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MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (BFMG) — Dear House of Representatives, Senators, and/or Chairman and Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee of the Legislative Branch of the State of South Carolina.
As you may be aware, news of Mica Miller’s death has swept the nation and world by storm. Mica was a beautiful, young and vibrant thirty-year-old woman living in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She was well-loved by all who knew her.
Mica was a Christian. She was active in their church, community, foreign missions, and a devoted wife to her husband, a pastor and leader of Solid Rock Ministries, Inc.
On April 27 2024 Mica died from an alleged, self-inflicted gunshot. She was employed at her husband’s church, Solid Rock Ministries, Inc. in Myrtle beach, as the worship leader, youth director, graphic designer, mission’s ambassador, media director, and a myriad of other duties on behalf of the church.
In journals and writings from Mica, she alleged that her husband. “Pastor” John-Paul Miller, emotionally abused her and abused her physically, spiritually, financially, and sexually. According to Mica, Mr. Miller began this process by isolating her from her family/friends, removed her name from bank accounts, took her cellphone which deprived her of contact numbers and a way to call, stole her vehicle and hid it from her, repeatedly put her down, degraded her, threatened to reveal and did reveal private information and semi-nude photos of her, had her investigated for a false crime, and misused the legal process to have her committed for mental evaluations. Some believe that Mica took her life as result of these alleged abuses.
Keep in mind that Mr. Miller has never been arrested for domestic violence or for any other crime against his wife during their entire marriage. Mr. Miller asserts his actions were all attempts to protect her and he contends she was in a bi-polar mania from her being off of her meds.
We urge you to recognize these forms of alleged behavior as abusive, coercive and controlling and consider legislation in honor of Mica Miller titled “Mica’s Law.” Here are the details of alleged abusive, and coercive and controlling acts committed towards Mica Miller before her life ended tragically in what many feel was an escape from the hands of her husband, Pastor John-Paul Miller.
ABUSIVE COERCIVE CONTROL BEHAVIOR EXAMPLES
Allow us to present: Mica’s List
Keep in mind that all of the following allegations were taken from Mica’s verbal story, her diaries, journals, and writing she left behind regarding her husband, John-Paul Miller, referred to as JP, herein. JP has not been arrested or charged with any crime related to Mica ever.
Isolation from family and friends
JP cut her off from family and friends. taking her contact list by confiscating her cell phone and hiding it from her. telling her that her family is using her, or not good people and she should disassociate with them. Forbidding her to spend time with friends or questioning her incessantly about it. So that the harassment outweighs the benefit of having friendships.
Deprivation of basic needs
JP would not let her sleep, keeping her up at night and pulling the covers off of her every time she dozed off. throwing her clothes on the front lawn of their home. Waking her up and screaming at her incessantly to the point that she had to leave to go sleep in her car just to get some peace and rest.
Stalking and tracking whereabouts
JP hired private investigators to follow and track her and put multiple GPS tracking devices on her car. after they separated, he would follow or find her by GPS tracker and then he would drive by very slowly to make sure she saw him. He would walk into any place that she was and go up to the table or area and make a comment or stand afar so she could see he was present.
Monitoring communications
JP took her cellphone, went through her text messages, and call logs, and claims he found 18 people who had texted her that they were willing to listen to her if she wanted to talk about her husband, which he admitted in a recorded sermon. JP Hacked her email, iCloud account, and Facebook account and took over her identity.
Taking control over aspects of life
JP controlled who she could associate with, where she could go, in all aspects of her life, as stated herein and throughout. He took her driver’s license, wallet, purse, car, and house keys, and changed the locks on the doors.
Deprivation of Support Services
JP took her cell phone, her car, Apple Watch, and convinced her she did not “need a lawyer.” From the pulpit, he gave a sermon and chastised her and any women or man that texts his wife that encouraged her to confide in them about her husband, the pastor. Thus, shutting down even a private confidante. She became afraid to speak out.
Expressing worthlessness
JP told her that she was lazy and mentally ill, that her breasts were too small, that her family was ignorant, and they used her, and she was not a good Christian woman if she questioned him or did not submit to him or keep all his dark secrets.
Humiliation degradation and dehumanization
JP forced her to submit to humiliating sexual acts that disgusted her and hurt her. He would tell her she was mentally ill and have her hospitalized against her will. He put her down for having ideas or getting inspired by outside influence, telling her or others that she fell for anything, for example, not smart. JP uploaded a semi-nude photo of his wife to the Internet and later apologized in an email and attempted to minimize the damage by stating it was only up for an hour.
