The family of Mica Miller, the South Carolina woman who died by suicide but had accused her estranged pastor husband John-Paul “JP” Miller of abuse, has reached a legal settlement with him three months after Mica’s tragic death.
Mica Miller, 30, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was found in a Lumber River State Park in North Carolina on April 27, the Robeson County medical examiner confirmed to local media. According to online court records, the couple was in the process of getting a divorce when she died. Her family claimed Mica Miller kept a journal suggesting she was a victim of abusive coercive control.
The terms of the reached settlement are sealed under a confidentiality agreement, but The Post and Courier reports it came after a probate court hearing on Mica Miller’s estate.
Both legal teams reportedly told the judge they had agreed that Mica Miller’s sister, Sierra Francis, would dismiss her request to be the personal representative of Mica Miller’s estate.
JP Miller would be the personal representative of his wife’s estate, they agreed, pending the judge’s approval.
The agreement also means Mica Miller’s family will not pursue any wrongful death lawsuit against JP Miller, which they were reportedly thinking of doing.
Russell B. Long, a lawyer representing JP Miller, told People in a statement this week, “Today John Paul Miller, Solid Rock Church, Inc. and The Estate of Mica Francis Miller, along with the individual members of the Francis family, have reached a full and final settlement agreement.”
“Mica’s family, Pastor Miller, and the Church have set their differences aside to allow Mica’s memory to live on,” Long wrote. “All parties now consider this matter ‘closed. “Unfortunately, we do not know every piece of information leading up to [the] death of Mica. We do know that her life served a purpose,” the lawyer added.
“Those that have spent every Sunday morning protesting outside of Solid Rock Church, chanting ‘Justice for Mica,’ should recognize this time of healing and move on with their lives. We only ask that you remember Mica as the wonderful, beautiful soul that she was.”
Regina Ward, an attorney representing Mica’s family in the case, told multiple news outlets, “We do not want the Francis family or anyone to be dragged through litigation for years.”
“I know that some of you are going to be disappointed,” Ward added. “We want to put this behind us and move on to the next chapter that matters. When we say that we’ve gotten justice for Mica as a result of this settlement, it is true.”
Newsweek has contacted Long and Ward for comment.
JP Miller denied abusing his wife during their marriage, telling KFDM last month that her family will “do anything for money.”
“Mica loved her family. She did not trust them as far as you could spit,” JP told the local news outlet.
Tim Carter, a friend of Mica’s, previously told NewsNation he had a “gut feeling” that he didn’t take her own life.
“I don’t believe it for a minute,” he told the outlet.
In an affidavit from Mica’s sister, Sierra Francis, she swore that her sister warned family members that “if I end up with a bullet in my head, it was not by me, it was JP.”
JP Miller told KFDM that Mica struggled with her mental health and that he had arguments with her family about her need to take medication for her alleged suicidal thoughts before her death.
“If a doctor, especially seven doctors, especially nurses, and counselors all say, ‘This woman needs medicine or she’s going to commit suicide,’ you tend to believe them,” he said. “Especially, when she comes off her medicine she tries to commit suicide.”
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “988” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
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