cases against J.P. who have to relive the pain in their own lives every single time this man's name is mentioned. And we're not going to lie, we do have some complete. complaints about these indictments, namely the short sentencing guidelines and how long this took to happen and why isn't JP in handcuffs? But we'll talk more about that. For now, we just want to celebrate this win because even though the indictment is only three pages, it's pretty

powerful, especially when it comes to the cause of recognizing the harm done by coercive control abuse, of finding a way to hold somebody criminally accountable for the kind of actions that wear on a person's psyche to great harm. I'm going to have David read the first charge against JP, and it's for cyber-stalking. That beginning on or around November 16, 2022, and continuing through April 27, 2024, in the district of South Carolina and elsewhere, the defendant, John Paul Miller, with the intent to kill, injure, harass, intimidate, or place under surveillance, with the intent to kill, injure, harass, intimidate, victim one.

That's mica. Myga is victim number one. Used interactive computer services, electronic communication services, electronic communication systems of interstate commerce, and other facilities of interstate and foreign commerce to engage in a course of conduct that placed victim number one. In reasonable fear of death and serious bodily injury and caused, attempted to cause, and the course of conduct. would be reasonably expected to cause victim one. Say it with me, Micah. Substantial emotional distress to wit. Hang on, David. I'm going to have Liz and me read these next parts.

Quote, John Paul Miller, sent or caused to be sent unwanted and harassing electronic communications to victim one. Micah. Used or threatened to use nude videos and photographs of victim photographs of Victim 1, Micah, to harass Victim 1, Micah. Posted a nude photograph of Victim 1, Micah, online without Victim 1's consent. You know, without Micah's consent. Placed or caused to be placed tracking devices on vehicles used by Victim 1, Micah.

Placed Victim 1, Micah, or caused Victim 1, Micah, to be placed under surveillance with the intent to harass and intimidate victim one, Micah. Damaged victim one's vehicle, Micah's vehicle. Interferred with Victim ones' finances and banking, Micah's finances and banking. And interfered with Victim One's daily activities, Micah's daily activities. Every single one of these is something that we reported on.

These were accusations contained in police reports, court documents, courts, court documents, and a list of abuses put together by Micah's family called Micah's List. Every single one of these is something J.P. Miller denied doing. Every single one of these accusations is something Micah sought help for from Ory County Police Department, and they told her there was nothing that they could do for her. Instead, they listened to J.P. Mika is crazy, he told them. She's sick.

She needs to be hospitalized against her will, and officers within the police department helped make that happen. Church members, board members of the church helped spread the word for J.P. Miller that old Micah was crazy and she shouldn't be listened to. And because they were beholden to the money machine, you know, the church that J.P. created and ran, they did not stop him. David, can you read Count Two from the indictment? On or about October 17, 2024, in the district of South Carolina and elsewhere, the defendant,

John Paul Miller, did knowingly and willfully make a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement and representation in a matter within the jurisdiction of the executive branch of the government of the United States. Pause. Did y'all catch that date? October 17, 2024 was almost six months after Micah's death. After Robeson County Sheriff's Office alerted the FBI to something that they discovered in their investigation into Micah's mysterious death, and it was two weeks before the FBI showed up in full force to raid J.P. Miller's house in Myrtle Beach. Go ahead, David. To wit, he falsely claimed victim one had called him more than he had called victim one on March 11, 2024, when in fact, the defendant, John Paul Miller, called victim one.

at least 50 times more than she called him. He falsely claimed police had never told him to stop contacting victim one, when in fact, the defendant, John Paul Miller, was told on March 11, 2024 by a police officer with ORI County Police Department to stop contacting victim one. He falsely claimed he did not damage victim one's tires or cause to be damaged, when in fact, the defendant, John Paul Miller, used or caused to be used a tire deflation device in victim one's tires. March 11, 2024 is a very significant date in the timeline of Micah's death, which we will talk about later in this episode. Because I want to talk about the question on everyone's minds right now.

Why didn't the FBI arrest J.P. Miller? Why does he get to just show up in court on January 12th? Why would the government trust him to do that? Unfortunately, this is how it works with federal defendants who are not being accused of violent crimes. And yes, I would argue that someone accused of cyber-stalking, especially to this degree, is not someone who should have access to computers, phones, or even the outside world. I know the justice system is probably looking at this, like, okay, this victim is no longer alive, so he's not a threat to her. But someone who engages in coercive control, who is a pastor with a church filled with people that he takes money from,

is someone who we believe is an actual danger to the community. I cannot wait for the day that the justice system looks at crimes that disproportionately affect women as something that is a threat to the community at large. And I'll say this again, this indictment is a big deal. And the second I knew that it was coming on Wednesday, the first person I contacted was my first source in this case. Micah's best friend, Charlotte Corn, who bravely spoke out against J.P. Miller soon after Micah's death. Give episode 51 a full listen if y'all want to hear what a true friend sounds like. And remember, soon after Charlotte appeared on True Sunlight, a lawyer representing J.P. Miller sent Charlotte a strange cease and assistance. letter, threatening legal action against her if she doesn't stop talking about JP.

And that letter demanded that she turned over all evidence that she had against JP to JP's lawyer, Russell B. Long. And by the way, hey, FBI, isn't that called obstruction of justice? Charlotte proudly took a selfie with a letter and posted it to Instagram, declaring that she would never back down until justice was served for Micah. A year and a half later, justice is finally coming. Here is Charlotte. I mean, it feels like such a big step in the right direction, and that accountability is finally coming for him for the first time maybe ever.

You know, I mentioned to you how he's just felt for the last year and a half, it's just felt like this big, ugly, dark cloud has just been looming over me. And, you know, yesterday getting that news, it felt like it dissipated a little bit. And I can breathe easier today. I was listening to a song of Micah's last night, and I got very close to it. But when I received the news, I was actually having a play date. So I had kids everywhere. And I was not capable of processing the emotion behind what I just learned.

