It wasn’t long before the Solid Rock patrons began to ask questions about what led to Mica's death.
Showrunner Gasparro tells TIME that Mica’s story is “complex and deeply resonant.” The responsibility of bringing what really happened to her to light was key to making the docuseries. “We met with Mica’s family and made sure they felt comfortable entrusting us with her story,” Gasparro says.
John-Paul Miller in Death of the Pastor's Wife —Courtesy of Netflix
John-Paul Miller first saw Mica Francis when she was a teenager attending Solid Rock Church. The Francis family had recently relocated to Myrtle Beach and soon became regulars at the evangelical parish. At the time, Pastor John-Paul was a married father of five. Mica worked as his nanny, according to an affidavit filed by Miller’s first wife, Alison Williams.
“Their 15-year age difference was significant, but even more important was the fact that Mica first met John-Paul ‘JP’ when she was at such a young age,” Nason tells TIME. “She grew up in the church, dedicated much of her life to it, and spent an enormous amount of time around JP and the congregation during some of her most formative years. Mica looked up to JP as both a pastor and an authority figure. As we examined their relationship, it became clear how deeply that imbalance influenced its development. He held a position of tremendous power in her life long before they became romantically involved.”
A tumultuous marriage
Solid Rock Church —Courtesy of NetflixAccording to the Francis family in the docuseries, Mica was fully wrapped up in John-Paul’s world: She even had gotten John-Paul’s signature tattooed on her body, a choice that seemed “possessive” to her sister Sierra Francis at the time, especially since Mica and John-Paul allegedly had a dynamic others describe as toxic—one that culminated in numerous filings for divorce and legal separations from both sides.
The legal merry-go-round continued, but as it did, it escalated: Mica contacted Horry County Police for a report of a razor blade being placed in her tire on March 11, 2024, telling police this was the second time her tires were slashed in the past week. Police were dispatched at 1:30 a.m. and Mica named who she believed was responsible for the actions; the name was redacted from the public report. Mica added that she had witnessed “strange activity and what she believes as people following or watching her,” the report said. She even told the officer that “she was afraid for her life.”
Sierra continued, “I know my sister to have expressed the abuse and violence against her by her husband to others, including family members and members of the church congregation.” Mica had additionally sought a restraining order against her husband in the days prior to her death.
John-Paul and Mica also worked closely professionally: Mica served as the church’s creative director and his personal assistant. The duo wanted to keep their marriage and work separated like church and state, and went so far as to include in a joint postnuptial agreement that they would not speak negatively of Solid Rock Ministries and would keep their personal life confidential. The document additionally saw them both waive their rights to seek alimony or financial spousal support in the case of divorce, and that their shared family home—which was owned by Solid Rock—would not be considered marital property.
Regina Ward, Mica Miller's family's lawyer —Courtesy of Netflix
The timeline of Mica’s last day goes as follows: At 11:38 a.m., Mica left her residence, as seen on her ring camera. At 12:12 p.m., Mica was seen purchasing a firearm and ammunition at Dick’s Pawn Shop in Myrtle Beach. She left the store by 12:34 p.m. and drove to a North Carolina state park. At 2:54 p.m., Mica called 911 to announce that she was going to kill herself and asked operators to trace her call so her family would be able to find her body.
The next day, John-Paul returned to the Solid Rock lectern and gave a sermon, announcing Mica’s death at the end. He told the audience that her death was self-inflicted and cited Mica’s alleged ongoing mental health struggles.
The case goes viral
John-Paul’s immediate return to public work was one of the first things that raised flags in the Myrtle Beach community. Many found it a bit odd for a grieving husband to not take time away from his parish to cope with the sudden loss of his wife. His sermon was recorded and shared on the church’s website and YouTube page (the video has since been deleted) and included the details of Mica’s service: Solid Rock Church in Market Common was to host the memorial on May 5.
Mica’s mother posted on the Facebook page Voices in the Wilderness that her daughter had “a no contact order and a divorce was filed just days before this tragedy.” Mica’s own past Facebook posts, which detailed abuse and leaving a dangerous situation with the hashtag #abuseawareness, were also recirculated.
