Murdaugh Murders Podcast - TSP 52 ‘My Blood Is Gonna Be On Your Hands’: The System That Failed Mica Miller

Episode Date: May 23, 2024

Investigative journalists Mandy Matney and Liz Farrell continue their deep dive into the Mica Miller case and into Mica’s estranged pastor husband, John-Paul Miller, who stands accused of harassing Mica in the days leading up to her death. On today’s episode, Mandy and Liz talk about what happened in November 2022 after JP instigated what would become a defining fight of their relationship. The escalation starts with two ominous 911 calls placed by Mica’s sister, who feared for her husband and young son after JP threatened to come to her house “armed and ready” to take back Mica, who had fled there after their argument. Then Mandy and Liz reveal what was happening behind the scenes during Mica’s hospitalization less than two weeks later, when JP tried to stop Mica from getting help and threatened police officers when they tried to speak with her alone. Stay Tuned, Stay Pesky and Stay in the Sunlight...☀️ If you are in crisis, please call, text or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. Learn more about how you can help us fund FOIA’s, dive deeper into cases and experience the investigation first-hand on lunasharkmedia.com all in one place. CLICK HERE to learn more: https://bit.ly/3BdUtOE. In May we’re offering your first month of Soak Up The Sun membership for 50% off. Join Luna Shark Premium today at Lunashark.Supercast.com. Premium Members also get access to searchable case files, written articles with documents, case photos, episode videos and exclusive live experiences with our hosts on lunasharkmedia.com all in one place. CLICK HERE to learn more: https://bit.ly/3BdUtOE. And for those just wanting ad-free listening without all the other great content, we now offer ad-free listening on Apple Podcast through a subscription to Luna Shark Plus on the Apple Podcasts App. Or become a Premiere Member on YouTube for exclusive videos and ad-free episodes. SUNscribe to our free email list to get that special offer for first time members, receive alerts on bonus episodes, calls to action, new shows and updates. CLICK HERE to learn more: https://bit.ly/3KBMJcP Visit our new events page Lunasharkmedia.com/events where you can learn about the upcoming in-person and virtual appearances from hosts! And a special thank you to our sponsors: Microdose.com, PELOTON, and VUORI. Use promo code "MANDY" for a special offer! *** 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: TrueSunlight.com facebook.com/TrueSunlightPodcast/ Instagram.com/TrueSunlightPod Twitter.com/mandymatney Twitter.com/elizfarrell youtube.com/@LunaSharkMedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I don't know how many people have blood on their hands in Micah Miller's death, but I am thankful that Micah left behind a mile-long paper trail documenting the mental abuse that she endured leading up to her death. And I am grateful that those who loved Micah are pointing us to the truth and perhaps to something much bigger. My name is Manny Matney. This is True Sunlight, a podcast exposing crime and corruption previously known as the Murdoch Murders Podcast.

True Sunlight is a Lunashark production written with journalist Liz Farrell. Well, welcome back to True Sunlight, or as I like to call it, Female Rage the Podcast, Mandy and Liz's version. By the way, that's a Taylor joke for those non-Swissies out there. As you heard on this week's Cup of Justice, I have been angry in these past few weeks for Micah, for Sarah Lynn, for women who simply have no chance against a system that was not built for them. I wish things got better this week, but they did not. This week marked the nine-year anniversary of Sarah Lynn Colucci's death. The Berkeley County Courthouse has the case listed for June 10th, which is what we tweeted about

earlier this week. But on Wednesday, the AG's office told us that the date was not correct and that no date has been set for the trial, which is incredibly frustrating because it shouldn't be this hard to figure out when a murder trial is scheduled for, especially considering the fact that the alleged murder took place in 2015. Sarah Lynn's story is tangled in a very similar web as Micah Miller's story.