And so once the playday ended, I went back and started looking up, you know, everything that was out there. And I was getting texts from you and all these other people, you know, just keeping me updated. And so I feel like today it's kind of sunk in a little bit more. And I just feel lighter. And like, I know people initially seeing the charges and kind of what they could result in. you know, the five years for the cyber stalking and two years for lying to federal officers. And some people look at those numbers and think, man, that's it, which that was my initial reaction. But then I saw that, I guess, the federal officer who's heading this up made a statement

that this is basically just the beginning and an important step toward accountability. So it made me feel better that, okay, this is, I don't believe that they spend. a year and a half working on this case just to come up with the result of, oh, you know, he texted her 55 times one day and, you know, that's week one kind of investigative stuff. So I think that there will be quite a bit more coming, but the fact that he's looking at seven years right now, just on these charges, was actually a little bit poetic for me because he and Michael were married for seven years. So he will be facing his own prison, like she On December 18th, the day after JP was indicted, the FBI's Columbia office released a statement

on the case, including a quote from Special Agent Kevin Moore about J.P. Miller that said the defendant's alleged actions were predatory, measured, and inflicted profound trauma to the victim, her family, and loved ones. While this indictment marks the first phase of this criminal process, it represents a crucial step toward accountability. We hope this step offers a measure of peace as the healing continues for the family. Like Charlotte, I felt encouraged reading that statement. It felt like a warning to abusers

that accountability is coming and that there could be more coming for JP2. I had to ask Charlotte about what she hopes other women fighting for justice take away from this milestone in the Justice for Micah movement. I would say be encouraged by this. And, you know, sometimes it looks like the hill that you're up against is insurmountable.

And, you know, I have to say a year and a half later, I was starting to have doubts about the justice system and if he was ever going to face any consequences or accountability. But, you know, here we are, yes, a year and a half later, But those who are experiencing and abuse, I think they should just be so encouraged that nothing is insurmountable

and you just stick to your guns and be strong and take heart from this that there's people out there willing to support you and be advocates for you and be voices for you and the justice system can and will ultimately come into play when they need to. The way this will go down is J.P. will, well, maybe we'll see, right, show up for his arraignment hearing at federal court in Florence next month. And this is considered the arrest. He will likely

enter his plea and be given a bond. And then it will be off to the next stage of the process where J.P. will get his case file and start building a defense. That will end in either a trial or a plea agreement. Either way, the sentencing guidelines for these charges are up to five years for cyberstocking and up to two years for false statements. He could be fined up to $250,000. So let's talk about this case and the nearly 20 months of reporting that have brought us to this point and what these charges actually represent. And to be clear, J.P. Miller is not being accused of killing Micah. He is being accused of engaging in criminal activities that altogether led to her decision to allegedly take her own life. And yes, I said allegedly, the circumstances of her death

still don't make sense to us for a deeper dive into the Micah Francis story. Please go to our episode description where you'll find a link to all our episodes on the case. Now, let's do a little rewind. On April 28th, 2024, just three days after his estranged wife, Micah, filed for divorce for a second time, and not 24 hours after her body was found in a North Carolina swamp, Pastor John Paul Miller stood before his congregation at Solid Rock Church in Myrtle Beach and delivered a message that would change everything.

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. Please, if you can see y'all can stand your feet. Before I make the announcement, I also want to say that, um, 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. 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 may be a few days, a few weeks, I don't know. I got a call late last night.

My wife has passed away. Yeah, it was self-induced, and it was up in North Carolina. And we're going to have a funeral for her next Sunday here at 3 p.m. and so it's all I can yeah I'm just kind of going on um adrenaline right now so y'all pray for me and my kids and everybody and uh 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 and so um i'm sure there'll be more details to come but um just keep our family in your prayers and i'm going to let pastor randall a bishop he can pray i get a microphone who pray out and if you

have anything you want to share as well moment not only rattled church members, it ended up going viral as every red flag got deployed. This was the first time we had heard of this Pastor JP, or PJP, as he sometimes called himself. But listeners in the Myrtle Beach area soon made sure we knew all about him and his church. And former church members told us that they were certain he had something to do with Micah's death, which didn't seem like a suicide. We soon learned that Micah had accused JP of having multiple sexual affairs, including one with a church member who J.P. is now married to. That church member, Susie Skinner, also had a spouse that died under mysterious circumstances

in 2021. Her husband, Chris, who was a quadriplegic, was found dead in his wheelchair at the bottom of their neighborhood pool. Security footage showed Chris appearing to drive himself into the water. According to court records right before his death, Chris had found out about the alleged affair between J.P. and his wife, and had told J.P. to stay away from his family. Immediately after Micah's strange death, her siblings hired Attorney Regina Ward, who was representing Micah in her pending divorce, to stop J.P. from filing to be personal representative of Micah's state. And in their filings, they dropped a big bomb. Before her death, Micah had told them, if I end up with a bullet in my head, it's because J.P. killed me.

Which is exactly how Micah died. A bullet. Police soon cleared JP in Micah's death, and the medical examiner decided, based on curated information that seemed to come from JP, that Micah's cause of death was suicide. But that ruling didn't end public suspicion, nor did it help that the Robinson County Sheriff's Office in North Carolina seemed to go out of its way to publicly exonerate JP by releasing parts of their investigation file, which included JP's alibi. He was in Charleston, they said, and here's a photo of his truck from a license. plate reader that proves that. Notwithstanding the fact that a photo of a person's truck doesn't quite prove they were where they say they were, the case file released to the public also included video of Micah on the day of her death, and it only deepened the mystery. More on that in a minute. We'll be right back.

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Happy and Pegasus. Each easy-to-build set comes with rolling wheels, 26 blocks, and easy-to-read building steps. Compatible with other megablocks sets for endless big building fun. Shop 3-1 megablocks at Walmart for ages 3-plus. On the morning of her death, Micah left her apartment to work out and get breakfast. She came back with some chick-fil-a and left again a little while later in her uniform. for J. Peter's Bar and Grill, where she was on the schedule to waitress that day. She was listening to a sermon by Dr. Henry Cloud called Necessary Endings,

and she appears to have made herself a sandwich to take with her to work. But she didn't go to work. Somewhere along the drive, and for some reason, Micah turned around and drove to Dick's pawn shop, where she paid around $500 for a gun and some bullets, money that sources told us she did not have at the time. Micah had just borrowed money to pay her vehicle taxes and had to scrounge money together to pay for her divorce.

