Murdaugh Murders Podcast - TSP #86 - JP Miller’s Legal Retaliation Against Protesters Backfires Again + Court Docs Show JP’s Chummy Relationship with ‘Journalist’

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Starting point is 00:00:46 espresso. Whatever you choose, your espresso will be handcrafted with care at Starbucks. I don't know how long it's going to take for JP Miller and his band of legal bullies to be held accountable. For all 33 of his frivolous lawsuits, they filed to silence critics. But I know J.P. picked a fight that he will never win. And a reckoning could be coming soon. My name is Mi Matney. This is True Sunlight, a podcast exposing crime and corruption previously known as the Murdoch Murders Podcast.

Starting point is 00:01:34 True Sunlight is a Lunashark production written with journalist Liz Farrell. For those of y'all who are following us on Facebook, Instagram, threads, and blue sky, you know what a weird week it's been. Between JP's chaotic lawsuit crusade that keeps getting weirder, and we'll talk about that in a minute, the Myrtle Beach Sun News' pro-JP puff piece, and then Russell LeVeet's motion aimed at apparently degrading Liz and me. Phew, what a week.

Starting point is 00:02:09 We're going to dive more into Russell's motion on COJ next week, and Premium members can read the full motion, check the link in the description. But in summary, Russell's attorney Mark Moore is asking the federal court for a statewide jury pool because, well, he says. Because Liz and I have basically tainted the entire low country jury pool. And that is hilarious and absurd to think about because, you know, the internet exists. Anywho, Mark Moore really wanted to jab at our credibility in this filing. He mentioned several times that we are quote, self-proclaimed journalists, and he referred

Starting point is 00:02:52 to us as bloggers. This got me thinking about the journalist title and why what we do is different from mainstream media and different from content creators and it serves an important role. For the record, y'all can call us whatever you want to call us. When the lawyer of Elick Murdoch's banker bestie bitches about us in several paragraphs of illegal filing, we are validated, knowing that we have done our jobs. They are on one side of this and we are on another, and that is how it should be. That said, we both know that we are journalists. I graduated from journalism school and spent more than a decade working in newsrooms across

Starting point is 00:03:38 the United States before starting my own media company. And Liz could cover several of Russell Lafitte's prison walls with the journalism awards that she has won over the years. We know that our style is different, but we know that what we do is journalism, because at the center of our work is truth and transparency. I don't care when tiny men like Mark Moore call us bloggers for a good legal jab and an official filing in the US federal court.

Starting point is 00:04:12 But I do care when TikTokers and YouTubers who aim to entertain and go viral from the stories they tell with no regard to transparency or truth, I care when we all are lumped into the same category. The world of journalism is getting more and more confusing, and the lines between content creators and journalists and mainstream media are more blurry and confusing than ever. Which we will talk about more in a minute, but it's important for our listeners to know that our intention is always to tell the truth. Our intention is to tell the victims' stories.

Starting point is 00:04:52 Our intention is to put pressure on the bad guys to change their behavior. Call it whatever you want, but I think the world would be a better place if more journalists focused on those intentions. As usual, we have a big episode for you today, but we wanted to give you a quick update in the Krista Bauer case out of Houston, Texas first. Last week we told you that Krista's husband, Lee Gilley, the man who told police Krista

Starting point is 00:05:23 had killed herself, the man who told police Christa had killed herself. The man who was then charged with her murder and the murder of her unborn child after the initial autopsy report came back that she did not, in fact, kill herself, had asked the court to allow him to go back into his house, the one where Christa was killed, to inspect it for evidence. He told the court he had a right to do that. Remember, Lee is barred from being within 200 feet of that house as a condition of his bond.

Starting point is 00:05:53 He told the court that he believes the state will make reference to the layout of the house when presenting their case against him, so he has a legal right to take a look at the house he lived in until he was charged with murder. Late last week, state prosecutors responded to Lee's motion with, go find a chair because you need to take a seat little boy. The state is arguing that sure, of course, the law does require them to provide a defendant

Starting point is 00:06:21 with evidence that is in their control and custody. But alas, the house where Lee allegedly killed his wife and unborn child while their other two small children, Maddie and Gannon, were home is not in the state's custody, possession, or control. It's in the custody, possession, and control of Christa's parents who, on January 15th, were granted temporary custody of Christa's parents who, on January 15th, were granted temporary custody of Christa's estate. It's where Chris and Sharon Bauer, Christa's parents, are effectively forced to live right now because the state of Texas has ordered

Starting point is 00:06:54 that it would be best for Christa's children to stay put in Houston rather than in South Carolina, where Christa's large and loving family lives and where Christa's large group of supportive friends are. On Tuesday, the judge issued an order on Lee's request to inspect property. Lee's motion was denied, but the judge amended the conditions of Lee's bond

Starting point is 00:07:17 to allow him to go to the property one time for one hour. Lee is ordered to try and work out a time for the visit with the Bauer family. If he's not able to come up with an agreement with the family, he can't go to the home if he does not maintain an ownership interest in the house. Which is interesting because that makes it seem like there's a dispute about his ownership interest, right? Meaning is the judge indicating by putting that in there that Lee isn't maybe, I don't know, paying the mortgage on the house anymore? If Lee ends up being able to

Starting point is 00:07:52 schedule this visit to the house where he allegedly murdered Krista and her unborn baby, then he's required by the court to give 14 days notice of that to Krista's parents and to the state and to his bond supervisor. I have to say there is a particular thrill that comes from seeing a self-pitying, men's rights baby like Lee get schooled by the court. Bet he wishes he had never left his home state because no one has ever said, don't mess with South Carolina. No one has ever said, don't mess with South Carolina. Okay, let's talk about JP Miller's cosplay as an aggrieved widower and a harmless private citizen with the Myrtle Beach Magistrate Court. First off, the good news.

Starting point is 00:08:38 Separately, Attorney Regina Ward and Attorney Chris Helms were able to get their clients' cases, Tonya Hall and Melissa DeMarcos' cases, dismissed this week in magistrate court. And the fight continues for the rest of those being sued as they attempt to combine many of their cases and file a counterclaim in circuit court. Stay tuned for details on that. Right after JP filed his first 10 lawsuits at the beginning of the month, Lunashark media reporter Beth Braden filed a FOIA request to the Magistrate Court so we could take a look at the complaints. In typical Horry County fashion, they only

Starting point is 00:09:18 gave us part of the complaints without even noting that. Beth asked for the entire file. What she got back was just the supplement to the complaint. Still, have you ever read something where you just know that the first draft was written in crayon? If not, give these so-called lawsuits a gander because, oh wow, like JP, when assembling these complaints, I don't wanna spend too much time on this, so I'm going to give you the quick hits. One, JP really made use of that copy and paste button. According to the post in Carrier, JP's attorney Russell B. Long, aka Russell B. Wrong, is not

Starting point is 00:09:59 representing JP in these protestor cases. So who wrote the complaints? If it's AI then somebody needs to go back to robot school because these are bad. As we found out late on Wednesday, JP apparently got help from a disbarred attorney named Mark Brunty according to reports from the courthouse where the hearings for Tanya and Melissa were held. So not AI, but not a lawyer. Two, we told you last week about one of JP's defendants, former church member Sam Rickman and the fiery counterclaim that was filed by his attorney Regina Ward. Now let's talk about the other nine defendants in that initial set of lawsuits filed by JP. First, there's defendant Tracy Hermes. JP claims that Tracy said JP

Starting point is 00:10:46 killed Micah on Facebook. That's the quote. He gives no date for that alleged statement. He provides no link to the comment. He doesn't even include so much as a screenshot. Why is that? Now, one reason might be that Horry County held back and didn't give us part of the complaint with maybe there was evidence on it that was listed out. Another reason could be that JP, who is known for his ability to accuse without providing actual hardcore evidence, is taking this statement out of context. For instance, JP seems like the kind of clever sixth grader who thinks it would be perfectly fine to edit a sentence like, If JP killed Micah, then we need to see the evidence. Two, JP killed Micah.

