Transcript of 16) Jane Doe 1 Was 15. Jane Doe 2 Was 14. The Lawsuits Name JP & Wayne Miller in Sexual Abuse Allegations New

Hey, y'all.

It's Mandy Matney. If you're listening to Coerced, you already know that Micah Francis Miller's story runs so much deeper than what the world saw on Netflix. This week on True Sunlight, Liz Farrell and I are breaking down what Death of the Pastor's Wife left out. And trust me, it is a lot. Like JP's felon father, Reginald Wayne Miller, and how JP inherited the playbook from him. The manipulation, the lawsuit, the just-keep-preaching arrogance— straight from his daddy. Plus, we talk about the 2 Jane Doe lawsuits that Netflix barely touched, and we tell you a whole lot about JP's ex-wife that Netflix left out. Remember, Justice for Micah is a movement, not a moment, and the full story matters. So follow True Sunlight wherever you're listening right now. And check out episode 163, What Netflix Left Out of the Micah Frances Miller Story. Stay tuned, stay pesky, and stay in the sunlight. You know me, I dig until I find the truth. And it turns out that same instinct that drives my investigative journalism, it makes for a different but pretty amazing new kind of travel show. Wherever It Leads is Luna Shark's brand new podcast. And it's nothing like the travel content that you've heard before.

We go deeper. We talk to locals, reporters, and people who actually live where you wanna visit, not just the ones who want your tourist dollars. We cover the food and landmarks, sure, but we also ask the harder questions. What is the real history here? The often sad and traumatic history. What new challenge is this place facing? And how can you show up as a visitor who actually makes things better? My co-host David Moses and I, along with a team of journalists, are hitting destinations around the world to expose the truth, give voice to victims throughout history, and get the story straight. With new destinations and episodes every other week. Wherever It Leads from Luna Shark. Find it wherever you listen to your podcasts or visit whereveritleadspod.com.

This is Coerced: The Devotion and Death of Micah Francis Miller, a Luna Shark Drop Feed. A note before we begin: this episode includes allegations of sexual assault, including against minors. If you or someone you love is a survivor, RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline is free, confidential, and available 24/7. At 1-800-656-HOPE. Please take care while listening. My name is Grace. I'm a producer here at Luna Shark. Journalists Mandy Matney, Liz Farrell, and Beth Braden have been reporting on Micah's story for more than 2 years now for the True Sunlight podcast. Coerced is a Luna Shark production made possible by producers Kate Thomas, David Moses, and me. Throughout this series, you've heard how JP Miller allegedly weaponized the medical, legal, judicial, and law enforcement systems in what appears to have been an ongoing attempt to control and contain his young wife. Clinicians appeared to get information about Micah's mindset and actions from JP, which they documented as fact. And then there were unfounded theft reports against Micah, commitment petitions, a power of attorney filed at exactly the right moment. And this episode is about what happened when JP Miller aimed this metaphorical weapon at the public. In the year after Micah's death, JP and his team filed lawsuit after lawsuit.

As of today, as many as 28 legal actions against protesters, TikTokers, hairdressers, guitarists, and a suspicious number of women named Melissa? He listed fake addresses for people whose real addresses he knew. He sued a protester for invading his privacy for posting in a public space. He asked a court for a restraining order. This man, while facing a federal investigation for cyberstalking his late wife. But the legal system swings both ways. In this episode, you'll also hear from the people who swung back. a former church member named Sam Rickman, whose counterclaim opens a window into how Solid Rock operated, and 2 women known as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, whose lawsuits against Wayne and JP Miller reach back to 1998. As always, these are all allegations. JP and Wayne Miller deny any wrongdoing, and neither has been criminally charged in connection with any of it. But listen to the pattern. By now, you may know it by heart. One note: because Mandy and Liz reported this case in real time to listeners, you'll be hearing different tallies of the lawsuits as they continued to get filed by JP, ultimately resulting in over 2 dozen complaints.

We told y'all about the 10 people who JP is suing in magistrate court, aka small claims court, aka kangaroo court, where, like we said, the judge doesn't need a law degree and all sorts of shady things go down. Now, we aren't talking about every magistrate court in South Carolina. Some have great judges. Shout out to our friend Lauren Fox in Charleston, who you all have heard on MMP a long time ago. But a lot of the time, magistrate court can be a bit of a good old boy playground where secret deals can be made, laws can be lacking, and justice really is not the goal. Magistrate judges sign warrants, they preside over probable cause and bond hearings, and they handle more minor civil disputes As well as misdemeanor crimes and traffic infractions. In our experience, we've seen magistrate judges who are more easily persuaded to side with those who have connection over everyone else. We told you how JP had listed fake addresses for at least 3 of his legal targets, and he appeared to be playing some sort of sick joke on 2 of them by directing their summons to a gay bar and a Weight Watchers clinic.