Both Micah and Sarah were desperately trying to leave their marriages at the time of their deaths. Both Micah and Sarah were married to powerful men who could afford powerful attorneys. Both Micah and Sarah Lynn's husbands immediately claimed that their wives died from suicide. Both Micah and Sarah Lynn were bright lights with kind hearts, despite their husbands' darkness,

and both women had big plans to start over after their divorces. Ultimately, both Micah and Sarah Lynn represent a number of women who lost their lives while they were trying to leave. In Sarah Lynn's case, it took a year before her husband, Michael Colucci, was arrested by Sled and charged with murder. Michael Colucci's first trial ended in a mistrial in 2018. The retrial has been postponed multiple times and it was postponed again this May. Sarah Lynn's family, particularly

her daughter Bishop, who is getting married this summer have waited nine years for justice and closure in Sarah Lynn's death. Nine years. We chose to focus our efforts on this case because the family had waited so long and because we saw a case that was absolutely winnable by the prosecution if they just put in a tiny bit of the energy that they put into the Murdoch trial. We focused on this case because we know that pressure breaks pipes and we broke a lot of pipes throughout the Murdoch case. In May, days before Michael Colucci was expected to stand trial, the court postponed the trial.

The court said they realized that the trial was going to take longer than the five days that the court had scheduled for. Now, another part of the reason why we took on this case in the first place was because a source told us that the AG's office wasn't dedicating the time they needed to win this case. The Murdoch trial took six weeks and that was up against Dick and Jim. But Michael Colucci is represented by Andy Savage, who quite frankly, make Dick and Jim

look like an elderly version of Beavis and Butthead, but with law degrees. Anyway, it was clear to us that the AG's office wasn't trying hard enough if they only scheduled a week for this murder trial. So while it was infuriating that it took so long for them to postpone the trial, particularly because of how jerked around the victims felt,

the postponement was a sign that they care more about this case than when we started reporting on it a few months ago. And that is a win. On Monday, Sarah Lynn's daughter Bishop shared a statement that Liz posted on Twitter, which I will read now. Nine years. It has been nine years without justice, peace, and a day hasn't gone by that I haven't

thought about my mother. I have had nine years of her missing the big events in my life, like graduation, my engagement, my proms, and so much more. However, I will forever have the first days of school memories, our trips together, and most importantly, the times that we spent bonding. Michael Colucci, how do you feel today?

Are you mourning her death? Or are you remembering the actions that led you to do what you did? I choose to forgive you. However, I cannot forget the reason she isn't here to celebrate all the things in my life that you are not able to take away from me. You cannot take my faith, my love, or my joy, and I take comfort in knowing that what you did did not ruin my life. Mama, I am so proud you raised me to be strong. Without you, I wouldn't be the woman I am today," said Bishop.

Just a day after that beautiful statement went public, which was the first time Bishop had ever made a statement about her mother's death and her stepfather's murder trial, we notice a scheduling change on the court docket that said the trial date had been changed to June. But the infuriating part is that they didn't inform Bishop of any scheduling changes. How did the trial make it to the docket before victims were informed? And where is this disconnect? We have been screaming about how our system puts victims last,

particularly in this case where this family has waited nine years for Sarah Lynn to get justice and for them to sleep in peace. This isn't anyone's fault in particular. It is just another example of a system built for defendants with the victims at the bottom of the priority list. A system where apparently so few on the prosecution side stop and think of the victims and how to make this horrific process easier. A system that must be fixed. So again, I am angry, but I am hopeful that sunlight will win in this case. And finally, Sarah Lynn will get justice.

We will be covering the Kaluci trial on Lunashark Premium whenever it may be. Follow us on social media where we will keep you all posted as soon as a trial date is announced. And another thing that made me angry this week before we get into Micah Miller's story, just to add to all of my female rage. A story in the Columbia, South Carolina state newspaper by veteran reporter John Monk. We have criticized John in the past, and I have criticized him in my book, for going soft on the good ol' boys, particularly on Elick Murdoch, and while he overhyped Dick Harputlian and Jim Griffin to a laughable degree, like the article where he referred to them as bulldog attorneys, for example. John wrote a story this week titled,

Elick Murdoch had a fight in jail with an inmate who brutally assaulted his niece, sources say. John wrote the story based off what Elick's niece said in a TEDx talk. Elick's niece was assaulted years ago when she was in college at the University of South Carolina. In her TEDx talk that recently went online, was assaulted years ago when she was in college at the University of South Carolina. In her TEDx talk that recently went online, Mary Elizabeth Murdoch talked about how her uncle, Elick Murdoch, and her attacker got into a fight in jail. However, Mary Elizabeth didn't say how she got that information. We can assume that it came straight from the mouth of Elick Murdoch.

