SC - Mica Miller, 30 yr old Found Deceased - Pastors Wife's Death Being Investigated, May 2024 #2

[imstilla.grandma]

As for the death investigation, Ward said the family is still awaiting the results of Mica’s toxicology report to find out if Mica had lithium in her system. Ward claims John-Paul was prescribed lithium and gave it to Mica to subdue her so he could exert control over her. Ward said Mica had stopped taking the medication, but she suspects John-Paul might have gotten to Mica before she died and somehow gave her lithium, which would explain Mica’s sluggish demeanor on surveillance video from the day she killed herself.

“He claims that she was diagnosed with these mental illnesses and was on lithium. According to her, she didn’t know she’d been diagnosed or what her medication was because he always controlled the medication. He administered the medication. In fact, he has admitted that he would cut her pills up and give them to her,” Ward told Court TV.

“If you take too much of it or you’re overmedicated, you go into delirium, and that’s what she — that’s what her demeanor reminded me of when I watched all of the video footage.”

Mica Miller's family eyes wrongful death suit against John-Paul Miller

Mica Miller's family is looking into filing a wrongful death lawsuit against John-Paul Miller, family attorney Regina Ward told Court TV.

www.courttv.com

 

[bestill]

As for the death investigation, Ward said the family is still awaiting the results of Mica’s toxicology report to find out if Mica had lithium in her system. Ward claims John-Paul was prescribed lithium and gave it to Mica to subdue her so he could exert control over her. Ward said Mica had stopped taking the medication, but she suspects John-Paul might have gotten to Mica before she died and somehow gave her lithium, which would explain Mica’s sluggish demeanor on surveillance video from the day she killed herself.

“He claims that she was diagnosed with these mental illnesses and was on lithium. According to her, she didn’t know she’d been diagnosed or what her medication was because he always controlled the medication. He administered the medication. In fact, he has admitted that he would cut her pills up and give them to her,” Ward told Court TV.

“If you take too much of it or you’re overmedicated, you go into delirium, and that’s what she — that’s what her demeanor reminded me of when I watched all of the video footage.”

Mica Miller's family eyes wrongful death suit against John-Paul Miller

Mica Miller's family is looking into filing a wrongful death lawsuit against John-Paul Miller, family attorney Regina Ward told Court TV.

www.courttv.com

Glad to know they are doing toxicology testing. Should have done an autopsy.

 

[Gunslinging Granny]

^RSBM for focus.

I thought that dead bodies immediately sink in water? Then much later, decomposition gasses cause the body to float back up. Per the interview with her father, the gun was found in the area of those casings and her belongings, in the waters edge. If a claim that she floated 40 meters from the gun is false because the dead sink and there is no current there, then did she shoot herself, drop the gun, then stumble 40 meters to where she was found?

PS The entirety of the Lumber River is a federally protected National Wild and Scenic River. I have no idea if this creates a cojurisdiction with federal authorities like a reservation or national park or military, but it is interesting.

In addition, Mica was thin. She didn’t have a lot of body fat which would make her body float. She should have sunk to the bottom.

 

[Kudzuu]

And while following Mica, I am constantly reminded of a very recent case in NH (Ashley Turcott) who had her own way with her suicide. She worked with the town hall of this tiny town, so when she parked her car in the town hall parking lot, leaving it unlocked with all personal items, I think she felt she would be easily found, so made no 911 call. They searched and searched. Just not far enough into the deep woods.
There is just something about that long. Final. walk into the woods...

IMO it is peaceful in the woods. Go out there in nature and just find a spot and let go of all your worries, pain and suffering.

Rest in peace.

 

[SouthAussie]

Is she wearing it in the pawn store video? Her family hasn't mentioned this at all in their recent interviews with the various Youtubers. Pretty good way to either validate or disprove some things, including her heart rate. Would it work that way or no?

We had a case here in South Australia, back in 2016 and went to trial in 2018, where they could see the 7 minute window in which the murder victim was killed, via her smartwatch.


Ms Matteo said a forensic expert had analysed the dead woman's smartwatch and had narrowed the time from when she was attacked to when she died to a seven-minute window.
She said the data showed a burst of heavy activity, consistent with the woman being the victim of an "ambush-type" attack followed by a period of less activity when she possibly lost consciousness.