Starting point is 00:11:29 I'm not saying he did that. It's just a possibility. More than that, JP seems to think that this statement is on its face defamatory, as if the whole world saw a comment from a woman named Tracy that was posted on a messy, chaotic, and unregulated social media platform that is notorious for misinformation where people's peepaws share photoshopped memes of aliens landing in New Jersey thinking it's real. And the whole world decided JP is a bad guy. As opposed to the whole world learning that from JP himself.

Starting point is 00:12:04 Next up is defendant Kyler Marlow. Kyler is the person who says they were childhood friends with Micah. Kyler posted on TikTok about the case and they even went to the site of Micah's death with a private investigator named Daniel Barnes that they now reportedly work with. JP is accusing Kyler of posting what amounts to mean comments about JP on social media and Kyler falsely claiming that they are in danger due to their own quote activity of stalking and harassing the plaintiff. Pretty much the entirety of Kyler's complaint is boilerplate. Again, all accusations, no examples, no dates, no screenshots, no links, no direct quotes, nothing.

Starting point is 00:12:46 Again, I'm not sure if that's a function of the FOIA return we got back or JP being JP and not providing actual evidence as examples, but here's this gem of a line which appears in other complaints. As a direct result of defendant's actions, friends and acquaintances of plaintiff have expressed reluctance to be seen with plaintiff or to do business with plaintiff or his affiliated companies. Interesting, right? What companies? What business?

Starting point is 00:13:15 Stick a pin in that until a future episode. The point is, awh. JP has no friends except all the ones that appear in photos with him at restaurants all over Myrtle Beach. For a man who says he's so emotionally destroyed and terrified for his safety because of these defendants, he sure does seem to hang out in public a lot. Let's not forget that this man was allegedly at Starbucks when the FBI descended on his home last fall. I'm telling you, homeboys should try living a day in my shoes and Mandy's shoes from

Starting point is 00:13:49 2021 till 2023 and see what being scared for your safety looks like. As for defendants Melissa Pfeiffer, Sandra Karen, and Ali Cuozzo, JP uses essentially the same vague boilerplate complaint calling the protests anything but legitimate, which is funny because I think it's pretty legit to get a permit and gather peacefully per your First Amendment rights to express your disgust at someone who appears to have weaponized the legal system against his now dead wife. It's definitely more legit than being a grown man walking around in a Spider-Man costume and driving around in a DeLorean. In defendant Annie Plannenborg's complaint, again, boilerplate,

Starting point is 00:14:31 lacking examples, dates, etc. Again, not sure if that's because we didn't get the whole complaint, but JP accuses Annie of making the false and defamatory claim on TikTok that JP groomed and trafficked Micah. So, uh, JP, that would be Micah who made that claim. She told police that you groomed her from the age of 15 and according to Micah's list, again, claims from Micah, you allegedly made her have sex with other men against her will, which is a form of trafficking, son. In Ken Young's complaint, JP accuses him of harassing him by starting the Facebook page called Justice for Micah in support of Micah, where he says Ken's posts infer that JP is a domestic abuser and that he murdered Micah.

Starting point is 00:15:19 Here's our favorite line from that complaint. Defendant does not promote justice for anyone. Yeah, okay, JP. In Alexandra Young's complaint, JP refers to the protesters as mobs, which is a hell of a difference from the 911 call where we shared with you last week that JP had counted eight, no nine,

Starting point is 00:15:41 heavyset protesters who were blonde wearing sweaters but not wearing makeup. Mobs? Okay, let's talk about one of the other defendants, Jan Lancaster and his girlfriend, Courtney Ann. We're assuming her last name isn't Ann, but that's how JP refers to her in this complaint. I told you a little bit about Jan in last week's episode, and we got some backlash from a few of Jan's followers who seemed

Starting point is 00:16:12 really eager to blindly jump to his defense simply because I had the audacity to point out that Jan's case is full of red flags. The other defendants seem to have the First Amendment on their side, and JP seems to be trying to silence them through legal intimidation. That's partly true of Jan's case, but there are a few things going on here. Let's talk about that. First, we think JP felt emboldened to file these lawsuits and restraining orders because he had already succeeded with Judge Arrakis last fall when he granted a restraining order

Starting point is 00:16:52 against Jan Lancaster, AKA iPhone Guru, AKA Myrtle Beach Media on TikTok and YouTube. As we learned from attorney Regina Ward in Cup of Justice this week, restraining order cases aren't logged on the public index. So we don't know how many JP has filed or for that matter, how many have been filed against JP in the past. But Jan's was in the public index because Jan is appealing that ruling and that appeal has a lot of information. And y'all, I was not ready for the drama that unfolded in these documents. Anyway, JP is suing Jan again and Jan and his girlfriend are currently trying to raise money

Starting point is 00:17:37 in a GoFundMe for attorney's fees. Both Jan and Courtney's current cases are pretty vague, at least according to what we got through FOIA. What we need to talk about is there is a difference between reporting on a story like Micah's because you want to bring awareness to the case and use that leverage against people in power and force those people in power to do their jobs and hold bad guys accountable.

Starting point is 00:18:02 And then there is reporting on a story like Micah's with the idea that there's a lot of money to be made and clout to be had and followers to be gained on social media. Remember the day of the FBI raid on JP's house? There was a YouTube account that wrongly reported that the pool where Chris Skinner died was also being searched by the FBI that day? That was Jan Lancaster. And that was our first big red flag with this guy. And one of the primary reasons why we didn't share his GoFundMe initially.

Starting point is 00:18:35 This is how we were trained as journalists. There is no accountability with GoFundMe's, so we only share them after doing our due diligence. Because once we share them, it's our reputations on the line, our credibility. And when all we know about a person is that he claimed something serious was happening, and as proof, he posted a video of adults laughing and stumbling in the dark, showing no FBI presence, it's kind of hard to lend our credibility to that cause, you know? In his GoFundMe, Jan said our reporting has always been conducted in good faith with the public's right to know at heart.

Starting point is 00:19:14 We refuse to let this happen as it goes against the principles of free speech and responsible journalism. Again, sounds great, right? Responsible journalism. Now, let's do some due diligence. And speaking of due diligence of journalists, the first thing we do when we cover someone is an extensive criminal background check. According to records, there's a Jan Lancaster who shares iPhone guru Jan's birthday, description,

Starting point is 00:19:44 and middle name. And that Jan has a history that includes an arrest for inflicting serious physical injury on a child intentionally and domestic violence in the presence of a child in 2010 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He pleaded guilty to those charges and was sentenced to 78 days of time served, 50 hours of community service, and 24 months of supervised probation. We think that's an important fact to disclose to people when you're covering a story that includes allegations of abuse. If Utah Jan is the same as Myrtle Beach Jan, then that is something that would bring context

Starting point is 00:20:24 to Jan's reporting, right? More on that in a minute. but I am healing. Returning to W Network and StacTV. The West Side Ripper is back. If you're not killing these people, then who is? That's what I want to know. Starring Kaylee Cuoco and Chris Messina. The only investigating I'm doing these days is who shit their pants. Killer messaged you yesterday? This is so dangerous. I gotta get out of this.