You know, the same mouth that said a random shooter tried to kill him while he was changing a tire. The same mouth that said he was nowhere near the kennels the night Maggie and Paul were murdered. The same mouth that lied and cheated its way into stealing millions of dollars. That mouth. There are no named sources to back up Ellic's word that this fight happened, by the way. There are also no dates listed. So John Monk wrote this story that positions Ellic as some sort of vigilante do-gooder.

He even quoted an unnamed source saying Ellic broke up fights in jail because the jail was so understaffed. The whole story was disgusting and unnecessary. The only purpose for it would be to soften Ellic Murdoch's image in the press, to pave the way for whatever bananas plan they have in store next to get him out of prison. John Monk even tweeted, quote, aA positive side of Elick Murdoch?' Question mark. Just in case the readers didn't quite grasp

the message he was trying to accomplish." All of that said, y'all, please pay attention to the media and how stories are presented. Pay attention to the word choice that journalists use when they are pretending to be objective. The good old boys are in the media too. Over the past several years, there have been so many things that we've learned about the concept of a bad guy. For instance, bad guys do bad things. It's pretty simple.

But what's not so simple is that when some people see bad things being done by a particular person they like or someone they have no reason not to like, especially if this person is in a position of power, they have a really hard time understanding that person to be a bad guy. I mean, they see it. They see the things being done. They know who is doing the bad things, but they just can't get there. They can't allow themselves to connect those two concepts together because of the power the person doing the bad things holds over them. Sure, he does the bad things.

Sure, those bad things make us uncomfortable, but if we point that out, then he'll turn on us. And it's this kind of thinking that ends up getting people hurt. And when it comes to the leadership at Solid Rock Church, for instance, a church started by and owned by John Paul Miller, that kind of thinking, at least from where we sit, seems to have contributed to Micah Miller's death. Like we told you last week, the elders at the church knew that there was a problem with how JP was treating Micah, at least according to our sources. Micah's best friend had the courage to go to them to get help for her friend. And they told her, yeah, we know what you're talking about. We've seen it too. But then they did nothing. Nothing.

And you know, we get that this isn't an easy scenario. JP was providing every member of his leadership team and the congregation with special-made glasses that had a special-made lens for them to see Micah with. He told them over and over that Micah had mental problems, that she was the unhinged one. So that is what a lot of them saw. But it was a choice to put on those special made glasses. Those metaphorical glasses weren't metaphorically glued to their faces. They didn't wear them all the time. In fact, they were told by Charlotte what the world looked like without those glasses on. The problem is that they seem to have liked the lens that JP gave them. It made life easier for them. Abusers want the people around them to see the person

that they're trying to control as being the problem, as being erratic and irrational. They want that person to be seen as an unreliable narrator, incapable of accurately depicting their own realities. In Micah's case, JP seemed to be very aware of how to craft a narrative about Micah that had a paper trail he could point to. We told you a few weeks ago about the times he had her hospitalized, about the police reports where he reported being harassed by her because she dared to go on Facebook shortly before her death and insinuate that she knew something about abuse. Then there were the police reports where JP or someone else at the church appears to be accusing Micah of stealing from the church, but we'll get into that. We have an update on the alleged thefts.

What JP didn't seem to count on is that this paper trail would also tell a story about him. trail would also tell a story about him. Beyond that, what he also didn't seem to count on is that his seemingly impulsive behavior would also speak for itself because there's a record of that too. A look through newspaper archives gives us a glimpse at maybe the kind of upbringing JP had with his semi-famous preacher of a dad. A look at court records shows that JP had a history of extreme violence against women. A look at JP's past relationships seems to show a pattern of alleged infidelity and emotional abuse and disrespect.

And a look at the past accusations from JP's first wife shows behavior that if true, is not only highly unbecoming of a man, nevermind a preacher, but would also be illegal. And I'm talking about his wife's accusations about his alleged behavior with teenage girls. Let's not forget that Micah herself told police that JP had been grooming her since she was a teenager. This is all just to say that it seems like everything was there for the church elders and the congregation, frankly, to see.