Micah then left Myrtle Beach and ultimately ended up in Lumber River State Park in North Carolina, a place that she was not known for going to, and a place that friends found it hard to believe that she would choose for her final moments. Along the way to the state park, Micah stopped to put gas in her tank and bought an energy drink at the gas station. After that, she Googled to find a national park near her. At the state park, Micah left her sandwich in the car and hiked back to a quiet area of the park, where she called 911 to let them know that she was about to kill herself. And she said that she wanted her family to know where to find her body.

There have been so many thoughts about why Micah made that phone call, including if she actually made that phone call. Some, actually many on the internet, have considered the possibility that it could have been produced through AI technology. One thought, though, was that Micah chose North Carolina and called 911 to keep JP from getting to her body. After 20 months of reporting on this case, that thought makes the most important. sense. Unfortunately for Micah, J.P. was treated as her legitimate widower and not her estranged spouse. He not only took possession of her body, he reportedly had her eyes removed, allegedly for organ donation. And, of course, he had her cremated. In the weeks that followed Micah's shocking death, a movement arose, calling for justice

in her case and calling for more attention to domestic violence cases. those calls became even louder when more facts about Micah's life leading up to her death began to be known. Micah Francis told police that she was 14 years old when her husband, who was then her pastor, J.P. Miller, began grooming her. At 18, she got married to a boy at the church and J.P. led the ceremony. At the time, J.P. was married to his first wife, Allison, who he had four kids with. He also had a fifth child who was born when J.P. was a teenager, to a young woman who had the sense enough to fight back against J.P.'s family's demands, and their attempts to get full custody, Micah began babysitting J.P.'s children, and at some point, the two began having an

extramarital affair. They were caught by somebody connected to the church, eating together, at a restaurant, and appearing cozy. The affair rocked the church, and J.P. lost a good percentage of his congregation. During this time, the church board recommended that he take leave to sort out his marriage and his life, but he overruled the board by changing the bylaws to make him the sole determiner of church decisions. According to police reports, J.P. began stalking and harassing his first wife, moving into a house in the same neighborhood and doing strange things, like pointing lasers into her house. He was accused of cutting down a tree in a neighborhood median that blocked his view of her house. According to court records, he also fell out of a tree injuring his leg. And according to a video that

emerged after Micah's death, J.P. also appears to have taken some sort of drug or medication before curling up in a ball in the grass and crying for his wife and for Jesus in what sounded like Minnie Mouse's voice. All the while, he fought Allison on child support claiming to be broke, and he was found in contempt of court for not abiding by their separation agreement. After Allison successfully divorced J.P., he married Micah, against Micah's family's wishes. They worried about her and the control he seemed to have, particularly when it came to her mental health. And that's where this story gets bad. Based on months of reporting and talking to sources who were close to Micah and the situation, JP, who allegedly was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at some

point, had convinced Micah that she had bipolar. Through the state mental health system, he appears to have facilitated that diagnosis. When Micah's family came to an agreement with J.P. in the summer of 2024 in her probate case, their attorney, Regina Ward, made an announcement that included a call for South Carolina legislators to create a law that would criminalize a type of domestic abuse called coercive control. And as part of that call, she included Micah's list, which was several pages outlining incidents in Micah's marriage to JP that served as examples of coercive control. One of those accusations was that JP would make Micah take his medication, which we believe contributed to Micah being given a diagnosis of bipolar. Shortly before

her wedding, Micah had surgery to increase the size of her breasts, a surgery that JP pressured her to have, according to Micah's list, something that J.P. Miller denies. As a result of What appears to be a low-rent surgery by a low-rent doctor, Micah became very sick after her surgery, and one of her breasts seemed to harden. Because of this infection, Micah became febrile and began to hallucinate. She was taken to the emergency room and hospitalized. According to JP, this is when she was diagnosed as both bipolar and schizophrenic.

No documents that had been released show Micah as ever being officially diagnosed as schizophrenic, and to be diagnosed as bipolar, one needs to be seen by a mental health professional over time. Somehow, Micah's case fell through the cracks, in our opinion, because of JP and the authority that came attached to his title as a pastor. A pastor wouldn't lie, would he? Just kidding. We all know the answer to that. Hospital records show that JP not only kept a tight rein on Micah's health, including attending her therapy sessions with her, he served as the primary narrator of her symptoms. He had convinced her that she was seriously ill and could likely be institutionalized for the rest of her life. In the meantime, Micah depended on JP financially, and according to Micah's list,

he made sure to take advantage of that leverage over her. A few months after her initial diagnosis, Mika allegedly tried to shoot herself to death with a gun that J.P. said that she had purchased from Dix pawn shop that morning. A time when Dix wasn't open, as it turns out, he said that the gun jammed and that's why Mika wasn't successful. At the time, Mika was experiencing a lot of adverse symptoms from the medication state doctors put her on, including lithium. According to medical doctors, she felt low and suicidal. We don't know Micah's complete medical history when it comes to mental health, but

we know that in November 2022, Micah and J.P. got into an argument that sent Micah fleeing to her sister's house for safety. Text messages from the Times show that J.P. threatened Micah and her family, keeping Micah and her sister up all night in fear that he would show up armed. Micah's sister even called 911 for help. J.P. never showed up, and in fact, Micah had to do a wellness check on him because of his erratic behavior. The reason for the fight, by the way, was this. J.P. had asked Micah that if she had to have sex with a woman, who would she choose? At first, Mika refused to answer. After J.P. pressured her, she finally gave a friend's name because she said she could trust that friend not to tell anyone. J.P. immediately became

jealous, according to a friend of Mika, and began harassing Mika about being a lesbian, about preferring to be with that woman instead of him. In text messages, the night he threatened Micah and her family, JP also threatened to tell Micah's friend that she had given him her name as the person she would choose. According to Micah's list, that wasn't the only time JP had weaponized sex as a way to control and emotionally abuse Micah. In fact, the list included some very disturbing details of what Micah says she was forced to do. Shortly after that incident, Micah became so sick that one of her sisters brought her to the emergency room against J.P.'s According to police reports, J.P. showed up at the hospital and tried to physically take

