Federal authorities have been called in to investigate the death of Micah Miller, the wife of a South Carolina pastor. Miller shot himself last month, local authorities said.
The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office on Monday cooperated with the South Carolina U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI to investigate Miller’s death, amid questions surrounding her damaged relationship with her estranged husband, John Paul Miller. He is reported to have announced that he has requested.
The sheriff’s office announced last week that Miller, 30, was found dead in a North Carolina forest on April 27 and died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Law enforcement said Miller was also seen calling a dispatcher saying he was going to kill himself and purchasing a gun before his death.
The sheriff’s office said her husband, 44, was not involved in her death. She had filed for divorce from John Paul just days before her death.
“The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office has been in contact with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the South Carolina Federal Bureau of Investigation since the early stages of the Micah Miller investigation,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement Monday. According to W.P.D.E.
“Based on information gathered during the investigation and for jurisdictional reasons, the Sheriff’s Office has requested the assistance of both agencies. No other information will be released at this time.”
The pastor is said to have sent Micah an email apologizing for posting the topless photo online weeks before she died. NewsNation reportedquoting a copy of the memo.
Micah’s loved ones have urged police to conduct a “thorough” investigation into her death. They also claim that John Paul abused his wife, which the pastor denies.
According to the sheriff’s office, John Paul Miller was in South Carolina at the time of Micah’s death.
Days after receiving an apology for the photo, Micah sent an affidavit to her lawyer, claiming that she had been “abused in every imaginable way” since their marriage.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 or visit the following link: SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
