The FBI on Friday searched the home of South Carolina pastor John-Paul Miller — who casually announced that his wife had shot herself. Today we will discuss about John paul miller update: Fbi raid,Pastor,Investigation,Church.
John paul miller update: Fbi raid,Pastor,Investigation,Church,wife’s death
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Federal authorities were investigating Friday at the South Carolina home of Solid Rock Church pastor John-Paul Miller.
A spokesman for the agency, Kevin Wheeler, told USA TODAY that the FBI was conducting “court-authorized law enforcement activity” at the Myrtle Beach home. He declined to comment further, citing an “ongoing case.”
Local news station WBTW reported that 25 FBI agents dressed in “evidence response team” uniforms were at the home. The agents were apparently there to execute a search warrant, with neighbors telling the station that Miller was not home at the time.
Miller and his church have been under scrutiny after his wife, 30-year-old Micah Miller, was found dead in Lumber River State Park in April. His death was ruled a suicide, but the case attracted national interest when allegations surfaced that Miller had abused Micah before his death.
Here’s what we know.
Miller, 45, is a pastor at Solid Rock Church in South Carolina. According to the church’s website, he has been the pastor at the church for the past eight years since 2016. Miller also has five children, Logan, Zachary, Eli, Asher, and Selah.
FBI raid
The FBI on Friday searched the home of South Carolina pastor John-Paul Miller — who casually announced that his wife had shot herself during a church sermon — the latest twist in the shocking case.
Miller’s attorney, Russell Long, confirmed the search warrant to the Post & Dispatch.
When the newspaper asked him what authorities were looking for, Long described it as a “fishing” operation.
The priest was not at home at the time of the search.
“There was no affidavit attached to the search warrant,” Long said.
“So, I don’t know what it relates to.”
Micah Miller, 30, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head in Lumber River State Park, North Carolina, on April 27, after he was reportedly heard crying for several minutes.
Her death has cast a shadow of suspicion over her husband, who is pastor at Solid Rock Church in Myrtle Beach.
A few days before his death, Micah served divorce papers on John-Paul.
Pastor
pastor John-Paul Miller — who casually announced that his wife had shot herself during a church sermon — the latest twist in the shocking case.
Miller’s attorney, Russell Long, confirmed the search warrant to the Post & Dispatch.
When the newspaper asked him what authorities were looking for, Long described it as a “fishing” operation.
The priest was not at home at the time of the search.
John paul miller update: Fbi raid,Pastor,Investigation,Church
“There was no affidavit attached to the search warrant,” Long said.
“So, I don’t know what it relates to.”
Micah Miller, 30, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head in Lumber River State Park, North Carolina, on April 27, after he was reportedly heard crying for several minutes.
Investigation
Local officials told the public in May that the FBI was conducting a “parallel investigation” of John-Paul Miller after Micah Miller’s death was ruled a suicide.
The FBI searched the home of South Carolina pastor John-Paul Miller, whose wife Micah died by suicide in April.
An FBI spokesperson did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment, but WBTW, WPDE and The Sun News all reported that agents were sent to the Horry County, S.C. Was seen outside John-Paul Miller’s house in.
Both WPDE and WBTW reported that an FBI spokesperson said the agency was conducting a “court-authorized law enforcement activity” at the home.
Miller’s attorney, Russell Long, confirmed in a statement to People that the FBI searched the home.
“As expected, they executed a search warrant at his home this morning,” Long said. “Nothing new really. Hopefully this is the end of it.”
Local sheriff’s office claims FBI has launched ‘parallel investigation’ following Micah Miller’s suicide
Micah Miller, 30, was found dead in Robeson County, N.C., according to local authorities. He was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a state park in Washington, D.C.
Micah and John-Paul, who is pastor of Solid Rock at Market Common in Myrtle Beach, were separated at the time of his death. Just a week before his death, Micah filed for separate support and maintenance, which is similar to legal separation, against John-Paul, the Horry County Clerk of Court’s Office.
Mika’s loved ones have speculated that there may have been foul play in his death, but local authorities have rejected this, saying that the evidence of suicide was “clear and convincing”.
The search of John-Paul’s Horry County home comes months after the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office told the public in May that the FBI was conducting a “parallel investigation” unrelated to Micah’s death.
“There is no evidence linking him to her death,” Damian McLean of the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office told PEOPLE in May. “[The FBI] is investigating.
Church
The home of Myrtle Beach pastor John-Paul Miller, who was married to the late Micah Miller, was raided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a spokesman confirmed Friday, Nov. 1.
The federal search comes more than six months after Micah Miller was found dead in Lumber River State Park in North Carolina, just north of the South Carolina border. Authorities ruled his death a suicide.
About five law enforcement vehicles were at the scene Friday afternoon.
Dennis Blair, a neighbor of John-Paul Miller, said he heard a bullhorn in the morning announcing that the FBI was there to execute a search warrant. He said agents entered the home when no one was home. Blair said he saw a cardboard box removed and saw other people pick up evidence bags and place them in an FBI vehicle.
The couple were in the midst of a divorce when Micah Miller was found dead from a gunshot wound in the park. Micah Miller applied for a permanent restraining order against her husband, the pastor of Solid Rock Church in Market Common, on April 15, less than two weeks before she was found dead.
John paul miller update: Fbi raid,Pastor,Investigation,Church
North Carolina authorities ruled Micah Miller’s death a suicide and details about his and John-Paul Miller’s whereabouts were shared on social media by the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, who released video of Micah purchasing a gun at a pawn shop. And John-Paul Miller provided video. Truck traveling on Highway 17 Bypass just before Micah Miller’s death.
The sheriff’s office said he was in Charleston for part of the day.
An audio recording of a woman calling 911 dispatch saying she was suicidal and wanted her family to know her whereabouts was also shared on social media by the Sheriff’s Office.
Rumors swirled on social media about Micah Miller’s death, with many speculating that Micah did not take his own life. And protesters have continued to hold a sit-in outside the Solid Rock in Market Common with messages including “Justice for Micah” and “End domestic violence.”
wife’s death
Micah Miller, 30, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head in Lumber River State Park, North Carolina, on April 27, after he was reportedly heard crying for several minutes.
Her death has cast a shadow of suspicion over her husband, who is pastor at Solid Rock Church in Myrtle Beach.
A few days before his death, Micah served divorce papers on John-Paul.
Although the Robeson County medical examiner ruled Micah’s death a suicide, his family has since urged police to “thoroughly” investigate his death because 45-year-old John-Paul abused him .
Mika had approached the police several times and made several allegations against her husband for his death.
She accused him of slashing her tires, planting a tracking device on her car, hospitalizing her against her will, and “grooming” her when she was just 10 years old and he was an adult.
Both of them got married in 2017.
John-Paul announced his wife’s death while preaching in his church.
“Late last night I got a call, my wife has died. It was self-inflicted and it was in North Carolina,” he said during his sermon.
But he has vehemently denied any allegations of grooming and abuse – and revealed he was hundreds of miles away on the day she committed suicide.
He has not been accused of any crime.
But questions remain.