If we can see it now, then why couldn't they see it then? I guess the difference now is that the worst has happened. And it's heartbreaking to see all the times Micah could have been helped. It's sad to see how many times people in her life tried to step in only to find out that this system is not built to help abuse victims in any meaningful way. That said, we want to give you a lens for your metaphorical glasses today. This lens isn't self-serving, it's not fiction, it's not a tool of manipulation to maintain control over another person. It's just a fact that happens to be important context.

over another person. It's just a fact that happens to be important context. Over the weekend, the Daily Mail newspaper reported that JP's church had almost six million dollars in assets, including a recently acquired plane worth almost half a million. Plus, let's not forget the house that JP lived in with Micah. Late last year, after Micah first filed for divorce, the church bought that house for less than the home's value and added it to its assets according to property records. In addition, the church at one point had 700 members, according to a 2023 report in the Myrtle Beach Sun News. We did the math on Cup of Justice this week.

JP is a pastor who is big on tithing. In fact, on the Elsa Kurtz show on YouTube, JP said that tithing is the most important thing mentioned in the Bible. So, if all 700 members of the church tithed, meaning gave the church 10% of their gross household income, which in Myrtle Beach would be about $72,000, then that's about $5 million a year in annual tithing for the church. If only half the members gave, that's still multiple millions a year. Like Micah's best friend said last week,

JP feared what would happen with his congregation if Micah left him. According to Charlotte, JP told Micah that it would split the church, and he knew what that looked like. He knew because years earlier, after the church learned about his extramarital affair with Micah, a much younger married woman who was married by her pastor, JP, the church lost members. This is all just to remind you

that when JP was served divorce papers just days before Micah's death. That was Micah throwing down a very big gauntlet. And we all know what happened after that. Or rather, we don't know. We just know that she appears to have killed herself in a remote location in a random state park in a state where she did not live with a gun she appears to have purchased on her way to work, which she decided at the very last minute to skip. We'll talk more about that in a minute. We'll be right back. I love this time of the year. For me that means reconnecting with friends and family I haven't seen for a while. And when I do, I want to make sure I have plenty of wine on hand for us to

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Try firstleaf.com slash mandy. First, let's go back to how the system failed Micah. We want to talk more about what happened in November 2022, starting with two calls that Micah's sister Ciara made to police on November 16, 2022, the incident that Charlotte told us about in the last episode. These calls, combined with a litany of texts we will talk about in a minute, are alarming and they show just how much JP terrorized both Micah and her family. The texts also show that JP seemed to be delighting in the fear that he could cause in Micah and

her sister. That night, Ciara 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? 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 that he just purchased recently. And he's saying, I'm armed and ready. I'm coming to get her. OK, what's your name?

Sierra Francis. He said Sierra? Yes, it's S-I-E-R-R-A. In Last name, Francis? Yes. Okay. 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. 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 JP couldn't get in or leave it open so police could access her house should they need to do that because of JP. Again, JP wasn't getting what JP wanted, so everyone had to suffer JP's wrath. Shortly after midnight, Sierra made another phone call to police because it wasn't enough for JP 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 while threatening to kill himself. I had called earlier and filed a police report with my sister about her spouse who said he's going to come over and that he was threatened that he had a weapon with him. 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 in, it's gonna be hell to pay, like acting like he's outside.

So we just want to verify that he's not. 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. Yes, you tell him not to answer the phone. Is it just you guys in the house or do you have someone with you? We have, my husband is asleep because he has to get the three to go to work so we didn't even wake him up and then he has my six- freedom to go to work so 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 threatening that he's going to kill himself. 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. Okay. Which he is. He just purchased about six firearms in the past couple of days. Oh my goodness. JP 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 asks for Ciara's number to text her a link where Ciara 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 gonna throw all our stuff in the yard. And then since she said she wasn't coming home, he said that he was gonna come here and he didn't care if we called the cops. He was gonna be ready. The dispatcher then walks Sierra through the form that she sent her in order to report JP's threatening text messages. Sierra then tells the dispatcher Micah's name, JP's name, and JP's contact information. Minutes pass as the officers are still on the way. JP 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 startle 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, so they either just look in here. They shouldn't be too far. They were just coming from town. I believe they were both at the sheriff's office. But I promise they're coming to you. OK. And he hasn't texted anything else since?