Ms Matteo said the watch stopped recording the woman's heart rate soon after.
"The prosecution accumulates those timings and the information about energy levels, movement, heart rate, to lead to a conclusion that the deceased must have been attacked at around 6.38pm and had certainly died by 6.45pm," she said.

Smartwatch data key evidence in SA murder - 9News

A South Australian woman has been refused bail after being charged with the murder of her mother-in-law.

www.9news.com.au

 

[tezi]

who needs an energy drink and fills their gas tank just prior (1 hour) to unaliving themselves?

I have been asking myself the same question....

 

[Poedelini]

who needs an energy drink and fills their gas tank just prior (1 hour) to unaliving themselves?

This type of stuff happens so much with suicide, it is not strange in any way.
People can just engage in life until the moment of suicide.
This is my experience in my work at a mental health hotline and also my personal experience. My dad killed himself and he is very particular in getting everything ready for the next day and he did. And then he commited suicide.
Jmo

 

[nhmemorymaker]

We had a case here in South Australia, back in 2016 and went to trial in 2018, where they could see the 7 minute window in which the murder victim was killed, via her smartwatch.


Ms Matteo said a forensic expert had analysed the dead woman's smartwatch and had narrowed the time from when she was attacked to when she died to a seven-minute window.
She said the data showed a burst of heavy activity, consistent with the woman being the victim of an "ambush-type" attack followed by a period of less activity when she possibly lost consciousness.

Ms Matteo said the watch stopped recording the woman's heart rate soon after.
"The prosecution accumulates those timings and the information about energy levels, movement, heart rate, to lead to a conclusion that the deceased must have been attacked at around 6.38pm and had certainly died by 6.45pm," she said.

Smartwatch data key evidence in SA murder - 9News

A South Australian woman has been refused bail after being charged with the murder of her mother-in-law.

www.9news.com.au

Didn't they get similar results in Samantha s case??

 

[SouthAussie]

Didn't they get similar results in Samantha s case??

Yes, we think so. We will find out at the trial.
Smartwatches can be very important in determining what happened to a deceased person, and in determining if a missing person is likely deceased (by downloading their smartwatch data from the cloud).

imo

 

[Knox]

This type of stuff happens so much with suicide, it is not strange in any way.
People can just engage in life until the moment of suicide.
This is my experience in my work at a mental health hotline and also my personal experience. My dad killed himself and he is very particular in getting everything ready for the next day and he did. And then he commited suicide.
Jmo

I'm sorry for the loss of your Dad, thank you for sharing your first hand knowledge with us.

I don't find those details strange either, in other cases besides Mica's we see the same thing. Actions which don't make sense within the larger context of taking your own life. I'm deeply affected by thinking about the last moments of someone in this situation. The "if only" opportunities which could have prevented/interrupted such a permanent decision.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

We had a case here in South Australia, back in 2016 and went to trial in 2018, where they could see the 7 minute window in which the murder victim was killed, via her smartwatch.


Ms Matteo said a forensic expert had analysed the dead woman's smartwatch and had narrowed the time from when she was attacked to when she died to a seven-minute window.
She said the data showed a burst of heavy activity, consistent with the woman being the victim of an "ambush-type" attack followed by a period of less activity when she possibly lost consciousness.

Ms Matteo said the watch stopped recording the woman's heart rate soon after.
"The prosecution accumulates those timings and the information about energy levels, movement, heart rate, to lead to a conclusion that the deceased must have been attacked at around 6.38pm and had certainly died by 6.45pm," she said.

Smartwatch data key evidence in SA murder - 9News

A South Australian woman has been refused bail after being charged with the murder of her mother-in-law.

www.9news.com.au

*A similar case. Poor Melody
According to the complaints, investigators were able to track Hoffman’s activity through her iPhone and Apple Watch to determine that she was picked up by Louisma and Van Patten the night before her body was discovered.

Investigators said Hoffman was at Morgan Creek Park when her Apple Watch recorded her “heartbeat intensify before it either stopped or the device deactivated,” according to the complaints

IA - Melody Hoffman, 20, kidnapped, murdered & dumped near lake, Apple Watch showed moment it stopped tracking her heartbeat, Marion, 18 Feb 2024

Three Iowa men were arrested in connection to the kidnapping and killing of a 20-year-old woman whose body was found dumped near a lake, police announced. McKinley Louisma, 23, and Dakota Lyle Van Patten, 18, were arrested and charged on Wednesday with kidnapping and murder in connection to the...

www.websleuths.com

*Melody's mom is a member and poster

 

[Claroon]

I think the most likely scenario is that she waded in approximately 40 meters from her belongings and that is where she ended her life. imo

The quote below makes it sound as if the gun was found near her.
ETA
Mica Miller's final hours: NC sheriff releases findings of Myrtle Beach woman's death

As law enforcement continued the search, E911 received a call from someone who said a body was in the water. Law enforcement responded to the location and contacted the North Carolina Medical Examiner’s Office. The victim was identified as Mica Miller.