Starting point is 00:20:57 Based on a true story. New season Mondays at 9 Eastern and Pacific. Only on W. on stack TV. On September 5th, JP filed a restraining order against Jan and somehow JP's name got misspelled in the system as John without the H. Huh. Judge Arrakis approved the order on October 7th. The documents in Jan's restraining order case give us an inside look into J.P.'s legal strategy with these lawsuits and showed how the judge's skewed perception of J.P. Miller at that time could have bolstered J.P.'s ego with the legal system.

Starting point is 00:21:41 Like maybe Jan's restraining order was JP testing his limits with the system, and the system was always given the old go-ahead bro. More importantly, the documents reveal what is, in our opinion, a sick, twisted, and seemingly chummy, dare I say flirty, set of back and forth texts between JP and Jan. And that is what separates Jan from the other protesters who were being sued. And that is why we only decided to share the GoFundMe that supports the three protesters who have actually been fighting for Micah since day one.

Starting point is 00:22:20 A few things to think about as we are looking at Jan Lancaster's case. 1. Should Jan, a social media guy with no background in journalism, be protected as a journalist under the First Amendment? 2. Should Jan's actions qualify as stalking and harassment? And does the judge's decision in this case mean that he is more likely to side with JP in the future? 3.

Starting point is 00:22:47 Was Jan actually ever on Micah's side? Or was he just on Jan's side? Let's start with what JP says was the basis for the restraining order against Jan. Remember, this is JP's little test bunny project with the court. JP, who likely thought he needed to have three incidents to prove the need for the restraining order, took two incidents and tried to turn them into three. He listed two incidents with Jan on June 5th, 2024, and one incident on August 3rd. Remember those dates when we talk about the text messages in a minute because, oh, does

Starting point is 00:23:25 context matter here? On August 3rd, JP claimed that Jan had followed him from his house to Coastal Grand Mall and demanded that JP, quote, sign off on the rights of a video recording. According to the complaint, Jan allegedly threatened to continue to harass and stalk JP if he refused to comply. On June 5th, the day of JP's probate court hearing that turned into a press conference announcing Micah's Law and Micah's List when the world found out just how dark and disturbing the accusations against JP were, JP claims that Jan had posted a photo of JP's vehicle under his TikTok profile,

Starting point is 00:24:07 quote, allowing an unlimited amount of followers to view plaintiff's information that is normally not readily available to the public. The third incident appears to be the same incident, but says Jan, quote, posted a picture under his TikTok profile of plaintiff's vehicle. Jan was within a small proximity of JP's home, placing his children in potential harm. Again, Jan lives close to JP, so he's always going to be in some kind of proximity to JP when both are home. And JP's children, you say? Well, that's really interesting, JP, because on May 29th, a judge had suspended your right to have visitation with your two youngest children

Starting point is 00:24:54 who were around 15 and 16 at the time, meaning Jan could not have put JP's children in any harm on June 5th, because according to court records, the kids weren't with JP because they could not be. Let's pause there because there are journalists out there who continue to take JP at his word when we have over and over again found demonstrably false claims made by JP, AKA lies.

Starting point is 00:25:20 And that is called context. It's what journalists everywhere need to be considering when reporting on people. Have they lied in important ways before? Yes, they have? Okay, well, in my reporting, I will remind people that they have questionable credibility then. In the document, JP and his lawyer, Russell B. Long, ask the court that Jan Lancaster be enjoined from entering JP's residence,

Starting point is 00:25:47 place of employment or other location and enjoined from communicating with him. Notice that it doesn't say keep him a physical distance away from JP. But it's still ominous, right? Jan was entering JP's residence and church and communicating with him against JP's will? Stick a pin in that. Based on what he was hearing, magistrate judge Christopher Arrakis approved the restraining order making it effective for at least one year. In his appeal, Jan Lancaster and his attorney William O'Neill are arguing that 1. JP failed to present a preponderance of evidence for a restraining order. And two, contending his rights under South Carolina and U.S. constitutions, quote, in

Starting point is 00:26:31 regards to his freedom of speech and as a member of the press, were infringed upon with the issues of the restraining order. Again, that is an interesting use of the words, member of the press. The appeal was four paragraphs by the way and John Paul Miller's name is misspelled everywhere. We're not sure what's up with that. In response to Jan's appeal on November 6th, Arrakis filed a return on appeal, basically a memo stating for the record what his grounds were for approving the restraining order. I'll have David read the first paragraph so y'all get the gist. The plaintiff stated his wife killed herself and since then has been followed and harassed by the defendant

Starting point is 00:27:14 creating a dangerous environment that has left he and his young children feeling scared and afraid. The plaintiff continued by stating he does not know the defendant and has told him multiple times to leave he and his family alone. The plaintiff stated the defendant will wait outside of his residence at all hours, follow him to work, follow him to church, and video him while hiding in shrubbery." Again, JP is really milking his position as a father to gain sympathy in this case. When in reality, and according to court documents, JP's actions before Micah's death were allegedly creating a dangerous environment for his kids, and again, on the dates that JP gave the court for the alleged harassment, a court

Starting point is 00:28:05 had ordered that JP couldn't see his own kids. Also, did you hear how JP whitewashed that story of Micah's death as being a simple suicide without any of the accompanying questions and without the whole FBI investigation attached to it? And did you hear how the judge just allowed JP to do that? In court, Jan's attorney asked if JP ever called the police and if there were any reports. JP said that he called the police and they refused to do a report. Is that true?

Starting point is 00:28:37 Great question, right? Because we all know how JP Miller loves to call the police. And we all know how they have operated together in the past. Again, we do our due diligence. We foiled around and found out. And JP did, in fact, call the Myrtle Beach Police on Jan on May 24th. We have a CAD report on this, meaning it doesn't appear that they did any follow-up. Surprise, surprise. In the report, JP said he went to Jan's apartment to tell him not to drive past his house

Starting point is 00:29:10 or take pictures of his children. He claimed that Jan waved a gun inside his residence and told JP that anything said on social media is protected speech, which it isn't, Mr. Journalist. Just like so many other incidents involving Myrtle Beach and Horry County Police, you would think there would be a little bit more to the story. But that was it, according to the records that we got. They didn't bother to investigate, so I will give it to JP here.

Starting point is 00:29:38 He actually kind of told the truth. We will get to that. But keep that date in mind. According to JP, Jan allegedly waved a gun at him on May 24th. An alleged gun, May 24th. Got it. On redirect, Jan's attorney asked JP if quote, "'Real media' behaved like Jan was allegedly behaving

Starting point is 00:30:00 and JP said no." Which, that part I found hilarious because JP and Russell B. Wrong can't even spell cease and desist correctly and they are suddenly presenting themselves as experts on the First Amendment. According to the judge's memo, Jan claimed to be a part of the media and said he is providing a public service by covering JP who is a public figure. Jan said he never threatened JP but did tell him he would leave him alone.

