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As chatter about the death of a Myrtle Beach pastor鈥檚 wife swirls on social media, becoming national news, family and friends gathered Sunday, May 5, to remember the 30-year-old鈥檚 life.

Mica Miller was found dead just over the South Carolina-North Carolina state border on Saturday, April 27, and her death has been ruled a suicide by investigators.

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Timeline details events leading to Mica Miller鈥檚 death

• By S.T. Cardinal tommy.cardinal@myhorrynews.com

For over a week, gossip has circulated on social media and protesters showed up outside of Solid Rock church Sunday, wearing 鈥淏reak the silence and end domestic violence鈥� t-shirts, with #JusticeforMica written at the bottom.

Hours later, two memorial services were held for Miller at the same time, one at Solid Rock church in Market Common, where her husband served as the lead pastor, and one at the beach organized by her immediate family.

At the beach, friends and family spoke about memories of Miller, placed flowers on the shore and into the Atlantic Ocean, prayed and wrote memories about her on keepsakes for the family.

鈥淏y the grace of God I stand here not crying my face off and not being somebody who feels defeated, because Mica is not defeated. She lives on,鈥� said her father Michael Francis during the memorial service on the beach. 鈥淕reat thanks to everyone who has supported the Francis family and all the respective families. Ours is a family of massive size and strengthening unity. I say that as in, if you鈥檝e been close to Mica in any capacity, in any role of pure intention and action, you, and you, and you all, and you guys, and you, are part of my family, part of Mica鈥檚 family. And we care, because that鈥檚 how she was.鈥�

Francis said during the memorial service that 鈥渢his has been the hardest week leading up to this anybody could ever imagine鈥� and that 鈥測ou鈥檙e looking at the angriest dad in Myrtle Beach right now.鈥� He added that he is immensely grateful for the community support in the aftermath of his daughter鈥檚 death.

Mica Miller was married to John-Paul Miller, who served as lead pastor of Solid Rock at Market Common until he was released from his duties Sunday.

An email sent to the congregation May 5 stated that church overseer Charles Randall 鈥渉ereby release Pastor John-Paul Miller from all ministerial functions for a time of healing, counsel, and guidance, pursuant to our governing instrument.鈥� Randall told MyHorry黑料社入口 Monday, May 6, that John-Paul Miller was not fired, but that he is giving him 鈥渟ome time to do healing.鈥�

鈥淚 am giving him time,鈥� Randall said. 鈥淚鈥檓 giving him some time to do some healing. He鈥檚 not being fired. Time for him to do some healing, get some guidance and that type of stuff.

鈥淭he man just lost his wife who he loved very dearly, and I can tell you that for sure, and he needs to heal. It鈥檚 only been less than two weeks,鈥� he continued.

In the meantime, Randall said 鈥渢he church will go on.鈥�

Mica Miller most recently filed for divorce and court support in April, but had previously filed for divorce in October on grounds of adultery.

Just a month before her most recent filing in April, she spoke with police about her tires being slashed and that her husband had been following her, police records state.

Mica Miller was found dead in Lumber River State Park Saturday, April 27. The Robeson County Sheriff鈥檚 Office, which is investigating Mica鈥檚 death, shared details Tuesday, May 7, about the events leading up to her death, saying she purchased a gun from Dick's Pawn shop in Myrtle Beach before heading north to the state park where she was found dead.

During this time, the sheriff's office said John-Paul Miller was on his way from Charleston to Myrtle Beach with a woman he was romantically involved with.

The next morning, John-Paul Miller performed a sermon at Solid Rock and ended it by announcing his wife鈥檚 death and claiming it was suicide. Here are his comments to the congregation:

鈥淲e鈥檙e not gonna do an altar call today. Instead, I鈥檓 gonna have you stand up and I鈥檓 gonna make an announcement and after the announcement, I鈥檓 gonna ask that you leave church quietly and not talk about the announcement here in the building please if you can. So y鈥檃ll can stand to your feet. Before I make the announcement I also want to say that my request to you is you will continue to come to church and serve and give for the next little bit because I鈥檓 taking a little bit of a break and I don鈥檛 want to have to worry about the church. My break may be for a few days, a few weeks, I don鈥檛 know. I got a call late last night. My wife has passed away. Yeah, it was self induced and it was up in North Carolina. We鈥檙e gonna have a funeral for her next Sunday here at 3 p.m. That鈥檚 all I can鈥� yeah I鈥檓 just kind of going on adrenaline right now. So, y鈥檃ll pray for me and my kids and everybody. Y鈥檃ll knew that she wasn鈥檛 well mentally and that she needed her medicine that was hard to get to her and so, I鈥檓 sure there will be more details to come, but just keep our family in your prayers.鈥�

John-Paul Miller did not respond to phone calls for comment.

During the Sunday, May 5, church service at Solid Rock at Market Common a protest was underway across the street.

Casey Carroll from Conway organized the protest, saying though she didn鈥檛 know Mica Miller, the protest was to demand justice and to call for increased transparency in churches.

Carroll, who said she is involved with ministry herself, said she had a dream that she was at Mica鈥檚 baptism and woke up crying at 2 a.m., which led to her organizing the protest.

The following is a timeline leading up to Mica Miller鈥檚 death, according to public records.

Nov. 7, 2017 - John-Paul and Mica are married.

Sept. 20, 2023 - John-Paul and Mica separate, according to court filings.

Oct. 9 - Mica files for divorce on grounds of adultery, the divorce filing states. In February, the judge dismissed the divorce, writing 鈥渁fter the filing, the parties decided to reconcile their marriage.鈥�

Feb. 23聽- John-Paul files motion for temporary relief after the couple separated again earlier in February. The court filing requests聽that John-Paul be granted exclusive use of the house, a no adverse contact order, an order which prohibits 鈥渟ocial media posts about the other party, any current paramours or spouses, and about any legal actions pending.鈥� The filing also states 鈥渂ecause of the serious nature of the marital difficulties which exist between the parties, plaintiff does now intend to live separate and apart from defendant without any form of cohabitation with her.鈥�

March 11 - Horry County Police Department responded to a request for service after Mica Miller鈥檚 tires were slashed. The report states an 鈥渦nknown person鈥� had been slashing her tires. An officer helped her change her tire and she then went to get gas before replacing the tire at the dealership, according to an HCPD incident report.

Mica Miller told police while at the gas station, John-Paul Miller showed up next to her at the pump and tried to speak with her. Mica Miller then told her husband to go away and that she did not want to talk with him. The report states that when she took her phone out to record him, he left the gas station.

When Mica Miller arrived at the dealership, John-Paul Miller showed up again, according to the report. The following few lines are redacted from the report but it goes on to explain that while police were with Mica Miller, she received a call from John-Paul Miller from a no caller ID number. An officer then told John-Paul Miller that Mica Miller did not want any contact and that if he proceeded, 鈥渨arrants may possibly be written up,鈥� which John-Paul Miller acknowledged, and which was documented on a body worn camera, the report states.

鈥淭he victim advised me she was afraid for her life,鈥� the police report reads.

Mica Miller also told officers she had blocked John-Paul Miller鈥檚 phone numbers but still got calls and texts from him.

After the responding officer left, he received a text from Mica Miller saying that the dealership mechanics found a tracking device on her vehicle, the police report states.

The report states that she then went to the magistrate鈥檚 office to attempt to get a restraining order. The officer met Mica Miller there to retrieve the GPS tracker. The report then reads, 鈥淲hile I was standing out front of the magistrates office with the victim a white in color Honda Accord had slow rolled down Scipio Lane in front of the Magistrates office and the victim stated that was the suspect, in her car driving by.鈥�

April 15 - Mica Miller refiles for divorce, asking for court support. In the filing, public records state she requested a permanent restraining order from her husband, asking that he be 鈥渆njoined and restrained from coming about, abusing, harming, harassing, communicating, threatening, or otherwise interfering with [Mica], [Mica鈥檚] immediate family members, and [Mica鈥檚] close friends in any manner whatsoever.鈥� Court records show a hearing was scheduled for June 5.

April 27 - Mica Miller was found dead.