Micah home before she could be seen by a doctor. Micah, the report said, appeared to be drugged. Police had to tell J.P. to back off and to allow Micah to be evaluated per her wishes. In return, according to the reports, J.P. threatened the police by saying he was going to call their supervisor, who was a member of his church, which he appears to have. have done. It was yet another weird incident that we learned about through our reporting in this case. Over several months, we have pieced together court records, legal documents, medical records, text messages, and interviews to come up with a comprehensive look at what Micah's life looked like, especially in the weeks and months leading up to her death. We learned that

J.P. Miller seems to believe that the court system belongs to him, that Orie County Police are his personal security force, and that the truth isn't something he sticks to. We have gone through stacks of police reports and discovered a pattern of apparent abuse from J.P., in the form of stalking and harassing, following Micah, allegedly puncturing her tires, yelling at her over a date she appeared to go on while living separately from him. And we discovered a pattern of police not listening to Micah the many times she called them for help, and of police officers telling her that there was nothing that they could do for her. Now, we have said this before and we will say it again.

we believe that Ory County Police and Myrtle Beach Police, who Micah reached out to for help dozens of times in the months leading up to her death are partially to blame for Micah's death. If we are to believe that Micah died by suicide, they absolutely led her to that feeling of hopelessness due to the amount of times that she called them with legitimate concerns about her husband's escalating stalking and harassing, and they told her that they couldn't do anything. I want to remind you of this video that Micah posted in March 24, one month before her death, where she bravely spoke about navigating her religious beliefs while escaping an abusive marriage. 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. 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 pay. Jesus took it all for you, so you don't have to stay in an 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 all your fault or you're a bad mom or your bad wife or your, you're a bad husband or you're um 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 me lately, that I'm God's bride first. And even an earthly spouse, 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

think he thinks about that. So encouragement in all this is you are the Browd of Christ's first before anybody else's and he's got you and he sees you and he loves you. I wanted to include this clip because it's important to note that as much systemic despair that Micah faced in the months and days leading up to her death, she still clung to faith. It is heartbreaking to hear that she had hope in her voice then. She shared this video with the caption. Please share this with anyone struggling with leaving a dangerous situation because they think that God will be mad at them. Hashtag abuse awareness, hashtag God loves you. When we look back on all of our reporting on the appalling actions that J.P. Miller

is accused to doing to Micah, from the day that they met when she was 15, up and until the day she died. The November 16th, 2022 incident that is mentioned in the indictment obviously stands out. It perfectly captures the hell and horror that J.P. put Micah and every person that loved her through. I want to replay a section from episode 52 of True Sunlight, where Liz and I closely examined the day

that Micah's friends and family have called the defining fight of their relationship. We want to talk more about what happened in November 2022, starting with two calls that Micah's sister Sierra made to police on November 16th, 2022. The incident that Charlotte told us about in the last episode. These calls, combined with a litany of text we will talk about in a minute, are alarming, and they show just how much J.P. terrorized both Micah and her family. The text also showed that J.P. seemed to be delighting in the fear that he could cause in Micah and her sister. That night, Sierra did the smart thing and enlisted the help of law enforcement. I need a report of a non-emergency at this point.

Okay. What's going on? My sister came here today to visit because her and her husband were having issues. She came from Myrtle. She told him she'll be home on Tuesday. and he is texting me at this point saying I'll be at your house at 1255 I'm armed and ready and I will keep you up all night I'm going to get her back and I said you're not welcome at my house there are no trespassing signs up you cannot threaten weapons he has six guns but he's just purchased recently and he's saying I'm armed and ready I'm coming to get her okay what's your name

Sierra Francis he said Sierra yes it's F-I-E-R-R-A and last name for instance Yes Obviously I want the cops to be able to come up here if they need to You said this was your sister's husband Yes ma'am And he'll be coming for Myrtle So he said 1255 ETA armed and ready

No woman should ever have to make a call like that to police Sierra had to decide whether to close her gate So J.P. couldn't get in or leave it open, so police could access our house should they need to do that because of J.P. Again, J.P. wasn't getting what J.P. wanted, so everyone had to suffer J.P.'s wrath. Shortly after midnight, Sierra made another phone call to police because it wasn't enough for J.P. to threaten that he was armed and ready and coming to get Micah at a house, by the way, where there was a six-year-old boy sleeping. He decided to taunt the women.

threatening to kill himself. I had called earlier and filed a police report with my sister about her spouse. He'd say he's going to come over and that he was threatened that he had the weapons with him. Yes, right. He said that he would be here at 1255. GPS shows that he supposedly hasn't left Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, but he just texted her and said, you better drive down the road now, or I'm coming and it's going to be held to pay, like acting like he's outside.

So we just want to verify that he's not. Okay. The call is long, so we are not going to play the whole thing. But Sierra describes three different vehicles that JP could be driving, which, by the way, begs the question, how many vehicles did this man have access to? And are we sure that he was driving the truck that police identified on traffic cameras on the day of Micah's death?

Listen to the fear in these women's voices. Now he's texting her saying that, like, suicidal stuff, so I don't know, but I'm pretty sure he traded in the other car that I was going to mention. Okay. Okay, so. He's doing it to get you to call him. Yeah, tell her not to answer the phone.

Is it just you don't answer the phone? Is it just you guys in the house, or do you have the family? No, it is. We have, my husband is asleep because yesterday we get that three to go to work, but we didn't even wake him up. And then he has my six-year-old son in the bed with him. He said he's, he said he's texting her through. threatening that he's going to kill himself?

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. Okay. Which he is. He just purchased about six firearms in the past couple of days. Oh, my goodness.

J.P. said, quote, my blood is going to be on your hands. Haunting, isn't it? When you think about where we are now. The Cherokee County 911 operator named Hannah McCracken, who was fantastic, by the way. Stays patient throughout the phone call, and she asked for Sierra's number to text her a link where Sierra can send the police screenshots of those text messages. Just let me know when you get that link, sweetie. Okay.