No. And you said he's tried to call you? One time? Yeah, he tried calling, and then I didn't answer, so he didn't call after that. And I have a friend on the way to my house to see if he's at the house. Oh, okay. 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 JP'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. ahead and give them whatever information you have, okay? Okay. Um, are you going to go off the phone with us now? Um, 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 course. I can let you go without them. All right, go ahead, sweetie. I mean, the fear and chaos that JP created in this situation, Sierra had to think about what would happen if JP 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 map out where everyone was

in the house for police just in case something happened. Also, it's worth noting that November 16, 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 Micah'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. 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 9.08 p. PM, about two hours after Micah arrived at her sister's house in Gaffney, which is about four hours from Myrtle Beach. JP group 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 JP 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 JP says. Then he goes for faith in God against her, trying to convince her that God wants her to do what JP says. Then he goes for the ultimatums. Notice JP's reference to his elders at the church. JP I would leave anyone or anything for you. I'm only asking for the same respect.

You can't treat someone 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 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.

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 JP took gummies and JP 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 JP, 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 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. I don't care. LOL. 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 ha. You're upset?

LOL. 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. LOL whatever. Then stay away forever. That's shit. We're gonna 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 28, 2022, less than two weeks after the incident at Ciara's house, when JP had threatened to drive more than four hours armed and ready to take Micah back to Myrtle Beach with him, Micah was brought to Mwaka Maw Center for Mental Health's facility in Myrtle Beach. Since Micah's death last month, her family has spoken out about what they believe was happening with her mental health. They strongly suspect that JP was drugging her and gaslighting her and gaslighting them into believing she had bipolar disorder.

Today JP's message to his congregation and the public is that Micah suffered from mental illness and suicidal ideation. He said this several times in the lead up to Micah's death. And after her death, when the public was questioning his role in it, a clip of Micah began circulating on social media in which she appears to be addressing a group in Kenya. She talks about a time when she tried to kill herself by holding a gun to her head and pulling the trigger. The gun jammed and she considered that a message from God telling her to live. We had a lot of questions about this clip because obvious context seemed to be missing. It wasn't even clear if Micah

was referring to herself in that story or if she was retelling a story that she had been told by someone else. So we asked Charlotte about this alleged incident. Micah never discussed it with her, but she did talk about it with her sisters according to Charlotte. Micah told them that she never would have done that, but was so quote whacked out on the medicine JP had her on that she didn't even realize what she was doing. had her on that she didn't even realize what she was doing. Charlotte noted that Micah did not own a gun. JP did. And he kept those guns in a safe that Micah did not have the code for.

Meaning, if Micah did use one of the guns in their household, she was likely given access to them. You'll remember that in the fall of 2021. JP asked that his conviction on assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature charge from when he pleaded guilty to intentionally hitting a woman with his car twice at a high rate of speed in 1998 get pardoned by the state. On his application for that pardon, he listed as the reason, quote, I am seeking a pardon to restore my civil liberties in the community that I serve daily. As a husband, father, and pastor, the right and

ability to protect my wife and children as well as my congregation is imperative. In other words, it seems like he wanted a pardon after 23 years so he could buy a gun. At any rate, from what we're seeing right now, it looks like wherever Micah's alleged mental illness reared its alleged ugly head, JP was nearby. And we'll be right back. So let's talk about what happened on November 28th, 2022. We're still waiting for more information about this incident, but according to the initial police report, which does not list the time of the service call, Horry County Police Department was called to Waccamaw Center for Mental Health in reference to a woman locked in the bathroom with an unknown

condition. The initial incident report is not only redacted, it refers to the people involved in code such as 01, 02, and 03 with the O meaning other entity. From what we can make sense of and what sources tell us, Micah's sister Anna had brought Micah to the hospital, but JP showed up and was now trying to take her away from the scene. Why? Unclear. Obviously, this doesn't reconcile with accusations that JP would have Micah involuntarily committed against her will. And it doesn't reconcile with JP's own sermons and his own declarations post Micah's death that Micah has significant mental health issues and that he tried to get her help. So what was different here? Why does it seem like he didn't want Micah to get help this time? Was it because it was her sister and not him taking Micah to the hospital?