And we told you how none of the 10 people JP has filed complaints against had been served yet. So none of them knew exactly what JP was suing for. They just knew what the public index said, which was they were being sued civilly in Myrtle Beach Magistrate Court by JP, which is basically the equivalent of finding out that you have been called to the principal's office 'cause you're the kid who's always in detention for his hallway outburst and his repeated lying. Reported you for telling a teacher that you saw him cheating. Anyway, those 10 complaints meant that JP now had at least 11 lawsuits filed related to his effort to silence people. And he's at least trying to live out his dream of becoming a millionaire. Turns out JP wasn't done. JP filed 3 more lawsuits against 3 women, Tanya Hall, Melissa DeMarco, and Joanna Sementelli. Fun fact, JP might hold the record for the number of Melissas sued by a single man in South Carolina. Again, there's also Melissa Mancari, the Horry County paralegal who JP says made false and defamatory claims about him on multiple social media sites back in September. It also should be noted that he and his good ol' boy attorney Russell B.

Wrong have made no movement on that case for 4 months. including serving Melissa with her papers— at least according to the public index. There's also Melissa Pfeiffer, one of the original 10, and now there's Melissa DeMarco. If your name is Melissa and you live in Horry County and you think JP is a trash human being and you've said that out loud, watch your back, girl. Or not, because this is all very silly. In total, JP has filed a whopping 14 lawsuits against various social media creators and protesters who who have spoken out against him in some way. What's interesting is that one of at least 3 people being sued under a fake address also received a silly cease and desist letter back in May from ol' Russell B. Wrong and JP. Meaning JP knows this man's actual address and he knows he doesn't live at that fake address that he wrote down in the filing, which— That address has no connection to the defendant. So what was JP's move there? More games, likely. Anyway, the defendant doesn't live in Horry County and hasn't been served yet. Thankfully, a good Samaritan who I won't name sent us the summons and complaint that one of the protesters was served with.

I am not going to name the protester, but we need to go over this document and talk about what this says because Lord have mercy, y'all. This man is losing it, and it's another example of his entitlement and expectation that the legal system is his to have and hold because he is actually asking for a restraining order claiming the protester has been harassing and stalking him, and he is suing the person for $7,500 claiming the protester is invading his privacy. Whew, I can't. So, the first page is a summons for the restraining order hearing. It says the defendant, who we will call Jane, is summoned to the Myrtle Beach Magistrate Court on January 29th, quote, to show cause why the restraining order prayed for by the petitioner should not be granted. It says, if you fail to appear, the relief prayed for by the plaintiff may be granted. And it's signed by a magistrate judge, apparently, who did not print their name. And yes, JP Miller, aka the man with endless audacity, is actually applying for a restraining order, and he's suing this protester for allegedly invading his privacy. I could go line by line through numerous allegations of harassment, stalking, and invasion of privacy that have been made against JP by both Micah and his ex-wife.

This is the same man who was accused of and admitted to repeatedly stalking his wife Micah, who was trying to leave him. He was using GPS trackers. He was allegedly pretending to be her in emails and text messages and allegedly having her followed and her tires slashed. He was allegedly falsely accusing Micah of theft. and demanding to have her arrested. And worse, this is the same man who went to court in March 2024 because his estranged wife, less than 2 months before she was found shot to death in a swamp, had applied for her own restraining order against him.

14 lawsuits and counting. That's where things stood in early 2025. And it didn't stop there. Within weeks, Mandy and Liz were tracking JP's legal actions the way meteorologists track a storm system. Here's where the count landed from True Sunlight Podcast, episode 85.

Now let's talk about JP Miller and those pesky lawsuits. There are now 28— yes, 28 lawsuits filed against Justice for Micah protesters, content creators, and former Solid Rock members who have spoken out against JP Miller. JP added another defendant to the list, Tina Renee Mattingly. One of JP's cases was dismissed just 6 days after he filed it against Joanna Cimentelli, which is weird. So that makes 14 magistrate lawsuits filed by JP Miller in the last month. And then it got even weirder when 3 of JP's churchy stans, his father Wayne Miller and 2 apparent Solid Rock members, Dylan Markferding, who spelled his name Mark Fredding in court documents, and Christina Best filed a total of 14 lawsuits against 5 protesters. This is madness. As of today's recording, defendants are still getting served with JP's bully papers. Also, one of the defendants filed a very fiery counterclaim with the help of attorney Regina Ward herself. And we'll talk about that in a second. So as you know, JP has some kind of pathetic history with the small group of people who have gathered outside of his services week after week to protest his continued leadership at the church.

