Pastor Indicted for Cyberstalking His Estranged Wife Before Her Death

A South Carolina pastor who allegedly harassed his estranged wife in the months leading up to her suicide has been accused of hiring a private investigator to track her movements.

John Paul Miller, 46, has been formally accused of cyberstalking his wife, Mica Miller, who was 30.

Miller died on April 27, 2024, from what Robeson County Sheriff’s Office authorities determined was suicide. Her body was found in a park in North Carolina, and she died from a single gunshot. The couple legally separated during the fall of 2023.

While the pastor has not been charged with a crime connected to his wife’s death, he was villainized online after reports of Mica’s death made national headlines. What followed were unsubstantiated allegations of physical and emotional abuse.

On Thursday, December 18, Miller, who calls Myrtle Beach home, was indicted on federal charges for his alleged stalking campaign aimed at Mica. Investigators contend he allegedly began cyberstalking his wife in November 2022, with the monitoring campaign continuing up until her death.

John Paul Miller “sent unwanted and harassing communications” and posted a nude photo of Mice online without her consent, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina.

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The full indictment, shared by local station WMBF, alleges that John Paul, believing she must have been having an affair, hired someone to follow Mica. When detectives asked John Paul about the P.I. in October 2024, it is alleged that he admitted hiring the private investigator to ensure she wouldn’t buy a firearm.

Authorities further allege that the husband slashed Mica’s tires during his alleged stalking campaign and installed a device that slowly leaked the air from her tires. Cops also claim he contacted people with access to state registration records, seeking information about her vehicle. He also allegedly placed tracking devices in her vehicle and did things that interfered with her finances.

In one day, the pastor allegedly called his estranged wife over 50 times.

Mica’s relatives have been urging investigators for years to look into John Paul’s behaviors.

FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Moore said John Paul’s “alleged actions were predatory, measured, and inflicted profound trauma to the victim, her family, and loved ones. While this indictment marks the first phase of the criminal process, it represents a crucial step toward accountability. We hope this step offers a measure of peace as the healing continues for the family.”

John Paul faces a maximum of five years in prison for cyberstalking and two years for making false statements to federal investigators if he is convicted, according to the release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of South Carolina.

He also faces a fine of up to $250,000. His arraignment is scheduled for January 12, 2026, in federal court in Florence.

In a 2024 NewsNation interview, John Paul opened up about his wife’s death and widespread speculation about their fractured relationship.

“I didn’t think it was real,” the pastor said of learning she was dead. “I thought her family had made it up and had somebody call me and say that.”

Recalling the day of Mica’s death specifically, John-Paul said he “was in Charleston with about 100 people from my kids’ school” at a soccer tournament. The pastor added that he had also sent his wife “four emails that day.”

Mica’s sister Sierra Francis said in an affidavit filed in court that she had “stated to me on many occasions, ‘If I end up with a bullet in my head, it was JP.’”