Starting point is 00:30:29 If he would retract a social media complaint, JP made against him because it prohibited Jan from making money on the platform. We'll get to that in a minute. On Cross, Jan told Russell B. Long that he had also never followed anyone, but then he admitted to following JP once. He admitted to taking videos of JP's home and said he didn't work for any media companies and he does not make any money through social media. Here is what the judge wrote about his decision to approve that restraining order.

Starting point is 00:31:03 Finding of Fact by the court. One, the plaintiff and his family had a tragic event happen involving his wife that was reported on by multiple recognized news outlets. Two, the plaintiff was investigated by law enforcement and determined to have no involvement in his wife's suicide. Three, the defendant has targeted the plaintiff and has performed multiple unreasonable intrusions into the private life of the plaintiff that serves no other legitimate purpose.

Starting point is 00:31:36 4. The defendant's actions would cause any reasonable person to suffer mental and emotional distress. 5. The court found the defendant's testimony not to be credible and disingenuous. 6. The defendant admitted to attempting to extort the plaintiff. 7. The court was not presented nor convinced the defendant should be recognized as any form of media or news outlet that serves the public. In conclusion, the court fully recognizes and respects the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Starting point is 00:32:17 However, when a person engages in such unreasonable intrusions into the private life of a targeted person, who is not even a suspect in a crime and also attempts to obtain something from that targeted person by means of extortion, the court believes the defendant has pierced any protections the First Amendment may have provided. The court found by the preponderance of the evidence and testimony presented and issued a restraining order against the defendant. So up until this point, while reading this, we thought this was going to be another time

Starting point is 00:32:57 that the system had given J.P. Miller an easy win. Another time where his experience with the justice system stood in stark contrast with Micah's experience with the justice system. JP is seen as the credible one, while the other person is made out to be lying. I mean right off the bat. The first two points from the judge show how much Micah's death was misconstrued in court. To our knowledge, JP Miller has not been cleared by any law enforcement for her death. He was not charged in the North Carolina investigation, but cleared doesn't seem like something someone can say with a straight face when the FBI is currently investigating them for interstate domestic violence, allegedly. We totally get that Judge Arrakis' November 6 memo

Starting point is 00:33:46 is reflecting the facts as he knew them on October 7th. But the really weird thing to consider is that just five days before he wrote that memo, JP's house was being raided by the FBI in an extraordinary show of force. And that same night that the judge wrote that memo, JP spent his night in jail after turning himself in on a warrant for an assault charge against a protester.

Starting point is 00:34:13 Anyway, after reading that, I looked at the evidence attached to the appeal. The text messages between JP and Jan that Jan appears to have submitted in his appeal as proof that he wasn't stalking or harassing JP. This is when the story took a turn for us. The first thing y'all need to know is that these guys texted quite a bit between June

Starting point is 00:34:36 5th and August 3rd, which is interesting because as y'all remember, June 5th was the day that JP claimed Jan stocked and harassed him twice in putting his family in danger. Like the Horry County police, JP had a seemingly cozy relationship with Jan, according to my analysis of these text messages at least. This little bromance, again, that is my opinion after reading the text, not a fact, started off rough with the whole JP calling the police on Jan thing that occurred on May 24th after

Starting point is 00:35:14 again, allegedly Jan waved a gun in front of JP and JP told him to stop taking photos of him. But Jan and JP seemed to have buried the hatchet real quick. Because six days later, JP apparently called Jan and then texted him in the following exchange on May 30th. Here David is going to read the part of Jan and our really good friend, Attorney Jim Bannon from the Bannon Law Group in Bluffton, Charleston, and Pooler, Georgia, and who was the very first sponsor of the Murdoch Murders podcast, he is going to read the part of JP. Here we go.

Starting point is 00:35:53 Sorry, I'm in a building with hardly no service. I can text if you would like. Apple sign, the iPhone Guru. Apple sign. I assume you'll be serving me papers soon while Courtney videotapes. If that is correct, text me a few minutes beforehand and maybe we can play a game.

Starting point is 00:36:11 That'll get you more views. Smiley face. Were they collaborating? Hang on to that thought. Around three hours later, Jan texted JP back. If you would like, you can join my live on TikTok tonight at 10.30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time and do a Q&A with Justin on TikTok

Starting point is 00:36:33 and maybe the Robbie Harvey. It's a great way to try and set the record straight. LOL, I got every news in America offering me that. Next time you come over, we can do a Q&A. You ask a question, then I ask a question. Smiley face. Two hours later at 11.27 PM. I'm very disappointed.

Starting point is 00:36:53 I was kind to you and went out of my way to help you gain popularity, and you put my text and number online. I never put your number online at all. I would never do that. The only person that received your phone number from me was Justin. Here is my conversation with Robbie. Blurry screenshot shared. Uh, geez. Okay, I'm sorry. Thank you and let him know I always say something stupid,

Starting point is 00:37:17 so that's not hard. The Next Day, May 31st, 2024, at 3.50pm Robbie Harvey is extremely inhumane and rude with no desire for true justice, only views. He also posted my text to you so if you would like to correspond with me in the future, please don't involve him. Thanks and thanks for being kind last night. Have a good weekend. I totally understand.

Starting point is 00:37:41 No problem. See how much this man hates Robbie Harvey? His name came up nine times in the text messages provided to the court. Remember that. Also, can I just proudly say, for the record, that we have never begged or so much asked J.P. Miller or any other narcissist man-baby who we believe lacks credibility for an interview ever. And there are absolutely zero texts out there between any of us and Mr. Sideways' smiley face. Anyway, the chummy texts continued in June, again after the alleged gun waving happened on May 24th, after JP called the police on Jan, his alleged dangerous stalker.

Starting point is 00:38:27 Here is David reading Jan's text message from June 2nd, 2024 to JP. Some advice? Don't communicate with Justin. He is only in it to monetize it on YouTube to make money. Please don't repeat that to anyone, including him. I have a YouTube, but I don't post on it. I'm not making money on this unless I'm on live

Starting point is 00:38:51 and people are gifting me, which is rare. Then JP, being JP, texted Jan back. And of course, he asked about Robby Harvey. And he asked about how one makes money off of this whole situation. Okay, thank you. Isn't Robbie also only in it to monetize? And what does it mean to be gifted while live?

Starting point is 00:39:12 People can buy gifts with coins on TikTok and then send little gifts to you that are worth like two cents up to $5. The most I ever made on live is when I covered the active barricade shooting in Surfside, where shots rang out over my head and I made $35. I almost died for it. Remember, according to Family Core documents before this conversation, JP had apparently

Starting point is 00:39:37 told his kids he was about to be a millionaire because he was ostensibly going to sue everyone in the world for expressing their opinions about him online. What's weird to me is despite this exchange between JP and Jan, which to my ear sounds like a salivating cartoon wolf putting on his bib because he thinks he's just seen little red monetizing hoods skip on by, JP, according to his lame lawsuits anyway, still continues to think that protestors and creators and regular old people who post on social media about him are raking in the dough

Starting point is 00:40:11 by quote, co-opting his personality. No one wants that JP. Anyway, Jan and JP then went back and forth about monetizing and JP then floated the idea about Jan interviewing JP on his channel where he would answer live questions from the audience. That was on June 2nd, just days after JP told the police that Jan was dangerously stalking and harassing him. Listen to how cozy these two were on that same day. Is it okay if I post a pic and say I'm going to drive up or walk up, whichever to your

Starting point is 00:40:48 house and ask you a question from these comments? So please leave questions below in the comments that you all would like answers to, but make sure they're not hard questions that he could not answer without an attorney. My attorney was pissed about last time. Sideways unsure smiley face. So what I'm saying is if I make a post and they ask the questions, then I can give you those questions.