According to one of the protesters, they had permits to gather outside of Solid Rock Church, which is in Myrtle Beach jurisdiction. And for other protests, the ones at other locations where JP was holding his super-secret spyish meetings, those were in unincorporated Horry County, which does not require permits for small gatherings. The protests have involved a number of JP confrontations. Over the summer, a church member was charged after he turned on a sprinkler on the protesters. And then there was another time someone erected 2 panels of vinyl privacy fencing in front of the church. In what has to be the most cartoonish peekaboo attempt at trying to one-up the protesters. Oh, and let's not forget JP's arrest for putting his hands on a female protester right after his house was raided by the FBI. We have a stack of police reports since Micah's death outlining JP's multiple attempts to paint the protesters as menacing and his multiple attempts to use the police to get people to stop saying that he's a bad person.

28 legal actions. But suing everyone who criticizes you comes with a risk: defendants get to answer. In one of them, a guitarist named Sam Rickman, represented by Micah's own attorney, Regina Ward, answered with a counterclaim that tells you— more about life inside Solid Rock. Faithful tithing traded for a child's scholarship. A pastor hiring a congregant to scrub his contact information off the internet. And sermons that Sam says turned into public criticism of Micah from the pulpit.

Now, we need to talk about a defendant of JP's named Sam Rickman. Sam is being represented by Micah's attorney, Regina Ward, and well, they have come out swinging, y'all. Sam filed an answer and counterclaim to JP's complaint And there are some bombshells in there. First, Sam denies the allegations in JP's complaint, including the address that JP gave to the court for Sam. Second, Sam, who says he was the guitarist and his family were loyal, active members who attended Solid Rock on a regular basis, has his own accusations to make. He refers to JP as the pastor, sole owner, and decision-maker at the church. Sam says that JP asked to play in the church's band on Sunday and that both Sam and his wife volunteered a lot of their time at the church and to JP, including providing JP and his family with barber services and JP's dog with grooming services. Defendant and his family thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship of the congregation, forming many friendships and bonding with other members of the church. Both defendant and his wife had formed friendships with the plaintiff and his wife, the first lady of the church, Micah. Defendant and his wife always looked forward to attending services, felt blessed to be a part of it, and felt like they found their home church for life.

According to the filing, JP told Sam if Sam and his family remained faithful tithers every Sunday and if Sam continued to play in the church band, And if Sam's wife volunteered one day a week at the school, then he would grant their kid an annual scholarship to cover the tuition at Faith First Academy, Solid Rock's private school. That paragraph says it all, right? We don't get a whole lot of insight into church members who were utterly hurt by JP's actions. Despite JP's chaotic existence, which we know plenty about, there were actual people who found meaning in the church that they thought they were a part of. According to the counterclaim, Sam was occasionally paid by the church for his independent work requested by JP and JP's father, Wayne Miller. The first job he was hired to do was to scrub the internet of JP's cell phone and contact information. I thought pastors were all about outreach and being available to the community with open doors, and I think we've already proven that wasn't the case for JP when his church called the police on a man under medical duress who stopped at Solid Rock asking for water.

JP also hired Sam to, quote, assist him in the design, formation, and printing of a book that JP presumably wrote, which Is hilarious. Presumably? I'm guessing this is a reference to JP's book, Hell No, which literally sounds like a parody title. But huh, is Sam hinting that JP didn't write his book? If not, then who did? I swear, if it turns out to be an AI robot, never tell me. Sam submitted the book to a publisher for JP and then did the same for Wayne for 3 books that Wayne, quote, presumably wrote for publication. Sam was also hired to take down the church's old, outdated website. This is when Micah hired him to, quote, create intro videos and cool, exciting artwork for the youth group to use in various program materials. Sam says he also created countdown videos for JP's sermons. Countdown videos, y'all. Could this get any more righteous gemstones? Anyway, JP also asked Sam to build the Dare to Care missions website. According to the filing. Now, Dare to Care is the mission that was close to Micah's heart. It is the one that JP and his right-hand woman, Tricia Ross, called police about to falsely report Micah for stealing from it after Micah once again separated from JP in February.

