Mica Miller’s family eyes wrongful death suit against John-Paul Miller

Mica Miller’s death has been officially ruled a suicide, but a lawyer for her family says they won’t back down from efforts to implicate her estranged husband in her demise.

Mica Miller’s family is looking into filing a wrongful death lawsuit against John-Paul Miller, family attorney Regina Ward told Court TV . The family hopes to collect evidence through the legal battle over the couple’s property to support their allegations that John-Paul pushed his wife to kill herself through years of psychological abuse and manipulation.

This image from Ring footage shared by the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office shows Mica Miller. (Robeson County Sheriff’s Office)

Through his attorneys, John-Paul has maintained he had nothing to do with Mica’s death, pointing to official findings from law enforcement’s investigation and a medical examiner’s autopsy.

Mica was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a North Carolina state park on March 26 after she called emergency services to report she intended to kill herself. She and her husband lived in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, turning the investigation into a multijurisdictional puzzle as Mica’s family began accusing John-Paul of “brainwashing” her.

The FBI is actively investigating tips and allegations concerning the couple in South Carolina, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office told Court TV. The federal agency was contacted in the early stages of the investigation but they are not involved in the investigation of her death, which is still considered a suicide, said Maj. Damien McLean.

Meanwhile, a hearing is scheduled in Horry County family court in June over who’s entitled to the couple’s marital property, which includes items law enforcement collected in the death investigation, according to Ward.

Ward said John-Paul Miller has been calling the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office “incessantly” asking for the items, which includes Mica’s phone, purse, the firearm, and the vehicle she used to drive to the park. RSCO would not comment on whether John-Paul has asked for the items.

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Ward said Mica’s phone may contain evidence that John-Paul was harassing her up until her death, which is why her family wants it to help them make a case for a wrongful death lawsuit.

Mica filed for separation from her husband 10 days before she died, according to court records. Her sister, Sierra Francis, was appointed special administrator of her deceased sister’s estate and represents her in pending family and probate court matters.

Francis filed a motion for temporary relief in her the separation case seeking numerous forms of relief, including restraining orders for the following:

• Prevent John-Paul Miller from “harassing, communicating, threatening, or otherwise interfering” with Mica Miller’s family, “including via electronic means, social media, and third parties.”
• Prevent John-Paul Miller from sharing photos, videos, including “provocative” or “private” photos, videos and communications “with any third party via social media, text message, or email.”
• Restrain and enjoin John-Paul Miller from disposing, selling, pledging, destroying, or altering the status or value of any marital asset or non-marital assets that he has in any way depleted, liquidated, altered, transferred or encumbered since the parties separated on 2/6/24.

The motion also asks for personal property, including Mica’s Plunge Ice Bath, Air Pods, Apple TV, iPhone, Laptop, Apple Watch and firearms, including the gun she used to kill herself. Mica’s family also wants John-Paul to pay spousal support in an amount to be determined by the court.

As for the death investigation, Ward said the family is still awaiting the results of Mica’s toxicology report to find out if Mica had lithium in her system. Ward claims John-Paul was prescribed lithium and gave it to Mica to subdue her so he could exert control over her. Ward said Mica had stopped taking the medication, but she suspects John-Paul might have gotten to Mica before she died and somehow gave her lithium, which would explain Mica’s sluggish demeanor on surveillance video from the day she killed herself.

“He claims that she was diagnosed with these mental illnesses and was on lithium. According to her, she didn’t know she’d been diagnosed or what her medication was because he always controlled the medication. He administered the medication. In fact, he has admitted that he would cut her pills up and give them to her,” Ward told Court TV.

“If you take too much of it or you’re overmedicated, you go into delirium, and that’s what she — that’s what her demeanor reminded me of when I watched all of the video footage.”