ROBESON COUNTY, N.C. (TCD) -- The FBI and the United States Attorney's Office are now assisting in the death investigation of a pastor’s wife after officials initially said she took her own life at a state park.
According to the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, on Saturday, April 27, shortly before 3 p.m., a woman called 911 and said she was going to "kill herself and wanted her family to be able to find her body." The woman reportedly hung up, and authorities responded to her location at Lumber River State Park in Orrum, North Carolina.
Deputies and state park rangers located a black Honda Accord that belonged to 30-year-old Mica Miller of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Inside, investigators reportedly found a gun case in the passenger seat, as well as a receipt for the weapon from a pawn shop. Officials also located ammunition in the center console.
According to the sheriff’s office, while authorities searched for Miller, a fisherman discovered her bag near the water’s edge and heard crying and a gunshot. Another individual reportedly found a body in the water and called 911. Authorities responded to the area within the state park and identified the victim as Miller. Investigators also recovered a handgun nearby with a serial number matching the gun box in Miller’s vehicle.
The sheriff’s office reviewed surveillance footage and developed a timeline of events on the day of Miller’s death. Ring camera footage reportedly revealed Miller leaving her home in South Carolina on April 27 at approximately 11:38 a.m. She allegedly went into a pawn shop shortly after noon to purchase a gun and ammunition before heading to a convenience store and later driving to Lumber River State Park.
Further investigation revealed Miller and her husband, John Paul Miller, had allegedly separated. Miller, a pastor at a local church, has been on leave since his wife’s death, WTVD-TV reports.
Investigators learned the pastor was romantically involved with another woman, but deputies said he and his partner were not in North Carolina on the night before and the day of the victim’s death.
A month before she died, Miller had accused her husband of stalking and harassment, according to WPDE-TV. Miller reportedly filed a complaint and motion for restraining order against him and claimed she found razors in her tires. She also allegedly found a GPS tracker on her car and a letter accusing her of having an affair with a teenager, WPDE reports.
According to WPDE, the sheriff's office said on Monday, May 13, that they asked for assistance in the investigation from the United States Attorney's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in South Carolina.
In a statement, Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins said, "Unfortunately, rumors and conspiracy theories were spreading quickly, and assumptions were being made."
According to Miller’s obituary, she leaves behind five stepchildren and helped her husband with the church, serving as a worship leader, graphics designer, youth leader, women’s ministry leader, and pastor’s assistant.
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