As you know, a judge cleared Micah of this and refused to sign a warrant for her arrest, finding that she had not stolen any money from Dare to Care. In his filing, Sam says that JP and Micah confided personal information about their marriage to Sam and his wife, who offered caring, listening ears and prayers to JP and Micah. Quote, at some point, JP began to talk about Micah from the pulpit in a manner that Sam perceived as criticism and exposing personal aspects about Micah that were of no business to the congregation. And certainly irrelevant to any sermon. Sam became disgusted with JP regularly speaking from the pulpit about Micah, which Sam felt JP demeaned, disparaged, and consistently belittled the first lady. Sam had had enough of this, so he decided to stop sitting in on JP's sermons. After the music was over every Sunday, Sam would get up and leave. And it got to the point where Sam didn't even want to be a part of the church anymore, but he felt stuck because his daughter attended JP's school. At some point before all of this, though, Sam, as part of offering testimony to a pastor, had shared private and sensitive information about his life with JP.

JP later asked Sam if he could share details of Sam's experiences with other members of the church who might be facing the same struggles. Sam gave JP his conditional approval to that, telling JP not to reveal certain specific information, which JP did. According to Sam, JP allegedly disclosed Sam's personal and private information in a sermon and then falsely took credit for helping Sam recover from addiction when Sam had already been sober for 18 years. This sermon was recorded and uploaded to the church's site. Sam says he was so worried that certain family members of his who were mentioned in the sermon would see the video, and he was scared of the potential consequences and the damage it might cause to his relationships. Later, JP would allegedly tell popular social media content creators on TikTok and YouTube that Sam was using illegal drugs while at the church. And JP allegedly told a former staff member that Sam is evil and should not be listened to. In his filing, Sam recounts the morning of April 28th, the day after Micah's death, when JP gave his bizarre, quote, lighthearted sermon filled with jokes and laughter that ended with the announcement of Micah's death and how she died.

Almost immediately, Sam says, the sermon went viral and was met with empathy, And outrage. Despite all this, Sam says JP went to band practice at the church 3 days later, where he again gave people details of Micah's death. He told the people at practice that the public's reaction was the work of the devil and told them that it would blow over in 2 weeks. Disgusted and embarrassed by JP's behavior, Sam and his wife left Solid Rock and joined another church. May 1st, 2024, was the last time Sam ever initiated contact with JP, according to the filing. 4 days after this, Sam attended the first protest, which again had permits through the city, according to the filing. Sam says he sat in his car across the street from the church and did not leave his vehicle. He said he was in mourning for Micah and in disbelief over her death. Later that month, Sam posted on Facebook a response to the people who were asking, why didn't church members do more to protect and help Micah? In that post, Sam said he and his wife had gone to the elders of the church before Micah died to express their concerns, and after she died, to share what JP had told them at that May 1st band practice.

On June 2nd, Sam attended and peacefully participated in another Permitted rally across the street from the church, according to his filing. Despite leaving Solid Rock, Sam and his wife decided to keep their daughter, who was set to be on the honor roll and receive recognition for her achievements in school, to finish out the year. Just before the ceremony, though, Sam says they were told that due to, quote, an internal issue, their daughter was no longer going to be on the honor roll. And their daughter's name ended up never being called to receive the recognition she was due, according to the filing. Sam believes that that was retribution for them leaving the church. Now, none of that is terribly surprising, right? But if true, it would all be confirmation of so many of the things that we've heard about how JP was running that church. But the next thing I'm going to tell you is pretty shocking. 3 days before Micah's death, Sam says that JP texted him to ask him to revise the Dare to Care website and, quote, put as big as possible on the site, dedicated to Micah Miller. Eerie, right? And suspicious.

3 days before Micah's mysterious death, and JP wanted the Dare to Care website to be dedicated to her? Was he messing with her? Was this a way to weaken her resolve in the divorce or a cheap trick to show he still wanted her involved in his life and the church? Or was it something more sinister? Because that's an incredibly hard thing to explain to police, in our opinion. JP was, in essence, setting up a memorial on a website for a mission Micah treasured before she died. Either JP Miller has terrible luck in timing or there is something very nefarious happening here. After Micah died on May 22nd, JP texted Sam and demanded he remove some of the photos on the Dare to Care website because, quote, his lawyer told him there should not be evidence of association with a certain person. Sam doesn't say who that person was. So was it Micah, or was it perhaps the sex offender who had been working for the church? Sam says he told JP he wasn't comfortable doing that for him. And in response to that, Sam says JP attempted to create anxiety and fear by threatening that Sam would have to pay back the money JP had paid him to create the website in the first place.

Then, according to the filing, JP told Sam that if he didn't make the changes, Sam would have to pay back the scholarship for Sam's daughter. Sam and his wife had already done the work per the agreement. It was the end of the school year. And JP was using this as leverage to get what JP wanted done. A week after that, JP then sent Sam a cease and desist letter through his attorney. In the letter, JP accused Sam of making false claims against him and demanded that Sam, quote, release any evidence he has in his possession to Russell B. Wrong's office for, quote, examination of authenticity. And if he didn't, JP would file legal action against Sam. We'll be right back.