Was it a loss of control? Was he worried about what they'd find in Micah's system? Or what she might tell the doctors without him there? Was he worried that she was questioning the medication she was on? This might shed some light on his reaction. Just before 5 a.m. on this same day when Anna ended up bringing Micah to the hospital, Sierra had texted Micah's friend, Charlotte, to give her a warning.

Sierra wrote, just so you know, JP texted us saying he's going through Micah's phone and he's checking every call and text because Micah's not and he's checking every call and text because Micah's not in her right mind. He also said he hasn't told the elders anything except Judy, the one who told Micah to go home and have alone time with JP when he was sending all those threatening messages. He is saying he wants her to go to the doctors which means he's trying to get her locked up again. He said he can't handle it and he

is all alone. When my sister and dad both reached locked up again. He said he can't handle it and he's all alone. When my sister and dad both reached out to Micah, he said she can't talk. I just talked to her yesterday. But I fell asleep and then he started another group message saying she's going to kill herself if we don't intervene. And no, Micah can't talk to us and if we don't agree with him, he said he will remove us from the group chat. And if she kills herself and we don't help them, then we would be held responsible. Later that day, Sierra texted Charlotte again. So much has happened today. Micah is at the doctor's office. Anna was able to find her because JP wouldn't tell us where she was.

Micah is definitely not in the right state of mind. She is acting very strange and everything is a response of as long as JP says so or ask JP or I don't think JP will be okay with that. Anna is trying to get Micah to stay away from her home and spend time outside. Hopefully they will come here, best case scenario. I invited Micah to come help me do Christmas set up

since they will be out of town then and she said she would love to if JP says it's okay. He said it's okay if the doctor visit goes well. So Anna is doing her best to stay involved physically and fingers crossed they will come here. If not, I will be there tomorrow to see Micah in person. Also, JP did text our family group chat that he has all his guns still in his home, so he's still doing his threats but in a very subtle way that only I would know because

of the situation last week, saying he is the only one who knows the safe combination. Not a good situation. If she can't get Micah to come here today, I have already made plans to go there tomorrow. According to sources, JP used Micah's mental health as a weapon against her when it suited him, when it allowed him to keep her from her family and friends, when he could paint himself as the hero

or the victim with a sick wife. This visit to the hospital would suggest that he only cared about Micah's mental health when it suited him, when he got to be the one to speak for her. Because here is what happened. In complete contradiction of what Sarah says, he was telling the family. When officers arrived at the facility, they were told that Micah had exited the bathroom and was sitting in the passenger seat

of JP's burgundy Ram truck in the parking lot. The report notes that as officers were trying to speak to Micah, JP interrupted her answers and quote, would not allow her to speak to officers, end quote. According to the report, hospital employees told officers that Mica appeared to be extremely weak when she was inside the building and told them that she had passed out

in both the lobby of the hospital and in the bathroom. Quote, they feared she was under the influence. According to the report, a woman, who we know to be Micah's sister, Anna, had driven Micah to the hospital to get mental health help. Anna told police that JP pulled up, went inside the building, and wouldn't allow for Micah to get the help that she needed. Instead, Anna said that he brought Micah out to his truck and wouldn't let her out. According to the report, Anna told police that quote, This has been an ongoing issue between the group. It is not clear what group they mean, but it likely means Micah's family and JP.

The report goes on to state that, just weeks prior, Micah left the area seeking help in Cherokee County. Then a few words are redacted. Cherokee County, by the way, is where Micah's sister Sierra lived. Then after the redacted words, it says, in an attempt to leave JP,

while away, JP allegedly had a mental breakdown and stated he was suicidal, resulting in Myrtle Beach Police Department conducting welfare checks on him. Anna told police that JP, quote, had been mentally abusing Micah for an extended period of time by not allowing her to sleep, eat, or contact her family.

The officer notes that all parties were separated, allowing Horry County Fire and Rescue the opportunity to speak with Micah alone to determine if she needed to go to the hospital. According to the report, JP was, quote, unhappy about being separated and made a call who he stated was to Lieutenant Wilson. The officer notes that Micah decided to voluntarily go with Fire and Rescue for a mental health evaluation. Anna was allowed to see Micah while she was on the stretcher to get Micah's personal items.