Starting point is 00:41:15 You can show them to the attorney and pick out which ones that you want to answer. And then I come up there and do the little question thing and only answer like one question a day for a few days. I want to answer everything as soon as court is done this week. Like we keep saying, the coziness sparks were flying during these conversations.

Starting point is 00:41:39 This conversation is so fascinating because we've been wondering for a while what the behind the scenes look like during all that JP bootlicking that we saw from some creators early on. Turns out it is exactly what we imagined it to be. Media like Jan playing to JP's ego and seeming to collaborate with him while simultaneously proclaiming justice for Micah on social media. Look it's one thing to be professional and polite with sources you don't like or respect

Starting point is 00:42:08 because you want to keep the lines of communication open so that you can do both sides allegedly objective journalism. That ain't us, but I get it. It is a whole other thing to play both sides. Especially when one side is speaking up on behalf of those who get dismissed and marginalized and victimized by a legal system that wasn't just not designed for them but designed against them. And the other side is a person for whom the system immediately rolls out the red carpet for until proven otherwise. It borders on offensive when the person who seems to be playing

Starting point is 00:42:42 both sides is a member of the side where that privilege is immediately afforded to them. I didn't know Micah, but I know enough about her to know she deserved more than that. More than vultures circling around her death for an opportunity to monetize while collaborating with her alleged abuser, with the husband she was trying to escape when she died. Anyway, the chumminess continued through the next few days all the way up till the night of June 5th. Yeah, June 5th.

Starting point is 00:43:14 The day when JP claimed not one, but two stalking harassment incidents from Jan. On June 7th, two days after those two alleged moments where JP claims Jan scared him and his children, who he couldn't have been with per a court order, Jan sent a screenshot of his chummy convo with JP to JP and asked him if it was okay to post it. Sure, JP told him. The whole thing is so weird. I don't know about you, but if someone was putting me and my invisible children that I was with in harm's way, I wouldn't respond to that text with anything but GFY. Okay, guys, it gets so much weirder starting June 9th, four days after the

Starting point is 00:44:01 alleged incidents in the restraining order claim. On this day, JP embarked on his great quest of taking Jan to lunch. And y'all, JP does not let up on that. Hey man, what'd you do during the day? I could take you to lunch sometime. Your girlfriend is welcome to come. Jan left JP on read until 620 the next day. I bet he felt cool. How do I know that? Listen to this next text from Jan to JP. I'm almost positive that the internet would break from all the videos and photos people

Starting point is 00:44:38 would put. Blow up. Let's do lunch. 1230. The Snack Shack. LMK if that's cool. Nobody takes. The Snack Shack. LMK if that's cool. Nobody takes pics in Snack Shack. I eat there three times a week.

Starting point is 00:44:50 And then, no response from Jan. But interesting that Pastor JP endangered by the public is eating in the same location three times a week, right? I'm super busy with no kids, no job, no friends, and no life. So I hope to see you tomorrow, sideways smiley face. Unfortunately, I'll be at the shop on Seaboard Street putting the transmission back in my daughter's car who passed away. Oh my, I'm so sorry. Well, I can meet you near there or pick you up or about time, whatever's best for you." See guys?

Starting point is 00:45:26 Desperate. And LOL at these boys thinking anything on the internet would blow up over the two of them having lunch together. And after this, Jam, who seems to be enjoying being courted, responded with a deal. If I meet you for lunch, can we do like a 10 or 15 minute live where you answer people's questions in the chat and you pick what questions you want to answer? And I'll make sure my moderator blocks anybody that is not respectful.

Starting point is 00:45:57 No sir, I can't do any live stuff and I don't want to do any Micah stuff. Just lunch if you're available. It's a country place. Good sweet tea. I can't do it today because of this car, but we don't have to do the live there. We can do like before, but with no one but you and the questions in the chat. Kind of like what you are doing already, but on live so it doesn't look scripted.

Starting point is 00:46:22 No time soon, but I'll let you know. Thanks. All right. There is a term for what you just heard and it is called quid pro quo. And I know that some fictional journalists in fictional shows like House of Cards might make little deals like that. But in real life, we are generally barred from accepting meals from sources and definitely barred from essentially saying I'll do this personal boundary crossing thing you're asking me to do

Starting point is 00:46:53 with you if you give me the story. Now JP and Jan chatted over the next few days about random rumors swirling around solid rock like that time animal control was on the property because apparently someone lost their dog. And on June 18th, Jan asked JP why the cops were at his house. I was filling out a report against Robbie Harvey. He has people following me, harassing me, stalking me, and posting pictures of me at locations

Starting point is 00:47:22 where I'm with people whose lives are at risk due to him. He's putting lives at risk. For real? That's insane. Children are getting death threats due to his posts and allegations. Wait, Courtney just said Robbie just made a post about it. And, for the record, I was not with Susie Skinner in Charleston. I was with two people whom I can't discuss due to a court order.

Starting point is 00:47:47 Okay, JP, we will get back to your alibi eventually because it still doesn't make any sense. And we're pretty certain that he's referring to the two children he was barred from visiting in the May 29th order. We're not sure why he's saying he can't say that he was with his kids, because that's not what the court order says. Anyway, what is this man's deal with Robbie?

Starting point is 00:48:13 Why wouldn't Robbie be his legal priority number one? In these texts and so many others, JP clearly seems threatened by Robbie. So why not make him lawsuit number one? Why not seek a restraining order through federal court if he is so sure that Robbie has people following him and harassing him? The chummy text continued. Here is David again as Jan, and Jim Bannon from the Bannon Law Group as JP. I haven't given anyone info about how I feel about everything.

Starting point is 00:48:50 I have stayed neutral. Suzie Skinner was not at the meeting at the church. Robbie lies, and it hurts so many people. Send screenshot of Robbie's post. Tell them iPhone Guru is allowed near me, not Robby stinking Harvey, nor his paid stalkers. Okay, I need to pause on two things. There is no such thing as neutral reporting when you are telling a story with so much evidence of evil involved.

Starting point is 00:49:19 Journalists are supposed to tell the truth and follow the facts. Staying neutral, just to score an interview with an alleged abuser, makes you just as bad as the abuser. Especially when JP deserved every molecule of pressure upon him. I know Jan did not go to journalism school, but if Jan wants to be protected as a journalist, he should learn this. Journalists aim for the truth. JP has proven himself incapable of telling the truth, and Jan is doing no one a service by stroking JP's ego.

Starting point is 00:49:57 But you heard that part where JP said that iPhone Guru, AKA Jan, is allowed near him, right? This was way after two of the three incidents that JP used to justify that restraining order against Jan. Huh. More on that in a minute. We'll be right back. Anyway, JP and Jan continued to chat about lunch over the next few days and they sent odd text messages that I don't know guys it kind of looks like flirting to me but y'all decide lol

Starting point is 00:50:52 where are you at heading to the north end of the beach to do a job coffee pick had to get coffee why does everyone love that place my first time trying it you must be a car guy too to spot my truck so quickly. It's the black wheels and the tape on the back, lol. And if you not seen my car, yes, I'm a car guy going to Cars and Coffee in James Island Sunday at noon. Wow, so cool. I love car shows. Can I drive the DeLorean down there? Ha ha, no tags yet. Shh. Everybody already knows that California fake tag. It's been posted everywhere, so be careful.