How long has your sister been with you, sweetie? She just got here at 7.30 and she was supposed to stay until Tuesday. She was supposed to meet him for a hot air balloon something in Asheville this weekend and it was supposed to be whatever but now he's changing the locks on the house and all kinds of stuff so he's going to throw all her stuff in the yard and then since she said she wasn't coming home

he said that he was going to come here and he didn't care if he called the cops he was going to be ready. Okay. The dispatcher then walks Sierra through the form that she sent her in order to report J.P.'s threatening text messages. Sierra then tells the dispatcher Micah's name, J.P.'s name, and J.P.'s contact information. Minutes pass as the officers are still on the way. J.P. was previously sharing his location with Micah,

and vice versa, and Sierra said the location hadn't changed all day, which was freaking them out. The dispatcher named Hannah McCracken, again, who was amazing, and deserves Dispatcher of the Year Award for this phone call alone. She kept cool, calm, and collected as she asked questions about Sierra's property and where her partner and child were sleeping so the cops wouldn't have startled them. Micah was next to Sierra for the entire conversation. Both women were pragmatic and calm.

You can hear Micah on this part. I've got a couple officers on the way out there should be. They're just looking here. They shouldn't be too far. They were just coming from town. I believe they were both at the sheriff's office, but... Okay. ...they're coming, too, yeah.

Okay. And he hasn't texted anything else since? No. And you said he tried to call you? One time? Yeah, he tried calling, and then I didn't answer, so he didn't call up to that. and I have a friend on the way to my house to see if he's at the house

because he wasn't at the church which she lives right by the church and she's headed to our house which is like seven minutes away from the church. This is when Charlotte sent her husband to J.P.'s house as she told us in the last episode of True Sunlight. About 20 minutes into the 911 phone call the officers finally arrived on Sierra's property.

I just want to play this last part as a shining example of how a dispatcher should end a traumatic 911 call. Okay, sweetie, if y'all hear anything, I've got my officers out there. They're going to take a look around, but you all want them to come up to the house and talk to you? They're in our driveway. Okay. If y'all want to go out there and talk to them, please go ahead and give them whatever information you have, okay? Okay, are you going to go off the phone with us now?

I mean, I can stay on it if you want me to, but I've got two officers out there. No, that's fine. They're on my porch. I can let you go and help to them. All right. Go ahead, sweetie. I mean, the fear and chaos that J.P. created in this situation, Sierra had to think about what would happen if J.P. showed up. She had to make sure her young son was in the same room as her husband, who was sleeping because he had to be up at 3 a.m. for work. The dispatcher had to be up at 3 a.m. for work. The dispatcher had to make sure. to map out where everyone was in the house for police, just in case something happened.

Also, it's worth noting that November 16th, 2022 was a Wednesday. This isn't some Friday night bad behavior, it's the middle of the work week, and it's late. It's disrespectful in all of the ways. And now that we know how Mike's life ended amidst even more fear and chaos created by JP, it's even more sad to consider this phone call to know that she lived the next year and a half of her life trying to extract herself from this kind of behavior. More on this after a quick break.

Okay, so let's talk about those text messages JP was sending to Micah that night. We recently obtained copies of them and we wanted to share those with you. They start at 908 p.m. about two hours after Micah arrived at her sister's house in Gaffney, which is about four hours from Myrtle Beach. J.P. Grip texted Micah with Charlotte. We're going to have David read the first series of texts from JP in one big chunk since he sent these texts with no responses between them.

Notice all the ways J.P. uses manipulation tactics here. He starts by putting Micah on a pedestal while also telling her that she treats him horribly. Then he tries to convince her that he's the victim and that she is the one who is selfish. Then he uses her faith in God against her, trying to convince her that God wants her to do what J.P. says. Then he goes for the ultimatums. Notice J.P.'s reference to his elders at the church. I would leave anyone or anything for you. I'm only asking for the same respect.

You can't treat someone to love. like shit and then leave. You're supposed to work it out. Stay and do whatever it takes. Please, don't be selfish this one time. I'm literally begging you to do the right thing. The godly thing. The only thing that will work.

I'm asking you from the bottom of my heart. I need you, I want you, and I don't want to sleep alone, ever. But if you choose this, I will not beg you to come back. I won't put up with this again. This is literally your last chance to make things right. I'm too old, too hurt. And you have put me through too much to continue letting you. treat me like shit. While I pay all your bills and do whatever you want, I need you to act like a

godly wife this one time and prioritize your marriage over your family, friends, and feelings. Charlotte is in this text so she can hold me accountable for this. What you've done in our Our marriage this time is totally unacceptable, and no man would put up with it. But I'm will to give you one more chance. I'm asking one, that you repent. Two, hear my heart and pretend like you understand why I'm hurt. Three, come home now. If you don't do these things that will help me feel loved, safe, and prioritized,

then our marriage is officially over. And I cannot allow my heart to be put through this ever again. I love you. I'm willing to do whatever it takes, but I will not be treated this way and defamed so horribly anymore. We used to be the best of friends. And I'm shocked that you would throw all of that away. Maybe it's because you want to live with Charlotte.

Why don't you tell her why you want to live with her? Or should I tell her? Go ahead, Charlotte. Ask Micah why she would want to badly stay with you. Please ask her. I'd love to hear how honest. she is, since she threw me under the bus today with my elders. After everything else you've done. By 9 a.m., there will be nothing left inside this house that has anything to do with you.

If you want your clothes, shoes, jewelry, pictures, furniture, and books, anything that is an attachment to you, everything is going to goodwill Micah responds why are you being crazy I just wanted to visit my sister keep in mind according to Charlotte who has receipts upon receipts upon receipts

to back up everything she has said the fight all started because Micah and J.P. took gummies and J.P. decided to interrogate Micah about of all things if she were to kiss a woman who would it be? Micah, under pressure, and searching for an answer, said, Charlotte, because she wouldn't tell anyone. And then J.P., knowing how much time Micah spent with Charlotte, lost it. Why put your sister before your husband? That's the continual problem. Once, just once, put your husband first.

I do not feel safe coming home right now. Micah, that's such a cop-out, liar. You always say that to be able to leave. Three hours, seven minutes. Just once put your husband first. I make a hundred decisions a day that put you first. No wife would do this to her husband in his most desperate time of need. I'm coming to you.