Then the report notes JP was quote, upset about this, but was told due to the circumstances of the situation, he was being kept away from Micah. According to the report, JP then again called Lieutenant Wilson and advised the officer on scene that quote, you will be getting a call. JP then walked to the far side of the parking lot. Again, a man used to getting his way has been told no, and this is how he acts. Also, this is how JP acted when Micah's family was simply

trying to get Micah the help that she needed and wanted. Okay, so the big question, who is Lieutenant Wilson? We are still learning more about Heather Wilson and if she had any role in any of this. We will report more on that in a later episode. The next day, Sierra sent a text to Charlotte asking whether JP had sent her any updates. Here is what Charlotte told her. He sent two messages.

Then she copy and pasted the message from JP that said quote, not good report at all. They took her off her normal meds that I think were best and started some new stuff she's never had. When she called, she sounded like a zombie and didn't even believe I was JP on the phone. Then he typed a sad emoji face. Charlotte then copy and pasted the second message from JP

that said, I picked up her phone, keys, wedding band, insert sad emoji, and wallet. I looked at her phone and she obviously started this episode a few weeks ago. Weird texts that don't make sense. All through the night, et cetera. So at least I feel better knowing our big fight was not her normality, it was the mental disease.

So basically, two days after trying to keep Micah from getting help, JP was now presenting it to Charlotte like Micah was so gravely mentally incapacitated that she could be hospitalized for months. Also, he is blaming Micah was so gravely mentally incapacitated that she could be hospitalized for months. Also, he is blaming Micah's mental health for Micah seeking the safety of her sister's home after their fight. Keep in mind, this fight was over something silly, who Micah would kiss if she would kiss a girl. That was it. Ciara then asks Charlotte, have you guys reached out to the elders?

JP's telling people that she won't be released until Sunday. Then he told Micah's brother, she could be moved to a permanent facility. So I am not sure if I should stay in town or go back or wait it out. Charlotte replied, He texted me directly this morning and asked if I had been getting any

of the messages about Micah. I haven't written back in it at all, so I told him yes and that I was praying for both of them. I asked if he knows when she would get out and he said, they don't know but it could be months. In that same group text at 2 10 p.m. on November 28th, 2022, the day Micah was hospitalized, JP told Charlotte and other people at his congregation, there were eight people on the chat this.

Here is David with JP's text message. Hey y'all, please keep this confidential, other than your hubbies. And please do not text Micah or her family right now. We figured out the issue from last week. Micah is suffering from a bipolar episode similar to five years ago. Reminder, you heard Micah on the 911 call from a week and a half earlier in November 2022. She sounded calm and she was doing the practical thing,

seeking shelter away from a person who she feared. Additionally, I want to note that, five years ago would have been 2017 when Micah had that cosmetic surgery that we told you about. The surgery that JP insisted on getting married before so that he could take care of her. Here is David again Micah's health. Here is David again reading JP's text. She has been hospitalized for a minimum of three days. Even though she's hearing voices, solving world peace, and not sleeping or eating for days and days, her sisters think it's normal, so don't involve them.

Reminder, according to the police report, JP did not want Micah hospitalized. It was Micah's sister, Anna, who brought her to the hospital. But here, he is telling key people in their lives, Micah's own friends, that it is Micah's family who isn't to be trusted. Here is David reading another JP text. The doctors admitted her.

Nate is the only family member right now who understands mental illness. Another reminder, according to Ciara, at the same time JP told Micah's brother Nate that doctors wanted to permanently hospitalize Micah. Also, Micah's brother Nate that doctors wanted to permanently hospitalize Micah. Also Micah admitted herself. According to the police report Micah wanted to be there and had elected to go with the fire and rescue team to be mentally evaluated at the hospital. J.P. texted again. Pray for

Micah. Don't text her as she doesn't have her phone anyway, and it could cause more of a breakdown. I'll keep you posted if she leaves South Strand. They won't allow a single visitor, not even me, during the next three days. The next day, JP wrote to Micah's group of friends. Doctor called me. Micah has been sleeping due to the meds they gave her. They think the ice baths set off the bipolar episode.

