Netflix documentary revisits controversial U.S. case involving pastor’s wife

A three-part Netflix documentary has pushed the death of Mica Miller back into the spotlight, reviving a case that has unsettled a South Carolina religious community. The series has risen to the top of Netflix’s catalog with a story built around a death that initially appeared to be suicide but later drew deeper scrutiny.

Mica, 30, was found dead in April 2024 at Lumber River State Park after a 911 call from someone who said they would take their own life there. Authorities initially believed it was a suicide they had been unable to prevent. A subsequent investigation examined allegations that Mica had suffered mistreatment from her husband, John-Paul “JP” Miller, a prominent religious leader whose South Carolina church had about 700 members.

The case gained further attention after reports that Mica had asked John for a divorce days before her death. Testimonies featured in the documentary allege that he had repeatedly been unfaithful, while investigators found records suggesting he had systematically harassed Mica online. The earliest records date to 2022, with the alleged behavior intensifying during the final months of their relationship.

Federal investigators charged John with harassment and false testimony. He has pleaded not guilty each time. A trial scheduled for October will seek to establish whether Mica was murdered or was driven to her death by her husband. The scandal has already cost Miller much of his congregation, with dozens of worshippers leaving and the church where he led services being sold.

The documentary is directed by Julia Willoughby Nason and Mike Gasparro, who have worked on other true-crime productions. Executive producer Alana Goldstein said the series relied on police reports, medical records, text messages and apology letters. “We stuck to the records,” she said. The three episodes run for 43, 48 and 45 minutes, respectively.

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There are police reports, medical records, text messages, apology letters. JP was an avid texter and writer, so we had thousands of his own words that paint a very particular picture. We stuck to the records.