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And trust me, it is a lot. Like JP's felon father, Reginald Wayne Miller, and how JP inherited the playbook from him. The manipulation, the lawsuit, the just keep preaching arrogance. Straight from his daddy. Plus, we talk about the 2 Jane Doe lawsuits that Netflix barely touched, And we tell you a whole lot about JP's ex-wife that Netflix left out. Remember, Justice for Micah is a movement, not a moment, and the full story matters. So follow True Sunlight wherever you're listening right now and check out episode 163, What Netflix Left Out of the Micah Frances Miller Story. Stay tuned, stay pesky, and stay in the sunlight. Remember, Micah's best friend Charlotte Korn was sent a similar letter from JP after she appeared on this podcast to talk about her friendship with Micah. Like Charlotte, Sam did not comply with that ridiculous request. Sam says he and his wife have been devastated by Micah's death. And since that time, He has posted positive messages about Micah on social media, hoping to keep her memory alive so people will know her as she was and not as the person JP tried to make her out to be. In the post, Sam says that he has never mentioned JP or alluded to him, nor has he ever restated any of the allegations against JP.

Sam says he also curated a website for Micah celebrating her and honoring her kindness and loving nature through photos. He says he's posted about the Justice for Micah movement, which aims to bring awareness to domestic violence and educate the public on coercive control. He has also helped the Francis family design banners, t-shirts, and other signs for the Micah Festival, which Sam says had nothing to do with JP. Sam is also the creator of the Micah Ducks campaign, where little purple ducks have been hidden locally and internationally by people Hoping to keep Micah's memory alive. People who find the ducks then post about them online. Sam says he has done all of this for free and does not make money off of any of it. Now, here is the kicker. Sam ends his counterclaim by saying that in the light of the FBI's investigation into JP, Sam believes that JP is concerned about what he and his wife can attest to Regarding JP's relationship with Micah and his behavior over several years. Sam believes, quote, this frivolous lawsuit is an effort to further intimidate and silence him, especially if JP believes Sam's relevant information for the FBI investigation.

In his filings, Sam has included several defenses to JP's claims against him. Sam says that JP has unclean hands, that JP breached his fiduciary duty to him by revealing highly sensitive and confidential information about him and made threats, meaning JP cannot come after him for money when JP acted unethically in regards to this case in the first place. Sam also says that he's protected by the First Amendment, In regards to his social media posts and the protests, Sam is also asserting that JP is a public character. Here is David with Sam's argument.

JP has himself used his own pulpit to disclose personal and private facts about himself, his late wife prior to and after her passing, status of his marriage, and other similar personal and normally private facts. JP is an author of at least one religious book, a pastor who publicizes his sermons, promotes himself online, and has voluntarily participated in interviews with national news organizations and social media content creators. JP, by his own action, has propelled himself into the spotlight of the public. indicating consent to the publication of those certain facts about his life, and has lost, to some extent, the right of certain otherwise private matters that are important for the public to be aware of, as a consideration of whether parents should entrust their children to the church's school or become members of His church. Actions unbecoming of a pastor, events such as FBI raids, are very much a matter of public interest.

Amen to that, right? Additionally, Sam is accusing JP of abuse of process, saying that JP has an ulterior motive to silence Sam and is misusing the court to do so. And he says that JP has intentionally inflicted emotional distress on him by using Sam's daughter as a way to take out his anger over Sam and his wife leaving the church. Finally, Sam is accusing JP of defamation, slander, and invasion of privacy, and he is asking the court for a permanent restraining order against JP to prevent JP from coming after him again. It is really a thing. You know how we've mentioned before the coincidence about how the word chess seems to come up a lot in this case? JP's used it in sermons, and in his quest to have Micah committed by the state, he said that she claimed to be playing a game of chess with the devil. And we bet she meant JP with that one. And JP's alleged paramour, Susie Skinner's husband, drowned in the neighborhood pool where he had supposedly gone to play chess. We're here to tell you today that J.P. Miller must be horrible at chess because he cannot seem to anticipate people's very obvious countermoves.

Knowing all of this that Sam had on him, and J.P. Miller still decided to poke that bear.

Sam wasn't alone. By February 2025, attorneys were lining up to represent protesters. And that's when JP tried a little freelance legal diplomacy. What you're about to hear is an actual settlement offer emailed by JP Miller himself to an opposing attorney. Listen for the negotiating strategy: admit to more than I'm suing you for and I'll stop asking for money. This is from True Sunlight Podcast, episode 87.