They are upping her lithium and will call me later to see if it's helping. These texts get us so angry for Micah. So first, the reference to the ice baths. Remember that from the obituary? Also, remember how the obituary also noted that Micah was so close to her family with all those extra O's in the so? Remember when we were all like, why does the obituary feel like it's mocking Micah? Well, that's because it was. On November 15, 2022, the day before Micah fled to her sister's house in Gaffney, Charlotte and Micah went to a cold plunge place to take an ice bath. Cold plunge baths are good for a lot of things, and regular use of them is

thought to help perk people up and alleviate depression. Clearly, JP had a chip on his shoulder about this act of self-care. Why? Because Micah was spending time with Charlotte? Or was it because people suffering from mental illness sometimes use ice baths instead of taking medication? Was Micah trying to get off the meds she was being given? Speaking of meds, JP's assertion that doctors were going to call him later that day to tell him if the allegedly higher dose of lithium was helping Micah doesn't make total sense. It takes weeks or months for the effects of lithium to be felt. On the same day,

Ciara told Charlotte that she wasn't sure what to do and mentioned that J.P. is telling everyone different timeframes. She said, I'm keeping everything in a file and writing everything down. On December 1, three days after Micah's hospitalization, Ciara texted Charlotte to let her know that their family was still not allowed to visit Micah and that a woman who we're going to call Judy had sent out a message saying that Micah's family was no longer allowed on solid rock property. Again, abusers try to separate the person they're abusing from their friends and family. Because Micah had the audacity to go to her sister's house, she was now paying the price. After this incident, Micah went back to JP.

Now, by October of the next year, nearly a year after their initial blowout, Micah had officially filed for divorce from JP. After her trip to Kenya that winter, she came back convinced that she needed to give JP and their marriage another chance but then things turned again. On February 8th of this year JP had Micah 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 $159.09 and putting it in another Missions 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 Horry 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. Charlotte 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 set 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 JP did not make it easy for her. On February 21st, Micah called Myrtle Beach Police Department to tell them that she had been separated from her husband since January

and that JP 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 JP 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 JP of first-degree harassment second-degree harassment and stalking

on March 5th Micah said JP 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 Horry 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 Springmaid 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 place the item in her tire. She told the officer that JP 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 JP did this, so nothing further happened. It's not clear if police ever reached out to JP or if JP 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 Horry 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. Mike had told Charlotte that JP and the church were under investigation for financial issues and that she believed JP 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 Zelle and Cash App accounts 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 14, 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 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 does it mention that Horry 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 Boobs 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, JP was served with divorce

papers, including a motion for an order of protection. Their hearing was set for June 5th. Micah's hospitalization in November 2022 shows us what happens when power is taken from JP. According to the police report, he tried to grab that power back and regain that control over Micah. When the police put him in his place, he tried to use his power and influence to get them into trouble, but it didn't matter.

Micah was able to get the help her family had sought that day. They knew JP would try to get in the way and they did the right thing anyway. Doing the right thing is hard. And seeing that reality is even harder when you're talking about going up against someone in power who plays a big role in a system that you thought that you believed in. The elders could have helped, and we know it would have been difficult to stand up to JP.

But like Micah's family did, they could have done it anyway. Power is never acquired by a single individual, but rather it is fueled by enablers and supporters. Remember Elick Murdock and his circle of enablers who he exposed? Remember all that time that Russell and Corey had to fess up to police and they didn't because they believed that they would always be protected under the untouchable Murdock dynasty. Well, Russell and Corey are in prison right now. The Murdock ship sank and they chose to go down with it. Despite his position of power at the church, JP cared what the elders thought of him.

And to that degree, he feared them. At the end of the day, the elders were the ones holding the power when it came to helping Micah. We hope that they understand that. We hope that they realize that they still have the power to help Micah and others. On Wednesday, Solid Rock and Market Common relaunched its website, and I noticed an entire section written by JP himself titled Core Values.

JP wrote on behalf of the church, "'We refuse to wear masks and play games. "'Rather, we keep everything out in the open. "'The whole truth is on display. "'Well, the masks are off. "'The game is over. The truth about JP is on full display for the world to see. In police reports, in text messages, in sermons, and in his actions.

We all see it, but do the elders. Stay tuned. Stay pesky. Stay in the sunlight. True Sunlight is a Lunashark production created by me, Mandy Matney, and co-hosted by journalist Liz Farrell. Learn more about our mission and membership at lunasharkmedia.com. Interruptions provided by Luna and Joe Pesky.