You're a horrible wife to do this. When I arrive, I'm going to raise hell. Sierra, Matt, will be up all night. If you leave now, I'll turn around. If you come here, you are trespassing. IDC. Ha ha ha ha ha. That's funny.

You can call cops. You did this. You can't come to someone's house threatening with a gun. There's kids involved. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. I don't care, L-O-L. I have no gun. Crazy.

See you soon. You just texted my sister that you're armed, psycho. That doesn't mean gun. Everyone gonna be awake all night. Bye, can't text and drive. You don't say shit like that. Ha-ha, ha ha ha. You're upset, L-O-L, that's funny.

How should I handle it when you're upset? I'm sorry for hurting you. I'm sorry. Then come home now. I don't feel safe. L.O.L. Whatever. Then stay away forever. That's shit. We're going to be up all night anyway. There's only one way this will work.

You come home now. 12 days later, Micah was committed to a mental hospital. On November 28th, 2022, less than two weeks after the incident at Sierra's house, when JP had threatened to drive more than four hours, armed and ready to take Micah back to Myrtle Beach with him, Michael was brought to Milwaukee Center for Mental Health Facility in Myrtle Beach. Since Micah's death, her family has spoken out about what they believe, was happening with her mental health. They strongly suspect that J.P. was drugging her and gaslighting her and gaslighting them

into believing she had bipolar disorder. While the November 22 incident marked a dark turning point in Mika and J.P.'s relationship, the March 11th, 2024 incident mentioned in the indictment captures the gaslit hell that Mika was enduring in the months leading up to her death. This is the incident that J.P. allegedly lied to federal agents about, which secured his second felony in this case. The indictment says that J.P. told the FBI that Micah called him that day more than he called her, when in fact, the FBI says that J.P. called Micah 50, that's 5-0, more times than she called him.

To understand this situation, we need to talk about the series of events leading up to March 11th. Here is another clip from episode 52, highlighting the horror Micah endured from the day that she first filed for divorce in October 2023, up until that horrible day in March, where she worked up the courage to apply for a restraining order, and the system failed her yet again. Now, by October of the next year, nearly a year after their initial blowout, Mika had officially filed for divorce from J.P. After her trip to Kenya that winter, she came back convinced that she needed to give J.P.

and their marriage another chance, but then things turned again. On February 8th of this year, J.P. had Mika hospitalized against her will, taking her car while she was in the hospital. He later told police that he did this out of fear that she was going to try to sell the car. And he told police that she was mentally ill

and had episodes around. Christmas of each year. On February 10th, Micah was released from that hospital. On February 13th, a consent order was filed to dismiss their divorce case. Now, why was Micah dropping her divorce case right as she was in the middle of another blow-up with JP? That is a great question. According to a police report, the next day, February 14th, is when Micah allegedly closed out the Dare to Care Missions for Solid Rock Ministries account at South State Bank in Myrtle Beach, taking $159.9 and putting it in another mission's bank account that she allegedly opened. The police were told that she took the money for her own personal use.

This is also the day police were told that Micah stopped coming to work at the church. The next day, February 15th, it appears that someone from Solid Rock Ministries reported Micah for this alleged theft, now accusing her of stealing nearly $1,200 from the church. The person reporting this was told by Myrtle Beach Police Department to call Orie County Police Department because they had jurisdiction. That call does not appear to have been made until mid-March, though. Two days after that, Sierra texted Charlotte, Hey, just so you know, JP has Micah's phone, Facebook, email, all that.

I don't know why we didn't think to tell you. You may have seen us post it on Facebook, but it's been since February 6th. responded, okay, I saw the post that Nate put up about Mike's account being hacked, but that's the extent of my knowledge. Are they on the outs again? Why does he have all of that? Sierra wrote back, girl, it's a whole mess, but I really hope this time she's done. Even the cops won't help her. He has all her important stuff. He got her locked up against her will with a falsified court order because he said she was going to harm herself and they were required to take her. Then, as soon as he got her taken away by police, he took all her little

belongings like clothes, toiletry, etc. to her old roommate's house and lied saying Micah was moving back in. But really, he was kicking her out while she was locked up. Then she got out and left and got help from the family. So, as you would guess, he's losing his mind trying to manipulate her. He has her car, her phone, her watch, her laptop, her wallet. But she seems very said on leaving, because she already went back a few months ago, gave up the lawyer and everything good she had going for her. But with a counselor and a separate pastor holding him accountable so she could feel she did everything biblically possible, but we will see. We are all hoping she sticks with it this time. Over the next few months, Micah tried her best to crawl her way

out of the marriage that was eating away at her life. And J.P. did not make it easy for her. On February In January 21st, Micah called Myrtle Beach Police Department to tell them that she had been separated from her husband since January and that J.P. had taken her car. On March 3rd, Micah and her family were at an oyster roast at a place called Wicked Tuna when she got a text from J.P. telling her to enjoy your oysters. He then said in another text, how was Valeris? A reference to another church she had attended that morning. Micah later used this example in her motion for restraining order, where she accused J.P. of first-degree harassment, second-degree harassment, and stalking. On March 5th, Micah said J.P. harassed her with multiple emails, calls, texts, and letters,

and then put a thick razor in the passenger-side tire of her car. And because of that, she had to buy a new tire. On March 11th, Micah called Ory County Police Department to report that, For the second time in a week, she had found a razor blade in the deflated tire of her car. In this particular incident, she was at Spring Made Pier around 1.30 in the morning. And as she was leaving, she heard a pop and noticed that a piece of metal was protruding from her tire. According to the report, the metal was a, quote, tire deflation device that can be purchased online. Micah told police she believed JP had placed the item or had someone else placed.

the item in her tire. She told the officer that J.P. had a history of similar actions against her and that she believed he had people following her or watching her. The officer noted that there was not sufficient evidence to prove that J.P. did this, so nothing further happened. It's not clear if police ever reached out to J.P. or if J.P. was even aware the police had been called on him. Micah's motion for a restraining order included details from this incident that were not reflected in the police report. She told the court that she found three razors in her tires and that JP had keyed the back of her car. She said she also found a tracker on the car and a letter accusing her of having an affair with a teenager. Also, on this day, Micah filed her motion for

a restraining order against JP in Surfside Magistrate Court. Two days after this, someone from Solid Rock Ministries, the name is redacted from the report, called ORI County Police Department to report Micah for that alleged theft that they had tried to report to the wrong police agency a month earlier. Now, again, these reports alleging theft from the church, the suspect's name is redacted, but sources have told us that JP had accused Micah of stealing money from the church and that this was something he was using against her, and it was something that was weighing on her. Micah told Charlotte that JP and the church were under investigation for financial issues and that she believed J.P. was going to try to pin some things on her.

