Mica Miller's family pushes revamp of domestic violence laws as abuse claims mount against her widower, a pastor whose ex-wife now says their children are not safe with him.
The family of Mica Miller is demanding new domestic violence laws following the suicide of their daughter, who they say was in fear for her life and had been relentlessly hounded by her pastor husband in the days leading up to her death.
Attorney Regina Ward announced Wednesday the relatives are advocating for "Mica's Law," a package of legislation they hope would add protections for domestic abuse when there are no signs of physical abuse.
"Her life is gonna mean something," Ward told reporters outside a South Carolina courthouse. "That where we need to focus now." Ward declined to comment on claims that pastor John Paul Miller was abusive and had inappropriate sexual relations with minor girls in his congregation.
The April 27 suicide of Mica Miller unleashed a storm of conspiracy theories and international media coverage of the young woman's death. She and her husband led Solid Rock Ministries, a fundamentalist church in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Less than a week after Mica Miller's bloodied body was found in a North Carolina state park, her sister, Sierra Francis, filed court documents to be named administrator of Mica Miller's estate, claiming John Paul Miller abused and mistreated Mica for years.
"Mica stated to me on many occasions 'If I end up with a bullet in my head, it was not by me, it was JP,'" said Francis in a May 2 affidavit filed in probate court, referring to the pastor's nickname.
The family attorney also announced Wednesday that some of Mica's personal belongings had been returned to her family as part of ongoing the legal battle over her estate.
The woman's family has previously alleged Mica had been groomed and brainwashed by Miller since she joined his church at age 15 and eventually became a babysitter for Miller and his then-wife, Alison.
An affair later began between Mica and Miller, according to his ex-wife, Alison Williams. The latter filed an emergency order this week seeking sole custody of the couple's two youngest children, saying John Paul Miller was exhibiting "increasingly unstable" mental behaviors and was failing to seek treatment for "deviant sexual addictions" including hiring sex workers and having improper sexual relations with underage girls in his congregation.
Miller's attorney did not respond to a request for comment from Inside Edition Digital on those allegations.
Mica's sister alleged in her earlier court filing that Mica had contacted authorities saying she was being followed and had found a tracking device on her car in the days leading up to her suicide. She was in fear for her life, the sister said.
John Paul Miller has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in connection with his wife or her death. She had been released from a mental health facility not long before her suicide. Her husband said she sought treatment. Her family said he had Mica involuntarily committed for treatment.
According to social media video posts, John Paul Miller often address the congregation about his wife, including her mental health struggles.
He was relieved of his ministerial duties after his wife's death to allow him to recuperate and grieve, the church said in a statement.
The pastor had revealed his wife's death at the end of a church service days after her suicide, according to videos of the event posted online.
Worshippers were heard gasping after Miller announced, "I got a call late last night, my wife has passed away," he said. "It was self-induced and it was up in North Carolina."
The husband said Mica had been dealing with mental health issues and had sought treatment.
Days later, in a memorial gathering with congregants, the pastor said he had tried to resurrect his wife when he visited her body at the morgue.
Through his attorney, John Paul Miller denied that he had "groomed" his wife. "Our client refutes any report that suggests he ever abused his wife. Recent reports claim that Pastor Miller 'groomed' his wife ... couldn’t be farther from the truth," said the lawyer's statement.
Inside Edition Digital has reached out for comment to the church, and to attorneys representing Alison Williams and the Francis Family, but has not heard back.
An autopsy determined that Mica Miller died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. She had called 911 minutes before she fired that fatal shot, saying she was going to kill herself and asking that her family be notified.
A dispatcher was able to track her cell phone to a park just across state lines in North Carolina.
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