JP Miller’s Criminal Past Omitted from Netflix’s "Death of a Pastor’s Wife"
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Published 13:11 31 Aug 2026 GMT+1
Netflix’s latest true crime documentary, Death of a Pastor’s Wife, explores the death of Mica Miller, wife of prominent South Carolina pastor John-Paul Miller. The doc alleges that John-Paul abused Mica prior to her suicide. Many viewers will be left with questions about details omitted from the Netflix release, particularly John-Paul’s criminal past, for which he received a pardon just years before Mica’s death.
The documentary ranks as the number one documentary on Netflix, detailing Mica’s relationship with John-Paul and allegations of emotional and sexual abuse by him in the lead-up to her death.
In 2025, John-Paul was arrested and charged with cyberstalking by the FBI, but he pleaded not guilty and maintains his innocence. While he remains on bail, he has also been charged with making false statements to federal investigators, to which he also pleads not guilty.
John-Paul’s criminal past included two convictions in the 1990s: driving under suspension in 1998 and assault and battery of a serious nature in 1999. He hit a woman with his truck and drove for 100 yards with her on the hood of his car, alleging she was harassing him. Despite these convictions, he received a pardon in 2022 after meeting legal requirements for a "law abiding citizen."
Producers of the documentary support "Mica’s Law," a proposed piece of legislation that would offer greater protections from abuse for married victims. Mica had reported John-Paul to police for stalking and harassing her, which he denies. However, because they were married, South Carolina law at the time did not allow her reports to be considered criminal.
Mica’s sister, Anna Francis, emphasized the importance of "Mica’s Law" in preventing similar tragedies: "The police weren’t able to do a single thing for Mica… that’s why ‘Mica’s Law’ is so important to us as a family."