Columbia attorney Philip Corey filed a notice of appearance on behalf of 3 of the protesters. Ali Quazzo, Melissa Pfeiffer, and Sandra Karen. In addition to the notice of appearance, Corey filed a counterclaim against JP for each of his clients, as well as a motion for a change of venue to move the cases out of Myrtle Beach Magistrate Court and into Horry County Circuit Court. Meaning they want to take this to big girl court where JP will actually have to hire an attorney and could be on the hook for way more than the $7,500 limit set for magistrate cases. A date for that hearing has not been set yet. Something happened this weekend that we need to tell you about real quick. Allie's attorney received an email from John Paul Miller that I'm going to have David read.

Hello, how are you? Hope you're well. I received a letter saying that you are representing Melissa, Alexandra, and Sandra. If you would like to settle, I can assure you that all lawsuits against them will be, be dropped if they would agree to the restraining order concerning myself, as well as a one-sentence apology for the harassment. Thanks so much for considering. God bless. Capital P, lowercase j, lowercase p.

So let me get this straight. His negotiation suggestion is, if you admit to more than the things I'm asking the court to force you to admit to, then I'll drop the part where I want money. The literal origin of these lawsuits is that the protesters are calling out JP's alleged coercive control abuse of Micah. And he hates that and he wants them to stop. But then he sends an email where he displays what appears to be a real need to control and abuse and overpower people. And if it wasn't obvious before, it should be now. JP picked Magistrate Court not only because it's the Wild West and a much cheaper route for him to go, he picked it because he doesn't care about the money. He cares about his ability to bully. In his lawsuits, he's claiming emotional damage and a loss of income because of supposedly each of these individual protesters, but he's willing to drop that claim, that frivolous and absurd claim, in exchange for making the protesters essentially sign away their First Amendment rights and bow down to him and kiss his feet. JP wants a one-sentence apology for the harassment. So I'm a writer.

I'll give him one. I'm sorry that you're such a shamefully bad and hypocritical pastor that the protesters' presence outside your church businesses is stronger than your ability to convince potential church members that you're not the broken and morally bankrupt man you so obviously appear to be. I think it's time for JP to take a seat at his piano and maybe play himself off the church stage.

God bless PJP. Now, a word of caution before this next segment, and it's an important one. What you're about to hear concerns a police report filed in June 2024, in the weeks after Micah's death was making headlines around the world. A report is a record of an allegation. Nothing more. It is not evidence of guilt, and JP Miller has never been charged in connection with it. And Mandy and Liz walk carefully through why it could have been made in good faith or in bad faith. The reason it belongs in this series is what it says about Micah's dog and what Micah's list already alleged about how JP treated her. This is from True Sunlight Podcast episode 16.

Okay, so interestingly, as we were working on this episode, we received a number of FOIAs back from the Horry County Police Department, and we have to talk about one of them right now because it is egregious. And why does this always happen on a Wednesday? We need to mention that this report was made on June 3rd, which is after Micah's death was all over the news. And we want to remind everyone that police reports are just that. They are simply reports of allegations. It's public information, which makes it fair game for us to talk about as fact in terms of this thing exists and our taxpayer-funded public servants were employed in service of it. But reports of allegations do not automatically mean there is any credibility to the claim. You are so going to understand why I'm saying all this in one second. We just want to stress that allegations are allegations. They are not a sign of guilt. That said, on June 3rd, Horry County Police Department received a call from someone. The report identifies this person by their name and relationship to the case and notes that this person is asking to remain anonymous.

So even though they've redacted the person's name, they probably should have redacted those other details. We're going to honor the anonymity here. The police were called just before 11:00 PM and alerted to a report of potential animal cruelty at JP Miller's house. The CAD report says the caller described a very small black and white Pomchi dog as appearing skinny and overly aggressive, according to the report. And it noted that, quote, things did not look right physically. It's this next line where things get really weird. So I'm going to quote it. Caller states— and we're redacting this person's role, but they refer to Micah's death and An open investigation into her death, and soon-to-be ex is looking to involve their dog sexually. Dog groomer states there has been evidence of this and was told they were also making a report tonight. Then it notes that Micah told this person about this in March before she died. And I should note that we do not have a report from any dog groomer. We don't know if one exists yet. The report we do have notes that there were 2 dogs on the property. So, okay, let's all take a deep breath here because yuck and wow.