According to the report, quote, the complainant stated that the church tried to work with the suspect to get the funds returned, but the suspect has since failed to reach back out. The complainant gave police copies of withdrawal slips with Micah's name on it. The officer notes that if follow-up with the bank is successful, this case was going to be presented to a judge for warrant consideration. Nowhere does the report or any of the reports about the alleged thefts note Micah's connection to the church other than to call her an ex-employee.

On this same day, a complainant from the church also made another report with Myrtle Beach Police Department, which is the original police agency they had filed their report with. In this report, they accuse, again ostensibly Micah, of taking $1,199 from the church's Zell and cash-up account, and depositing those into her personal account. Now, why were they getting that on the record with a police agency that already told them they couldn't investigate it?

Maybe this is a reason. The next day on March 14th, the officer followed up with the bank and found out that Micah did come into the bank to close the church account and withdraw the money and that she did deposit that money into an account of which she was the only authorized signee.

The officer confirmed that in January, Micah made two deposits to that church account from her personal account and that the money she withdrew from that church account, the one she was closing, was less than that. On this same day, the officer presented the facts of this case to a judge. The judge determined that no crime had been committed, that Micah had taken out money that she herself had deposited from her own personal account. In other words, that she was taking back her own money from the church account. and the case was closed. It's not clear if Micah knew that this had occurred. There's no indication that police had even spoken with her,

but on the same day, she reported to police that she found a GPS tracker on her roommate's car, which she had been driving. On March 26, Micah again found a tracker on her car and reported it to police. On this same day, her motion for a restraining order was heard in magistrate court. We don't know how the judge ruled yet,

but we do know that the court answered ABC 15's FOIA for the same information, saying they would not say either way, which is odd. On March 27th, the very next day after his bench trial for a restraining order against him, JP reported to police that he was being harassed by Micah and her family on social media. He referred police to the video Micah made talking about abuse. Police determined that there was no evidence of JP being harassed. On March 29th, someone from the church again reported Micah's alleged theft to the police. Nowhere in the report doesn't mention that ORI County Police Department had already investigated the case

and closed the case when a judge determined that nothing criminal had occurred. On April 8th, Micah reported that JP had posted a nude photo of her on a Facebook page called Big Boobes and Nice Curves, tagging her old Facebook account in the photo. On April 15th, the day she filed for divorce, Micah found another heavy-duty GPS tracker on her vehicle and reported it to police. On April 25th, J.P. was served with divorce papers, including a motion for an order of protection. Their hearing was set for June 5th. We'll be right back. At Capital One, we're more than just.

a credit card company. We're people just like you who believe in the power of yes. Yes to new opportunities. Yes to second chances. Yes to a fresh start. That's why we've helped over four million Canadians get access to a credit card because at Capital One, we say yes, so you don't have to hear another no. What will you do with your yes? Get the yes you've been waiting for at Capital One.ca.ca.S. Terms and conditions apply. So many of us can relate to that feeling of trying again, of putting one foot in front of the other, even when it's so very hard, to get out of a relationship where our partner's only goal is to show us how much power he has over us, how we can try to escape him, but

he'll always win. He'll mess with your ability to work, to drive yourself to work, to save money, to have your own space, to have friends and family members who see you for you and not the version of you he wants them to see. In the days leading up to Micah's death, she was trying. She was putting one foot in front of the other. She had a lawyer. The papers had been served. She had a hearing date and a promise of the possibility of a restraining order

through family court. She had a job and transportation to take her there, but a person can only take so much, especially when it's not just your partner reminding you of his power. There's the police and the doctor. and the church members who wouldn't listen to or believe Micah. But the truth is, Micah had power over JP, and she was starting to really understand that.

According to her sister Sierra's affidavit in the probate case against JP, in February 2024, Michael was in the process of gathering and sorting evidence to bring to an attorney to, quote, support her claims against Mr. Miller, and as to his abuse, character, paramours, and associates he paid off or blackmailed. And this wasn't just about her relationship. It was also about what J.P. was allegedly doing through his church. Now, this is when J.P. had Mika hospitalized against her will. And the state of South Carolina allowed it to happen, based on his word, which colored everything.

And according to Sera, J.P. Miller used that time of Mika's captivity to not only take Mike's phone, laptop, and control of her accounts, but to pose as her in communications with others. That was another rabbit hole we went down where we found more evidence of what looked like persistent relentless abuse. J.P. Miller, in our opinions, was obsessed with taking his wife down no matter what the cost.

And that obsession existed in him long before Micah entered his life. That obsession and that drive to hurt others and exert his position in the faith community that he and his father created is the monster that lives within him. In the last year and a half, we also delved in to J.P.'s background and business ventures,

along with the background of his father, Reginald Wayne Miller, who is also a pastor who is a complete disaster. J.P.'s father has a sordid history that includes being accused of sexually abusing male students at his Bible school, getting arrested for soliciting an undercover police officer in the male bathhouse at a beach, enslaving Bible school students, and abusing the visa system,

and running a Christian school for children where he is accused of fostering an environment for abuse. Most recently, he was arrested, actually last week, for receiving stolen property, signs that JP is accused of stealing that call for justice for Micah. Don't even get us started on JP's ongoing battle with Justice for Micah protesters, many of whom he has sued in municipal court. In March of this year, J.P. Miller was hit with two major lawsuits, filed by Mark the Tiger Tinsley, you know, the guy whose lawsuit scared the hell out of Elic Murdoch, and Randy Hood, who is equally as intimidating. Mark and Randy, on behalf of Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, filed massive lawsuits accusing J.P. Miller, his creepy pastor father, Wayne Miller, and their churchy businesses.