Starting point is 00:51:32 Ugh, dang. I have two tickets to the Beach Boy concert at Alabama Theater at 3.30. If you wanna come, so far it's just me, sideways smiley. Unfortunately, I'm working. What was that? Beach Boys?

Starting point is 00:51:47 Car shows? Fake license plates? Also, Leadfoot JP, Mr. Traffic Court himself, driving a freaking back-to-the-future mobile around Myrtle Beach while the eyes of the world are on him, including the FBI, and then claiming his privacy is being breached by the people he is suing is next level audacity.

Starting point is 00:52:10 And good job, Horry County and Myrtle Beach Police. JP is so comfy with y'all that he apparently drove around with fake tags for months because he knew that he can manipulate y'all like he does everyone else. Then the chummy chats continued, and they got weirder. It's clear that these two wanted something from the other. Jan allegedly wanted content from JP to make his TikTok channel go wild. And JP, well, I think JP was lonely and looking for someone to manipulate. Bro, can I stop by and get a good video of the DeLorean?

Starting point is 00:52:52 Sure, you can open doors, etc. Okay, pulling up now, thank you. You coming out? I won't put you on video. No, I may get you a Lamborghini tonight. I do have your permission to video it and come on your property, correct? Yes. Okay, thank you. I'm at your driveway. K. LOL, your mom drove by as I was videoing it. I know she called. I'm coming. You gone?

Starting point is 00:53:15 Pulling back up. Okay, I might be getting too into the weeds here because I think this bro on bro conversation is fascinating. But the point is that these text messages make both of these men look bad and not credible. JP does not seem to be afraid of Jan in any way, shape or form. In fact, he appears to want to be friends with him and impress him. And Jan is playing right into JP's traps

Starting point is 00:53:42 because he wants that exclusive content, bro. Think about how messy this is for a restraining order. If Micah could not get a restraining order after JP put trackers on her car and allegedly razors in her tires and had her fearing for her life, then it is a whole different level of absurdity and cruelty, honestly, that JP got this restraining order when he was actively trying to be around this dude all summer long. Even after her death, Micah is still showing the world the cruel contrast between a man

Starting point is 00:54:20 and a woman in our justice system. So one more example of this cozy relationship before we get to the breakup. This text from Jan was sent at 10 57 p.m. on July 9th, 2024. Found you something on Marketplace, iEmojis, link of a Lego DeLorean. I love stuff like that.

Starting point is 00:54:44 If you ever want to see some super cool comics or He-Man figures, LMK. That's the car you need to get, the General Lee. I had one. Actually, I had two. Why would you ever get rid of that? It's so iconic. Kids complained about the backseat,

Starting point is 00:55:00 first one someone bought for me in 2015. Some church peeps complained about me having it, so I got rid of it. 2018, got another one. Kids hated it, and I didn't have money for two cars at the time. All right, who bought JP Miller a General Lee car in 2015 when he was going through a nasty divorce

Starting point is 00:55:23 with the wife he cheated on and claiming to the court that he had little money for child support. General Lee Carr, by the way, seems to be a reference to the Dukes of Hazzard. It's a car that's painted like the Confederate flag. A few days later, on July 19th, Jan texted JP to ask if he could swing by Solid Rock to get a video of him eating peaches off JP's tree, and JP said no. But then he said he had pears in his back yard. Did he want Jan to come over to his house to take a picture of him eating fruit, also peaches and pears? What the heck is going on there?

Starting point is 00:56:00 Keep in mind, this is a few days after Jan's TikTok account posted a video of a lonesome JP outside of Solid Rock with the caption, JP Miller upset no one wants to come over and video him. So either these two had some kind of flirty deal that wasn't in text messages provided the court where they pretended to publicly dislike each other or JP was completely unaware of what was happening on Jan's TikTok pages, which by the way, proclaimed the hashtag justice for Micah everywhere,

Starting point is 00:56:30 which is not a neutral stance, is it? We know from his 2025 lawsuits, JP doesn't consider that a neutral stance. Anyway, maybe JP didn't see those videos until later in the summer when it looks like the bromance started to fall apart. On June 30th, Jan texted JP, I'm behind you. Where are we going to lunch?

Starting point is 00:56:52 But JP never responded according to those texts. Then on August 3rd, Jan Lancaster posted a five minute video called the story of Guru where he selectively chose texts between him and JP throughout their summer bromance and explained that the two had had an argument on July 30th. In the restraining order documents JP claimed that this happened on August 3rd but I think he might have just been lazy and went from the video date that was posted August 3rd. Anyway, August 3rd was the one other incident JP used to document alleged harassment from Jan saying Jan followed him to his house to the mall, which basically

Starting point is 00:57:32 Jan admitted to in this video. So at the mall, JP apparently confronted Guru and they had an argument. The argument was not over how JP treated Micah, his ex-wife, his children, or the church members who supported him. It was about what Jan appears to care about the most. Content. JP apparently had given Jan verbal permission to use a video of his on Jan's TikTok account and a TikTok user named True Crime Rhee. Remember her?

Starting point is 00:58:04 JP's bestie who is obsessed with posting JP's side of the story all summer. Allegedly Rhee got Jan's account shut down for publishing content he didn't have permission to use. Meaning the video he says JP had allegedly given him permission to use. So that is where JP drew the line with Jan. They were fighting over content. And that is where Jan apparently drew the line with Jan. They were fighting over content.

Starting point is 00:58:25 And that is where Jan apparently drew the line with JP. Content. Not all the horrific texts we've seen, not the medical documents, not all the police reports, nothing to do with the evidence of abuse showing who JP really is. He wanted to be on JP's good side for his account to be back up and running. During that conversation, according to Jan, JP said he wasn't religious and Jan included that bit in his little bromance breakup video. As if it mattered that JP didn't consider himself religious when this man's actions

Starting point is 00:58:57 already show he isn't. Why would it matter if he regards himself as religious anyway? He had to have known that was going to lead to some self-righteous moment of I'm not religious, I'm spiritual. Anyway, it mattered to JP. JP saw the video on August 5th and sent a long breakup text according to the documents. JP I trusted you man, and you deceived me, lied to me, and you twisted everything. If you're religious, then you must believe in karma. Me? I'm not religious at all.

Starting point is 00:59:28 I believe in the Bible. The Bible says that you reap what you sow. As of now, I forgive you for everything you have done against me and I turn you over to Jesus. God bless. I gave you a chance to show me what type of pastor you are and to do what's right and to be and to show me that you are decent human being. Do you know what true crime re did by saying

Starting point is 00:59:50 that was her intellectual property was wrong and you know it was your content not hers but instead of you saying to me quote I will take care of it and send me a video and doing what is right after I told you the revenue that comes from that page pays for the rent for the home over my child's head just from the promotions for products. Instead you tell me you will see what you can, that you have to talk to Sherry because she has always taken care of you and then you speak of karma and believing in the Bible?