Prevent disclosure to authorities
When Mica would threaten to expose JP, He would ramp up his abuse and tell her that if she was Not a Christian woman, not a dutiful wife, that she was acting like the judge. Only God is the judge and that she was required by the Bible to protect him and not disclose what he did to her. In fact,, according to JP, the Bible says she is supposed to forgive him for his abuse and as a dutiful wife to obey her husband, IE, tolerate the abuse. And if she does not, she is sinning.
Financial abuse
JP removed her from bank accounts and told her she did not need to know how to manage money, but required her to pay her own car payment, car insurance and medical bills.
Threats to hurt individual, their family or themself
If she hinted of exposing JP’s abuse, he threatened to commit suicide, or that he would jump off a bridge. He also made similar threats of she said she wanted to leave or divorce him, or if she refused to return to him after he threw her out. He threatened her family with gun violence. JP threatened to divorce her if she did not obey him and she did not take the pills he gave to her.
Threats to reveal or publish private information
JP would make videos of her in private settings and then threaten to upload them if she did not want what he wanted. He convinced her to send topless picture meant only for the eyes of her husband and he uploaded it to the Internet when she did not comply with his demands.
Assault
JP kept mini guns and knives in their home, he punched holes in the walls during his fits of rage, and said he was on the way, armed and ready, when he demanded she leave her sisters and come home. JP kept her in constant state of panic and fear that she would do something to trigger him.
Rape and non-consensual sexual abuse
While she was hospitalized, JP demanded that she have sex with him while she lay in the hospital bed. JP forced her to perform sexual acts against her will and demanded that she watched him in sexual acts with others, he forced her to sit still so others could touch her body against her will. JP told her and preached on Sunday that if she did not submit to his every request for sex in any manner he desired, then it was her fault if he got his needs fulfilled by another woman or man.
Preventing one from having transportation
JP slashed a total of five of her car tires. He inserted razors in her tires — potentially to cause her to wreck. JP took her vehicle that was titled in her name, and paid for solely by her, and hid it from her. In order to be able to get work, she was forced to buy a second vehicle, thus giving her 2 car payments and insurance costs. JP took her purse, driver’s license, and her car keys to prevent her from leaving the house.
Interference with work
When she worked at the church, JP would randomly fire her for, quote, disobeying, unquote him, and he would hire her back if she agreed to certain sexual acts or other lists of demands. He allowed or wrote letters to her on church letterhead, demeaning her and putting her down. She had to leave the job that she really loved, the church, and take a job in the restaurant industry.
The following items are proposed to be added to the previously sponsored bill S.927
Emotional abuse
Everything stated above and below and even more that cannot be told due to humiliation of it to the victim, Mica.
Ignoring requests and commands to cease harassment
She asked him over and over to leave her alone, but he would not. after a police officer warned him to leave her alone, he trespassed into her gated community to leave a present or gift on top of her car.
Cruelty to animal or pet
Jp threw Micah’s belongings out of the house and then demanded that she come get her dog. She could not keep the dog at the apartment she was staying at at the time, and he knew that. when she did not immediately get the dog, he took the dog to her apartment and tied the little dog to the front door handle. He knew that she was not home, and he left the dog there. She had to leave where she was at the time to go home to get the dog. she found a home for the dog. But when JP found out about her giving the dog to someone else, he went there and demanded the person give him the dog back.
Destruction of property
JP intimidated her by damaging her property, breaking her things, giving away her things, or throwing them in the trash. He keyed her car, dented the hood with a dumbbell, backed it into something damaging the trunk, slashed the tires, and cut up the passenger seat.
Destruction of supporting evidence
JP actively sought out her journals and diaries where she kept logs of details of things that he did to hurt her. He found and destroyed many journals and writings belonging to Mica, which she intended to use as evidence to prove his destructive behaviors and abusive tactics. He also erased evidence, photos, videos, and writings that she kept on her iCloud and cell phone.
Misuse of legal documents
JP had an attorney write and send a cease-and-desist letter to Micah demanding that she stop talking bad about JP and the church or would suffer legal ramifications. JP had a lawyer draft a post-nuptial agreement and demanded that she sign it, giving up certain marital rights, before he would allow her to return to the marriage. JP had a lawyer to draft a separation agreement with one sided terms and demanded that she sign it without the benefit of representation.
Misuse of law enforcement
JP called the police on her for no reason. He reported her for a crime she did not commit — making her subject to a police investigation which became unfounded and dropped. The officer allegedly told Mica it was abuse of law and a waste of police time
Misuse of legal process
JP filed papers twice in probate court to have her involuntarily committed, claiming she was manic, asking for a mental health evaluation claiming she was in danger to herself. The probate judge disagreed. JP convinced her to drop her divorce case against him and then turned around and filed his own case in family court against her and then dropped his suit shortly after filing.