The lawsuits accuse J.P. of sexual abuse and accuse Wayne and the churchy businesses of enabling that abuse. These Jane Doe cases allege that J.P. Miller, while working as a teacher at a private school run by his father, sexually assaulted girls in the 90s and 2000s. One allegation detailed how a 14-year-old girl reported being assaulted by J.P. Miller in 1999 after he invited her to play piano in a church sanctuary when she told a teacher she was allegedly forced to write by none other than Wayne Miller himself, I will not lie about J.P. Miller 5,000 times as punishment. Those two lawsuits are very much active and ongoing and separate from the FBI investigation. In speaking of lawsuits, J.P. Miller lost a whopping 21 lawsuits that he filed in Magistrate

Court this year against Justice for Micah protesters. That has got to be some kind of loser record. Put lightly, J.P. Miller's reputation has rapidly unraveled in the public eye, since Micah was found dead from a gunshot wound in a North Carolina park in 2024. Late last year, JP was arrested for third-degree assault for an encounter with a Justice for Micah protester. The Justice for Micah movement has successfully led the way to inform J.P.'s dwindling church congregation of the monster hiding in churchy clothes. Since Micah's death, J.P. Miller's church has gone from a sprawling 700

member congregation in a beautiful $2 million property to, well, a 40-person gathering in a sad strip mall that is now called Mercy Church. It takes an army to get justice for most women in this country, and the Justice for Micah protesters led the charge in this case. I don't think that this indictment would be possible without those women in their relentless support to expose J.P. Miller. So, I had to ask Allie Golden-Quazzo, a Justice for Micah protest leader, how she felt seeing the indictment against JP after showing up to lead protests outside his church more than 60 times. Earlier this year, Allie faced and defeated a whopping four lawsuits from JP and his churchy cronies for her relentless voice and activism in the movement.

Allie was in tears when we talked on Thursday morning. So when I first saw John Paul was indicted, I had to read it about five times before it actually went through in my head. It just, it feels like, you know, light has finally reached this whole situation that's been in the dark for so long. Micah, she really shined bright before her death and after, and that's how a lot of us, you know, like knew her and found out about her. There are a lot of people who had lost hope over the last year and eight months, and I just want to say this is a reminder that truth and persistence matter. They really do, and they'll always lead you to the truth.

I really hope that this is the start of peace and healing to everyone who carried Micah in their hearts, her friends, her family, anyone affected by this. And, you know, there were some bumps in the road, the lawsuits, the alleged never-ending harassment. But we also have to remember all the protests that we accomplished, all the events that we put together. and along the way supporting waymakers as well, you know, all of it was worth it. And although it was messy, I wouldn't change a single thing because look at the outcome. And I just want to say to Jackie, we did it. And I know she is smiling down so hard right now.

And also, I just want to end this with, I think Micah just won her. Her chess game. Checkmate. Jackie, a founding leader of the Justice from Micah Group who believed in the movement to hold abusers accountable, unfortunately died from medical issues in January of this year. Around the same time, J.P. was launching his legal war against protesters that he ultimately lost. The stress from the lawsuit combined with Jackie's sudden death marked a major rough patch for the movement. but ultimately every person who protested outside of J.P. Miller's churchy businesses in the rain and the heat for the past nearly 20 months won big time at the end of 2025 with this indictment.

All they have ever wanted is to see J.P. face accountability. Because of Micah's bravery and the bravery of the women who fought to expose her abuser after her death, the world now knows who J.P. Miller really is. is. To quote Taylor Swift, and in plain sight you hid, but you are what you did, and I'll forget you, but I'll never forgive the smallest man who ever lived. J.P. Miller deserves prison, and hopefully now he will actually get time. Before we go, I wanted to share news with you about another case that we will be digging into, the charity pal Bialis case. For me, this people magazine headline alone gave us enough reason to cover this case. I'll have David read the headline

and the subhead that sucked me in and that made something inside of me say this is Luna Shark's next case. Arkansas mom attended final divorce hearing with husband. The next day, she and her two kids were found slain. Charity Bialis, 40, of Bonanza, and her two young children were found shot to death. on Wednesday, December 3rd, in their sprawling Arkansas mansion. She had filed for divorce against her husband in March of this year. She was killed a day after they attended a hearing to finalize their divorce. It has been over two weeks since Charity and her twins were found dead in her Arkansas home. And the main reason why we are covering this case is because no arrests have been made.

And, more concerning, deputies told a local TV station that Charity's estranged husband was not a suspect, which tells us that corruption is likely afoot here. Like J.P. Miller, Dr. Randall Bialis has a complicated and disturbing past that requires all sorts of sunlight. Both Charity and her husband were married twice before getting together. Andy Bialis's first wife was also a doctor who practiced with him. His second wife, Shauna Bialis, well, she died after the new year in 2012 at age 34. Her death was said to be a suicide by gunshot, which, you know, is a curious piece of Randy's history given how Charity and their two young children died.

This case is a complicated one, but if there is one thing that we are good at, is a good at It is diving deep into complicated cases and finding where the breakdown in the system is. There is a paper trial here, and we are going to follow it and get to the bottom of what happened, leading up to this horrible massacre of a mother and her children. In the meantime, if you knew Charity or Shauna Bialis or know of any information that would be important for us to know about this case, please email us at info at lunasharkmedia.com. Any source who wishes to remain anonymous may do so. If anyone knows of any specific public documents or records that will help us tell the story,

please let us know so that we can fire off our Freedom of Information Act request. Until next time, stay tuned, stay pesky, and stay in the sunlight. True Sunlight is a Luna Shark production created by me, Mandy Matney, co-hosted and reported by journalist Liz Farrell. Research support provided by Beth Braden. Audio production support provided by Jamie Hoffman and Grace Hills. Case file management provided by Kate Thomas. Learn more about our mission and membership at LunaSharkmedia.com. Interruptions provided by Luna and Joe Pesky.