Starting point is 01:00:26 If you believe in either one of those two things, you would have done what was right and made that video for me and allowed me to get the page put back up so I could afford to keep a roof over my child's head. But now I have a video and an audio recording from you Stating that you don't mind me covering all of your stuff which gives me permission to pull anything from her page that has to do with you and Posted with no repercussions Just be lucky. I have her blocked and I don't care what she posts as far as karma goes I know I have nothing but good karma coming towards me.

Starting point is 01:01:13 Oh, Jan, that is not the own you think it is. First of all, funny how in just one summer, TikTok changed from something this man was getting quote unquote like 35 bucks from to essential income to pay his rent. Newsflash, Jan, if you have to depend on a fragile relationship with a churchy business bro man baby to pay your rent, then you have no business calling yourself a reporter. You are a content creator out for entertainment

Starting point is 01:01:45 and like you said, for money. You need to put food on the table with this job apparently and you admittedly needed to work with a monster on your side to do that. So that's where this business of trying to blur the lines between content creators and journalists and putting them in the same category is dangerous.

Starting point is 01:02:07 JP and Jan continued to argue about the Bible in a way that was so pathetic I'm not even going to have David or Jim read it, but premium members can read it in the link in the description. Here is how this whole thing ended. I can tell you this. One, I care about you, which is why I've always been nice, knowing you're profiting off of me and hurting me. Two, I've studied every word of the King James Bible, the Greek NT and the Hebrew OT, and I can promise it says, God will deal with anyone who attacks his church or his people.

Starting point is 01:02:42 The only sect that lasts until the end of time is the church. So good luck with Jesus. I hope you see him one day. That page was not about hate towards you or the church. It was just media coverage of the events happening and you know that. As far as Micah is concerned, I know for a fact I will meet her in heaven. I also know I will see Jesus in heaven, and my name is written in the book of life." JP said, good luck with Jesus. I'm sorry, but regardless of your own spiritual views, think about that. This whole little petty drama, and JP is saying that Jesus Christ himself would be like, you know what Jan? I don't like how you treated JP Miller, the owner and

Starting point is 01:03:33 creator of Solid Rock Ministries in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States of America. I know I'm the peaceful, gentle, loving son of God who tried to save humanity and all, but now you've changed me. I've become a different son of God. And that's because of you, Jan. Hope you like kidney punches because this is for JP Miller. Seriously, will you look at JP weaponizing God and the church again? Anyway, this is all just to say that this is why we believe the court should consider JP's lawsuit against Jan to be a separate matter from JP's lawsuits against the protesters, meaning it should be considered on its own merits rather than get lumped into the singular injustice that is occurring right

Starting point is 01:04:15 now with the people who are in this strictly to fight for accountability and awareness. We're not saying that Jan doesn't care about the justice for Micah Cos, and we're not saying JP isn't using the court to intimidate or silence Jan. We're not saying that Jan doesn't care about the justice for Micah Cos, and we're not saying JP isn't using the court to intimidate or silence Jan. We're not saying that JP was justified in any way in getting that restraining order against Jan last fall. We're saying, based on the evidence that Jan seems to have provided to the court, Jan blurred the lines with JP and he blurred the lines with journalism. Despite Jan's insistence that he was a neutral party, it's not hard to see why JP might

Starting point is 01:04:46 have considered Jan to be on his side and why he might have felt betrayed, at least based on what we've seen. Jan admitted in the video that he had followed JP to get JP to sign over the rights of JP's own video to Jan. It's notable that Jan posted that video without a written release, because that's another thing a journalist doesn't do. If you're going to use someone's creative content, and especially someone like JP,

Starting point is 01:05:10 who is talking about monetization and suing people and becoming a millionaire and spewing disdain for other creators and displaying chaotic, erratic behavior, you gotta get their permission writing. Lastly, Jan claims that he's making no money from his JP and micro-related content while also claiming he needed the money he said he wasn't earning from that content to pay the rent.

Starting point is 01:05:32 We get that circumstances change as stories progress, but Jan went the route of virtue signaling to JP to gain favor with him, a competitive advantage even. Jan portrayed himself as in it for the so-called right reasons, while another creator he named was supposedly in it to monetize. Again, be in it for the truth. Truth and integrity in reporting is what can lead to a reliable source of income to sustain

Starting point is 01:05:59 the work you're doing, not following a weirdo into a mall parking lot so you guys can go toes. At the end of the day, in our opinion, the texts show that Jan had a quid pro quo relationship of some sort with JP that appears to have backfired. And that is not what was happening with the protesters. If Jan is looking for a pro bono lawyer, he is welcome to check out any number of resources out there that offer that service to journalists, such as the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press out of Washington, D.C. Jan can, you know, see what they have to say about all of this.

Starting point is 01:06:39 We'll be right back. With that said, we want to introduce you all to Justice for Micah protest leader, Ali Quazo, and let her tell you about the movement and how she feels now that she is facing four. Yes, four lawsuits from JP and his solid rock cronies. His papa, Wayne Miller, a young church member named Dylan Mark Furting, and Christina Best. Allie, who is a Myrtle Beach native, has been leading the legal protests outside of JP Miller's churchy business at 803 Howard Avenue in the Market Common neighborhood since May. She started as an attendee at the protest that was held on Mother's Day after Micah's death and something inspired her to keep the movement

Starting point is 01:07:31 going. What happened was on May 5th, a wonderful woman who I don't think she wants her name out there, she started the very first protest, the huge one, with I would say hundreds of people. And that feeling of being there gave me a sense of empowerment and I was making a difference, even though I was just one person in a very large crowd. It's still an amazing same feeling. And the Monday or the Sunday after that was Mother's Day. And that was when things were leaking out about the alleged abuse. And I kind of was looking around online, like why aren't we still protesting or doing something to let him know that we're not going to let this die down in two weeks. So it started off with, I'm sure you're aware of Jackie, we just lost her last month, unfortunately,

Starting point is 01:08:35 but she was the one helping me the most behind the scenes to get it up and started. And then once it was started, we just said we knew we're not stopping. Unfortunately, Jackie died of health issues in January, and I wanted to dedicate this episode to her. This is another reason why this group of women need our support right now. They have had a month of shock and trauma. Allie said that it was important for her to do her part to let JP know that the pressure to get justice for Micah

Starting point is 01:09:09 wasn't just going to disappear in two weeks, like he so badly hoped that it would. Not only was it just Micah's story and the little bits and pieces we were getting, like in May, but also it's the fact that this is a beautiful community at Market Commons. It's not very new, but it's pretty new.

Starting point is 01:09:33 I would say within the last like 15 years, it was all built, used to be the old Air Force Base. It's beautiful and I will admit, Solid Rock was a beautiful building and it looked so nice in the neighborhood. And for a pastor to have done the things that he's been accused of doing, I couldn't, I couldn't let people keep going in there without warning them.

Starting point is 01:10:06 couldn't let people keep going in there without warning them. Not only is there potentially abusers in that building, but we also know what other kind of individuals can be in that building. And we don't know all the crimes that have been committed. We only know, you know, what Allison Williams put in her affidavit and what Micah accused him of. But it's a scary thought that anybody can walk into a church and seek comfort and the word of God and me, John Paul Miller. Allie said that this approach of gently warning members of Solid Rock what JP is accused of, particularly when they have given them legal documents so that they can see evidence for themselves without slant. That has been somewhat effective. In our opinion, it's a very thoughtful,

Starting point is 01:10:55 smart, and responsible thing to do. It is not just mobs of protesters screaming as JP makes them out to be. Ali said that protesters and church members have been able to conduct civil discussions and week by week attendance at Solid Rock is dwindling. JP claimed to have around 700 members at his church before Micah died, with members overflowing every nearby parking lot on Sundays.