“A Sig Sauer 9mm handgun was located in the water at the crime scene during the search of the area,” according to the sheriff’s office. “The serial number on the weapon matched the gun box that was found in Miller’s Honda Accord.”

I don't have the article handy this was in, but the weapon was found much later.

• 5:30 p.m., detectives arrive at fisherman’s location
• 5:54 p.m., crime scene technicians and medical examiner arrive
• 7:11 p.m., Sig Sauer 9-millimeter found in water

EDIT TO ADD:

• 4:23 p.m., another person contacts Robeson County dispatch saying he located a body in the water while fishing from a kayak

 

[SandyQLS]

I think the most likely scenario is that she waded in approximately 40 meters from her belongings and that is where she ended her life. imo

The quote below makes it sound as if the gun was found near her.
ETA
Mica Miller's final hours: NC sheriff releases findings of Myrtle Beach woman's death

As law enforcement continued the search, E911 received a call from someone who said a body was in the water. Law enforcement responded to the location and contacted the North Carolina Medical Examiner’s Office. The victim was identified as Mica Miller.

“A Sig Sauer 9mm handgun was located in the water at the crime scene during the search of the area,” according to the sheriff’s office. “The serial number on the weapon matched the gun box that was found in Miller’s Honda Accord.”

Yes, that article paints a certain picture - but that conflicts with statements by both Mica's father and her sister Sierra who insist the gun was located near her belongings, and that place is 40 meters from where her body was found.

The video below is News Nation/Ashley Banfield, only 4:49 minutes. At 1:20 Sierra plays her video of the scene at the swamp and explains the improbability of Mica's body floating to where it was located. The family placed a pink flower arrangement where Mica's body was located, to the right onscreen. Her belongings were located in the distant left past where there is a red birdbox in a tree. At 1:47 the male reporter points to the upper left screen where Mica's belongings were found and he asks: "And the gun was found up here?" Sierra replies with an affirmative: "Ah-hum. There's no logical explanation for this."

When the body dies, circulation stops, muscles all relax. Gases in the lungs and colon will expel, sometimes also liquids or solids. The body will not float, it will sink. There are too numerous to count examples of a child found on the bottom of a swimming pool; of rescue searchers, divers, looking for persons who might be in water - these efforts are often called off because they know that a drowning victim has sunk. Last one I remember, a non-swimmer caught in a rip tide, washed up on a beach shore after about a month.

IMO it is a Hollywood contrivance that the recently dead float in water. Movies would be boring if the victim just sunk, nothing to see. But LE should have immediately known it is problem to have a 40 meter distance from gun to body ... or the family misunderstood what they were told about where the gun was found. JMO that gun should be within about a 10-foot radius from a suicide body.

 

[SteveP]

Well, it is 10:10 in Myrtle Beach, and morning service has begun at Solid RockatMyrtleBeach, as they now appear when you Google the church, with zero reviews. Wish we had a local there who could tell us how many people are there and who is "preaching". Also curious as to whether any people are still outside, for Mica. I fear that the heat is pretty much off, and things are already returning to "normal" there.

As an aside, I am surprised that SR apparently does not live stream their services, so that JPM can reach a bigger audience, although if they ever have, they probably are not currently. JMO

 

[Teche]

Well, it is 10:10 in Myrtle Beach, and morning service has begun at Solid RockatMyrtleBeach, as they now appear when you Google the church, with zero reviews. Wish we had a local there who could tell us how many people are there and who is "preaching". Also curious as to whether any people are still outside, for Mica. I fear that the heat is pretty much off, and things are already returning to "normal" there.

As an aside, I am surprised that SR apparently does not live stream their services, so that JPM can reach a bigger audience, although if they ever have, they probably are not currently. JMO

Maybe JP is apologizing for tracking Mica’s vehicle and posting inappropriate pictures online.