Adultery/promiscuity
JP cheated on her many times. He sent nude pictures of himself to other women. he paid a woman from the church $10,000 to destroy a sexually explicit video of himself. he flirted with other women. He sexted and dated other women. He paid for sex with both women and men — people not known as prostitutes.
Identity theft
JP took her cellphone and sent text messages to her family and friends, pretending to be her. JP sent emails and texts from her accounts to church members and to her family pretending to be her admitting she was doing bad things in an attempt to disgrace her name.
Cyber/technology abuse
JP got access to her technology, changed her passwords, took over her accounts, and hacked her social media, her iCloud, her cell phone, and email. He posted on her social media feed and then tore it down and locked her out of the account. He would text her about details of where she was, who she was with, and what she was wearing, asking her questions that only someone who was there would know to ask.
Medical neglect/abuse
JP declared her bipolar, forced her to take lithium prescription of his own, monitored whether she complied with taking the pills and forcefully injected her with steroid testosterone shots in her arms, thighs, and buttocks. JP would make her swallow pills in his presence, and if he thought she did not take them, he would cut them up and put them in her food by his own admission.
Spiritual abuse
JP knew how much Mica adored and loved Jesus and the teachings of the Bible and that she wanted to be a good Christian. So, he used it against her. When she wanted to divorce, he told her, God hates divorce, and it is a sin. When he would do terrible, terrible things to her, he would tell her that God said she cannot judge him and as a good Christian, she is to forgive him, and even more so as his wife.
Religious abuse
JP Weaponized the church against her and often used the pulpit to give sermons that were really messages to Micah to correct her ways, or were directives to her, or sometimes used to demean her by name to the congregation. She felt strongly about tithing to the church, but JP refused to tithe with his own church for about four months, but he encouraged the congregation to do so, and this was very upsetting to her. He wrote letters to her on church letterheads for the purposes of harassment.
Phone calls to everyone
JP found out that she went to another church. He called the pastor to explain her issues. JP found out she got back in touch with a female friend. He called her to see what was going on. JP called and texted her family. JP called her work. JP called her roommate, her godmother. JP called members of the congregation. JP called her lawyer after she passed away to tell his side of the story and asked for Micah’s retainer money to be refunded to him.
Physical abuse without marks
JP finger-punched her in the throat. He held her against the wall by her throat, slapped a drink out of her hand. And while out I’m public together, JP snatched her plate of food from her and threw it.
Previous Versions of this bill
This bill has a timeline of record in South Carolina where it has been immediately referred to the Committee on Judiciary but fell-dead in each session.
- 5271 — Introduced on February 20, 2020 by former Representative McLain-Toole as the “Coercive Control Bill.” The purpose of this bill was to amend South Carolina’s Laws by adding:
Section 16-25-130 to Title-16, Crimes and Offenses
Chapter 25 – Domestic Violence, to codify the offense of “Coercive Control” over another person.
The bill was immediately referred to the Committee on Judiciary — where it died.
- 3621 Introduced on January 12, 2021 by Representative Robert-J-May the third as the “Coercive Control Bill.” It again, was immediately referred to the Committee on Judiciary — where it died for a second time.
- 927 Introduced on December 7, 2021 by Senator Katrina Frye Shealy. It was immediately referred to the Committee on Judiciary — where it died for a third time.
Now Mica has died too.
If these bills were taken up by the Committees on Judiciary in their proposed sessions, it is possible that the acts allegedly committed against Mica would be against the law in South Carolina which would have potentially protected her from her alleged abuser consequently providing Law Enforcement Officers reference and the ability to charge the case as a felony “Coercive Control” crime, punishable by up to 10 years for a felony crime of “Coercive Control.”
Parallel versions of this bill in Hawaii, California, and Connecticut, substantiate abuse of psychological forms and we call on you publicly to put an amended version of this bill all the way through in our upcoming 2024, 2025 Legislative Session, titled “Mica’s Law.”
The citizens of South Carolina are counting on Legislators to take up this bill and we hope you will see the value in supporting this amended bill by becoming a voice for Mica’s Law. We are confident you will see how imperative this is for the protections of victims of abuse so that they too are protected from their alleged abusers in South Carolina.
Regina B Ward, Attorney at Law, has submitted purple envelopes containing “Mica’s List” and the previous versions of this bill for your consideration of review and public championed support of an amended version of Mica’s Law in South Carolina.
Thank you for your consideration and support of Mica’s Law.