John-Paul began posting TikTok videos to share his side of the story and refute allegations that he was involved in Mica’s death. Some protesters set forth the theory that John-Paul had murdered Mica; that claim was determined to be unfounded by investigators who proved that John-Paul had an alibi: He was in Charleston, South Carolina, on the day Mica died. John-Paul was at his children’s school for a soccer tournament, the police confirmed.
Gasparro added, “Once we had done that, our focus shifted from questioning the official ruling to examining the much more complicated question of why: How a 30-year-old woman who was actively trying to reclaim control of her life reached a point where she felt she could no longer go on. To us, understanding everything that preceded Mica’s death was the heartbeat of the story.”
Anna Francis and Sierra Francis —Courtesy of Netflix
John-Paul publicly pointed to Mica’s mental health issues immediately after her death, citing that he believed she had a mental breakdown at the start of 2024. He claimed that Mica had previously attempted to take her own life, and that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and dependent personality disorder. A toxicology report from the North Carolina medical examiner’s officer listed Mica as having had bipolar disorder and a history of suicide attempts.
Mica was hospitalized for mental illness multiple times over the course of the marriage. The most recent time was in February 2024; Mica never permanently returned to the home shared with John-Paul after being discharged.
Meanwhile, Mica’s family alleged that John-Paul abused Mica for years. Regina Ward, Mica’s family lawyer, said that Mica was never prescribed medications for her mental health and accused John-Paul of forcing her to take his own lithium prescription, even sneaking pills into her food or forcing her to swallow them against her will. There was no lithium prescription for Mica noted on any medical records that surfaced during the investigation.
John-Paul, in turn, claimed that the Francis family was so religiously devout that taking medications was against their beliefs, and that they instead encouraged Mica to undergo holistic medical practices. “If her family had simply looked at her and said, ‘Mica if you love him, you can go home and we’ll support you,’ she’d be alive today,” John-Paul told Sun News. “The fact that we had such a great marriage that we did was pretty amazing. It’s very amazing, considering the stress of my job, considering the mental illness, considering her family. I mean, we did very, very well.”
Generations of controversy
In 2014, Reginald pleaded guilty in federal court to felony charges relating to the treatment of Cathedral Bible College international students ranging from visa fraud to hourly wage violations. He further was at the center of a controversy about sexual improprieties that forced him to move his ministry from Florence to Myrtle Beach, where his son John-Paul later led Solid Rock. In a lawsuit filed by “Jane Doe #1” in February 2025, Reginald and John-Paul were both accused of using their positions within their church communities to engage in “sexual abuse and predatory conduct -- often targeting minors.” Father and son filed a counterclaim in which they "expressly denied" all of the allegations in the lawsuit.
Mica Miller —Courtesy of Netflix
Prosecutors claimed that John-Paul admitted to hiring a private investigator to “protect Mica from buying firearms,” but that he had actually hired people to follow her and and cyberstalk her over alleged adultery. The indictment also stated that John-Paul lied when he denied damaging Mica’s tires; the FBI later learned that he had purchased a tire deflation device online.
John-Paul was arraigned on Jan. 12, 2026 in federal court in Florence, South Carolina. The case has been continued to October 2026 for a court date. The pastor pleaded not guilty to the federal charges and has maintained that he has no responsibility for Mica’s death, per ABC News. If he is found guilty, he could face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for cyberstalking and two years in prison for making false statements, plus a fine of up to $250,000.
The legacy of Mica’s Law
Mica Miller —Courtesy of NetflixWhile the Francis family awaits John-Paul’s trial, they are focusing on helping people who have suffered from spousal emotional violence and domestic abuse. Ward, their lawyer, told supporters to turn their attention away from protesting John-Paul and instead work to get a coercive control bill passed; they intend to call it Mica’s Law. The bill will modify the domestic violence law to include coercive control behaviors like isolating victims from their family, depriving them of basic needs, and stalking.
Nason continues, “I think audiences are becoming more aware that domestic abuse does not always begin as physical violence. Technology has created additional ways for someone to exert control over another person…Stories like Mica’s are important because they give audiences a fuller understanding of what abuse can look like. When these behaviors are viewed individually, they may be minimized or dismissed. When you see the entire pattern, the danger becomes much clearer.”
If you or someone you know need help, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.
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