Ashley Flowers binged Netflix’s Death of the Pastor’s Wife almost as soon as it dropped, and immediately needed someone to talk to about it. So naturally, she text Brit.
In this special Crime Junkie extra, Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat go episode by episode through the three-part Netflix documentary about Mica Miller, the 30-year-old woman whose death on April 27, 2024, at Lumber River State Park in North Carolina sparked national attention. Just two days before her death, Mica had served divorce papers to her estranged husband, John-Paul “JP” Miller, pastor of Solid Rock Church in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
But this isn’t just a recap.
Ashley and Brit unpack what Death of the Pastor’s Wife reveals, the moments that raised the biggest questions for them, and important pieces of the Mica Miller story that weren’t included in the Netflix series.
If you grew up in or around evangelical churches like Ashley and Brit did, parts of this story may feel strangely familiar: the expectations placed on a pastor’s wife, the authority given to church leadership, the language surrounding marriage and submission, and the difficulty of recognizing unhealthy dynamics when you’re living inside them. Because from the outside, Mica and John-Paul Miller appeared to have a picture-perfect life centered around faith and Solid Rock Church. Behind that image was a much more complicated reality.
Ashley and Brit discuss how Mica Miller first met John-Paul Miller and the affair that eventually brought them together, their marriage and the unusual wedding vows featured in the documentary, allegations of increasingly controlling behavior within their relationship, questions surrounding Mica’s reaction she experienced after anesthesia, John-Paul’s sermons at Solid Rock Church and what they reveal about his views on marriage, allegations that Mica was pressured to take testosterone and the effects it reportedly had on her health, the group text John-Paul created involving Mica and her friend, Mica’s efforts to establish boundaries within her marriage, the deterioration of their relationship and her attempts to leave, John-Paul Miller’s relationship and eventual marriage with Suzie Skinner, the death of Suzie’s husband, Chris Skinner, the work done by Mica’s divorce attorney Regina Ward, and the timeline leading to April 27, 2024.
Then Ashley and Brit walk through what investigators found after Mica traveled from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to Lumber River State Park in Robeson County, North Carolina, including surveillance footage, witness accounts, evidence recovered from the scene, the lunch Mica packed that day, and the information investigators used to reconstruct her final hours. They also examine John-Paul Miller’s whereabouts, caught on flock cameras that day, the license-plate-reader data investigators reviewed, his actions after learning Mica had died, and the sermon he delivered at Solid Rock Church the following day.
But Netflix didn’t include everything.
Ashley and Brit also dig into reporting and developments beyond Death of the Pastor’s Wife, including additional allegations involving John-Paul Miller, questions surrounding Solid Rock Church’s history, and the federal investigation that followed Mica’s death.
In December 2025, a federal grand jury indicted John-Paul Miller on charges of cyberstalking and making false statements to federal investigators. Prosecutors allege the cyberstalking occurred between November 2022 and April 2024 and involved a pattern of harassment directed at Mica. John-Paul Miller has pleaded not guilty. His federal trial is currently scheduled for the October 2026 term, and he has not been charged in connection with Mica Miller’s death.
To learn more about Mica’s Law, please visit passmicaslaw.net
If you or anyone you know is experiencing domestic violence, you can reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE.
If you or someone you know needs support in dealing with religious trauma, Reclamation Collective can help. You can find out more about resources on their website, www.reclamationcollective.com.
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About Ashley Flowers
Ashley Flowers is the top female podcaster in the U.S. and the host of Crime Junkie, the #1 podcast among women and the #1 true crime podcast globally. As the Founder of Audiochuck, she has built a top-tier podcast production company that has garnered over 2.6 billion downloads, captivating audiences with its gripping storytelling through 10+ chart topping podcasts. Ashley and her team are dedicated to creating responsible true crime content that respects victims and their families.
Watch Crime Junkie true crime podcast dedicated to covering the cases we just can’t get out of our heads. Every Monday, host Ashley Flowers on SloppBoxx.Com.
JPs sermons are crazy and self-centered. His intent of manipulation is evident. I think you needed to prepare more for your episode…
I have worked with multiple patients who do have a psychotic break ONLY related to anesthesia
it’s so common for abuse to start in the church at anytime, at any age and to anyone. how to carelessly use God name in vain.
I was a bit confused, possibly I’m a bit too sensitive when it comes to suffering, abuse and trauma, but the jovial setting of this podcast seemed out of place.
This could’ve been a great Segway to discuss the issue of organized religion in the 21st century (which has seen the free fall of virtues and morals)
To honor this poor woman, Micah, is to shun congregations with the first murmurs of deviancy, call out pastors, and protect the young and the women.
Anyone with a strong and direct family history of sexual deviancy should not be allowed in leadership roles without supervision.
Jesus overturned the usury tables within the temple and he had a very low opinion of organized religion.
“The Kingdom of God is within you” makes this clear!
Forget churches and start seeking the Lord in your heart.
I really wish we could call out bad “Christians” without mocking Christians and the church as a whole.
I hope you see this. WHERE ARE THOSE GORGEOUS CHAIRS FROM?!
She’s dressed to go to work. Had her lunch. Did anyone ever think that JP or someone he hired, was in her car all the while threatening her to do everything she’s told (buy gun, drive to park) or her family would be murdered? Where was JP when all this happened?