Starting point is 01:11:25 Now Allie says it's about less than 30 members, and their cars don't even fill up the parking lot that was once bustling when Micah was First Lady of Solid Rock. Some of them have never even heard the term religious abuse or spiritual abuse, and that's also something I learned actually the month that Micah passed away. I was doing my internship at Coastal and we had a huge lesson on religious abuse. And I was like, I'm not really sure what this is, but going into the field that I'm going into, I want to learn more about this. And as soon as Micah passed and I heard how religious she was and how allegedly the church was used against her and whatnot, I was kind

Starting point is 01:12:15 of mind blown at the timing. It was almost like a, I don't want to say a perfect storm, but perfect timing where I learned something new and then I saw it in real life in my own backyard. And the church members, they don't want to believe anything. So we kind of urge them to read only legal documents. Like, you know, you don't have to read things that could possibly be untrue, but we have had civil and respectful conversations with a few of them, a select few. But not all of the Cherokee business believers have been civil with the protesters.

Starting point is 01:13:03 And they've said, we're witches and warlocks. And John Paul Miller allegedly has told them that we're just doing the devil's work. And I just, I don't have words. It's really sad because you can tell it's brainwashing, but at some point, who's going to step in and help these people? I don't think all of them are bad. I think a lot of them are lost and need guidance and they're not getting it.

Starting point is 01:13:36 Unlike iPhone Guru, Ali hasn't had any casual chit chats with John Paul Miller. But during one protest last July, JP Miller did try to speak with Allie when tensions were starting to rise between protesters and the churchy business believers. It was the day of the sprinklers. He came outside clapping because it was a large group and he asked for the protest organizer. So he was pointed in my direction. He came up to me and asked if I would go in the church with him to talk. I said no. As soon as I said no, he goes and turns the sprinklers on because he's not used to women telling him no,

Starting point is 01:14:22 and I don't think he likes that. That was the same day that Robert Lachell got charged with five assaults for picking up that sprinkler, because it wasn't just a regular sprinkler, it was pressurized. And there were, you know, we were all survivors out there of something on Micah's list. And some girls were wearing white shirts that got wet. One girl just had eye surgery that got sprayed in the face. And it's those little things that he gets his congregation to do for him. I said no to going in the church because I couldn't understand why, if he had something to say to me, why can't he just pull me aside outside

Starting point is 01:15:07 with a police officer, you know, beside me and have a conversation? If there was nothing nefarious in his mind, you know, why couldn't we have kept it outside? The audacity of JP to think that a woman who was well aware of everything he is accused of doing in Micah's list would ever want to go anywhere, alone, with him, for a sit-down chat.

Starting point is 01:15:37 I think Allie shocked him when she did not do what he wanted her to do. JP learned in that moment, not everyone involved here is looking for exclusive access to him or any access at all. Anyway, tensions between the protesters and JP have been ticking upward with time. Since January 5th, JP Miller and his three co-conspirators in legal bullying have filed a combined 33 lawsuits,

Starting point is 01:16:06 many of which, if not all, have included motions for restraining orders. So far, at least three of those cases have been dismissed. Sources have told us that many of the defendants are working on counterclaims, including motions for reimbursement of attorney fees. Another hearing is scheduled for February 26th in at least three of the defendant's cases,

Starting point is 01:16:33 including Allie's. And Allie can't say that she was shocked by JP's 33 lawsuits filed this month. We feared it was coming because we learned his history with the legal system. So we kind of always expected it. And when I saw online that he was suing me

Starting point is 01:16:56 and getting a restraining order, I was completely unbothered. I was like, okay, next step is to just get a lawyer. And I found one outside of Myrtle Beach because allegedly he lawyer shopped all around Myrtle Beach, so we couldn't use anyone here. And one thing I did not expect was to read the lawsuit and start laughing. Honestly, I read it, I was reading it with my lawyer too. And he was just laughing. Honestly, I was reading it with my lawyer too and he was just laughing. Ali said that the Justice for Micah movement has changed her life for better and worse.

Starting point is 01:17:36 She too unfortunately gets harassed by random TikTok accounts on a weekly basis. However, the protesters have found community with each other, all sharing the common goal of raising awareness of coercive control and seeking accountability for how Micah was treated. So I had a personal trauma happen in 2017. And after that, I got diagnosed with severe PTSD, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and depression. And like in those eight years, as I was healing from one trauma, another would happen.

Starting point is 01:18:16 And so I never really fully healed. And during that period, I feel like I lost my voice. I was so emotionally detached from everything. I was isolating myself. I was already an introvert, but I became even more of an introvert. And I think protesting and starting the Justice for Micah protest just broke me out of the shell that PTSD and everything had put me in. So it gave me my voice back. It gave me my confidence back. I won't say I'm perfect and I don't get triggered because I absolutely do.

Starting point is 01:19:12 Yeah, I have found a love for advocacy and I'm in my last semester of getting my bachelor's in psychology. So I did a career change. I am gonna go to get my master's in clinical therapy with a focus on trauma. And I really wanna help those like Micah who were allegedly abused by coercive control and the regular domestic violence that we all know because coercive control is just so, it's not known. And so for a victim, I feel like they really need someone to be like, that is abuse, that's not okay.

Starting point is 01:20:02 And just because it doesn't leave a mark doesn't mean it's not abuse." Alli said once she got past the initial whiplash of getting hit with four lawsuits, and the GoFundMe has helped calm her nerves with paying for a lawyer to represent a group of them. And after she and her lawyer took a serious look at JP's silly allegations and lack of evidence, she is more inspired than ever to continue to fight for Micah. I think it'll have the opposite effect, mostly because we're seeing what he did in the past, allegedly abusing the legal system. And it only makes I'm just going to speak for myself because yes, there are a lot of people involved in these lawsuits and some of them might be scared. So I don't want to discredit their feelings. So I just want to say I'm speaking for myself. It only makes me want to be louder, honestly.

Starting point is 01:21:00 And speak the truth more. Keep getting louder. To donate to the protestors' fight against JP, check the link for the GoFundMe in the description. Stay tuned, stay pesky, and stay in the sunlight. True Sunlight is a Lunashark production created by me, Manny 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. Hey there, EB here, your faithful Cup of Justice co-host. I am so excited to tell

Starting point is 01:22:06 you about my new book, Anything But Bland. In this memoir, I share stories about my childhood marked by bullying, my father's job loss, and the indomitable spirit that propelled me into the law and ultimately international recognition during the Alex Murdoch murder trial. I believe in certain life principles that have helped me and helped others achieve success. From the power of organization and a sense of urgency to the importance of truth, leadership and resilience. With vivid recollection from challenges and triumphs framing each chapter, success isn't about luck.

Starting point is 01:22:44 It's earned through skill and hard work. Please visit TheErikBland.com to learn more about the book, Anything But Bland is the manifesto for those seeking triumph over adversity and a guide for anyone aspiring to reach their full potential.

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