 

[NFYIAMY]

What if:

• Mica went to that park to supposedly meet JP - lets say he convinced her that if she met with him he would agree to whatever she wanted as far as divorcing.
• She decides last minute - after getting ready to go to work - to actually go meet him.
• She stops on the way to get a gun - because her gut is telling her she might not be safe to meet him.
• She gets gas and an energy drink in prep for meeting him and then being able to drive back to MB without making a stop.
• when she makes the 911 call -- shes doing it while someone has a gun to her head -- her last plea was please just let me call so my family can find my body - "do this one last thing for me" or say whatever she knew would feed his narcissism.
• when she is on the phone with the 911 operator - she slowly (she's hoping that the dispatcher is immediately sending police to her location). She gives the "details" of where she is - drawn out - and she knows she has to "tell the operator she's going to kill herself" as part of the "deal".
• The line goes dead because the person holding the gun starts to realize what she is doing.
• THEN the fisherman hears the woman crying (because now she's begging for her life)
• Then the shots are fired.

Just a stream of thoughts that keep running my head that seems as much a possibility as anything else making any kind of sense.

 

[di anna]

It is very difficult to fathom that a praise and worship leader would buy a gun and kill
herself. I don't like it. Something is very wrong, it's going to take many voices to get the truth.

 

[airportwoman]

Well, it is 10:10 in Myrtle Beach, and morning service has begun at Solid RockatMyrtleBeach, as they now appear when you Google the church, with zero reviews. Wish we had a local there who could tell us how many people are there and who is "preaching". Also curious as to whether any people are still outside, for Mica. I fear that the heat is pretty much off, and things are already returning to "normal" there.

As an aside, I am surprised that SR apparently does not live stream their services, so that JPM can reach a bigger audience, although if they ever have, they probably are not currently. JMO

I wonder how many of the people there are parishioners, and how many are basically voyeurs, or people who are going to go home and report on it on websites like this one.

 

[Warwick7]

What if:

• Mica went to that park to supposedly meet JP - lets say he convinced her that if she met with him he would agree to whatever she wanted as far as divorcing.
• She decides last minute - after getting ready to go to work - to actually go meet him.
• She stops on the way to get a gun - because her gut is telling her she might not be safe to meet him.
• She gets gas and an energy drink in prep for meeting him and then being able to drive back to MB without making a stop.
• when she makes the 911 call -- shes doing it while someone has a gun to her head -- her last plea was please just let me call so my family can find my body - "do this one last thing for me" or say whatever she knew would feed his narcissism.
• when she is on the phone with the 911 operator - she slowly (she's hoping that the dispatcher is immediately sending police to her location). She gives the "details" of where she is - drawn out - and she knows she has to "tell the operator she's going to kill herself" as part of the "deal".
• The line goes dead because the person holding the gun starts to realize what she is doing.
• THEN the fisherman hears the woman crying (because now she's begging for her life)
• Then the shots are fired.

Just a stream of thoughts that keep running my head that seems as much a possibility as anything else making any kind of sense.

It does sound very plausible. However, she would never meet JP alone anywhere, not anywhere...

 

[starlightstarbright]

What if:

• Mica went to that park to supposedly meet JP - lets say he convinced her that if she met with him he would agree to whatever she wanted as far as divorcing.
• She decides last minute - after getting ready to go to work - to actually go meet him.
• She stops on the way to get a gun - because her gut is telling her she might not be safe to meet him.
• She gets gas and an energy drink in prep for meeting him and then being able to drive back to MB without making a stop.
• when she makes the 911 call -- shes doing it while someone has a gun to her head -- her last plea was please just let me call so my family can find my body - "do this one last thing for me" or say whatever she knew would feed his narcissism.
• when she is on the phone with the 911 operator - she slowly (she's hoping that the dispatcher is immediately sending police to her location). She gives the "details" of where she is - drawn out - and she knows she has to "tell the operator she's going to kill herself" as part of the "deal".
• The line goes dead because the person holding the gun starts to realize what she is doing.
• THEN the fisherman hears the woman crying (because now she's begging for her life)
• Then the shots are fired.

Just a stream of thoughts that keep running my head that seems as much a possibility as anything else making any kind of sense.

I hadn’t been able to see a way that she could have been killed by anyone else before now, given what we know, but actually I think the scenario you’ve described is not that far fetched.