So this seems to be an accusation of bestiality against JP Miller. Again, anyone can make an accusation about anything, although filing a false police report is a crime. We have seen no other reports of any behavior like this on JP's part. It's not a standing accusation against him, nor does he ever face any charges. If we take the report in good faith, it's someone reporting a concern they had based on something the dog groomer allegedly said she saw and something Micah allegedly told this person. If this is something Micah believed to be true before her death, then it really speaks to the pernicious and, I'll just say it, evil things that she was dealing with in those last few months of her life. If she believed this to be true, then she was operating Under fear that her dog was getting hurt. Obviously, we need to note that someone taking a dog to a dog groomer would be an indication of properly caring for the dog. We also need to say that if this report was made in bad faith, it would be very understandable why JP Miller felt like he was being wrongfully attacked by the public.

And we'll note that this accusation was not specifically included in Micah's list, the list of alleged coercive control and abusive behaviors. that Micah's legal team has accused JP of inflicting on Micah, behaviors that they say contributed to her death. However, the list did outline JP's alleged cruelty to Micah's dog. Here's David with what it says.

JP threw Micah's belongings out of the house and then demanded that she, quote, come get her dog, end quote. She could not keep the dog at the apartment she was staying in at the time, and he knew that. When she did not immediately get the dog, he took the dog to her apartment and tied the little dog to the front door handle. He knew that she was not home, and he left the dog there. She had to leave where she was at the time to go home to get the dog. She found a home for the dog, but when JP found out about her giving the dog to someone else, he went there, And demanded the person give the dog back.

So what came of this phone call to the police? And most importantly, what about the dogs? Police noted that they drove by JB's house that night and that the area was quiet and his front door and garage were closed. But that's it. There's no other information.

We're going to leave that report where the police left it. A drive-by, a quiet street, and no follow-up. Because the most consequential legal filings of these past 18 months didn't come from JP. They came for him.

Hey, y'all. It's Mandy Matney. If you're listening to Coerced, you already know that Micah Frances Miller's story runs so much deeper than what the world saw on Netflix. This week on True Sunlight, Liz Farrell and I are breaking down what Death of the Pastor's Wife left out. And trust me, it is a lot. Like JP's felon father, Reginald Wayne Miller, and how JP inherited the playbook from him. The manipulation, the lawsuit, the just keep preaching arrogance. Straight from his daddy. Plus, we talk about the 2 Jane Doe lawsuits that Netflix barely touched, And we tell you a whole lot about JP's ex-wife that Netflix left out. Remember, Justice for Micah is a movement, not a moment, and the full story matters. So follow True Sunlight wherever you're listening right now, and check out episode 163, What Netflix Left Out of the Micah Frances Miller Story. Stay tuned, stay pesky, and stay in the sunlight.

In February 2025, a woman known as Jane Doe 1 filed a suit against JP Miller, Wayne Miller, and their religious organizations. Her account begins in July 1998 in the church sanctuary when she was 15 years old. The same year, You'll remember from episode 6 that a 19-year-old JP ran a woman down with his truck. Again, this is a civil suit and JP denies the allegations, and no criminal charges have been filed. And please listen with care. From True Sunlight Podcast, episode 89.

Okay, that brings us into the church sanctuary in July 1998. I think we all have a nice picture of who JP Miller was in that moment. a spoiled, entitled, violent pastor's son who worked at his father's church. On that day, 15-year-old Jane Doe sat down in the sanctuary and watched as JP played piano and another person played the drums. And this is important, okay? JP, again, the pastor's son, was in charge of the music at the church. It's hard for me to say this next point without throwing up in my mouth, but understandably, at the time, JP was seen as Cool and essentially a rock star in that church community.

Ew.

The reason I say that this is important is because too often when a civil complaint or even a criminal complaint is filed in a sexual assault case, one of the first things people do when reading the allegations is subconsciously put themselves in one of the roles, which is natural because it's how we process dangerous situations, right? We learn about a new dangerous situation someone went through and the dynamics at play when we assess them. This is why the true crime genre exists. This is why Dateline is so popular. We, as women in particular, watch because on some level we are learning how to protect ourselves. Some of us. Others are there to judge the victims so that they can go on Facebook and make stupid and unhelpful comments about them. Which we've seen. And oh, let's not forget about the men. There are the ones who understand. There are the ones who are willing to try and understand. And then there are the ones who can only see themselves in the alleged abuser role, whether they're conscious of that or not. The ones who automatically see a fellow man getting victimized by an accusation, a fellow man having his power taken away from him by a woman.

Those men and the women who are there to judge are the worst, so let's get back to those of us who get it and know that there is no roadmap when it comes to the aftermath of rape. We can see the nuance, the power differential, the fear, the real and perceived pressure to keep silent, to not rock the boat. We can understand the desire to forget the incident altogether, and we know how to regard the messy Imperfect and highly personal decisions one makes to survive in the moment and beyond. The things rape victims do just to get through it and make it better. Whether it's reporting the incident to police or smiling at the abuser afterwards in the hopes it helps her escape without further danger. We know that the body can take over and go into self-protection mode. We know that traumas can be buried deep and triggered later. Whether we've experienced this ourselves or not, we understand it. And in cases where the alleged abuser is in a persistent position of power, when it is someone the rape victim is going to have to interact with again, we can see why a rape victim might choose to keep the peace and take the abuser's cues on how to interact with them further.

Especially if the accused is someone prone to coercively controlling those around him. We know the challenges victims are up against. All of that said, we think about what a child goes through in that same set of circumstances. At this time, JP was seen as appealing to young women who looked up to him. On that day, in the music sanctuary of the church, JP began to engage Jane in conversation. According to the lawsuit, At some point, she stepped away to use the restroom. When she came out, JP was standing near Wayne's office door, and he called out Jane's name and asked her about a mutual friend's absence from the church, according to the lawsuit. I'll have David read the rest directly from the complaint.

Without warning, JPM forced plaintiff inside his father's office. Shutting the door behind him. JPM immediately became aggressive, physically overpowering plaintiff and forcing her against the wall. Despite plaintiff's struggles and verbal pleas for him to stop, JPM ignored her and forcibly moved her out of the office, down the hallway, and to a door that led outside to a grassy side yard of the church where JPM's truck was parked. JPM then forced Jane Doe Number 1 into his truck, and that is where he raped her. At the time of the assault, the plaintiff was a virgin. Plaintiff was terrified, physically overpowered, and left defenseless against JPM's assault. JPM, an adult man in a position of authority within the Church, took full advantage of plaintiff's youth, Inexperience, and vulnerability to commit this heinous act. Following the sexual assault, plaintiff remained silent about what had occurred with JPM and was overcome by shock, shame, and fear. In the following months, plaintiff exhibited clear signs of trauma, including severe depression, social withdrawal from family and friends, declining academic performance, And emotional distress and self-doubt.

So after our breaking news alerts about this lawsuit being filed, we saw a number of comments online asking why this isn't considered statutory rape. So let me answer that. First, this is a civil lawsuit and not a criminal charge, at least not yet. But let's talk about it anyway. Statutory rape is sexual intercourse with a minor when both parties have consented And I put that word in quotes because the age of consent in South Carolina is 16, meaning someone younger than 16 does not have the ability to consent. But if that person does willingly have sex with someone older than 16, then the statutory rape law could apply. In South Carolina, when someone is being charged in a statutory rape, however, that person gets charged with criminal sexual conduct with a minor. There are 3 levels to that, and they are all felonies. A statutory rape offense would likely be the lesser of the 3 offenses depending on the circumstances. So reminder, Jane was 15, not of the age of consent, and JP was older than 16. He was 19. But, and this is the only part that matters here, Jane did not consent. So the so-called statutory rape law would not apply.

That said, we saw a TikTok ally of JP's rush to his defense and post an AI definition of the, quote, Romeo and Juliet law in New Jersey. This is a woman who seems to be in competition to do the most for JP in terms of minimizing his behavior and oversimplifying information to support his claims. That said, she's offensive, and so is that post. A Romeo and Juliet law is a protection put place for young couples who are close in age and are having consensual sex. An example of that would be, say you're 15 and a half and your boyfriend just turned 17, and your parents didn't want you dating your boyfriend, so they call the police on him when they discover that you're sexually active with him. Again, consent, insofar as it applies, is in play. But beyond that, South Carolina does not have that protection. So stop being a gross person, Miss JP TikToker. At the time JP allegedly raped Jane in July of 1998, the lawsuit asserts that the church and its leadership and JP's father were aware of concerns about JP's behavior with young teenagers at the church starting as early as the year before that, and that they knew JP was allegedly engaging in sexual misconduct.

And worse, the lawsuit points out That the church was built by Wayne, a man who had a history of sexual abuse allegations in his past. The lawsuit refers to Wayne as the proverbial fox guarding the henhouse. What's interesting and satisfying about this lawsuit is that it talks in great length about the churchy business, which, you know, we love to talk about. And the lawsuit also points out the biggest elephant in the room, the one JP and Wayne point to when they are asserting their power And away from when they are minimizing it. The churches are extensions of both men's egos, and every matter involving the church was decided by them without oversight. Here's David with more on that.

Though RWM was in control, there were other leaders of the church who could have intervened to protect minors at the church. They did Not. They ceded complete control to RWM, who allowed his son, JPM, to have free rein over the church and the minors at the church. This church was JPM's sexual playground. Leadership at the church, including RWM, should have undertaken something to protect the minors at the church from JPM and any other predator, including RWM. They did not.

After JP is alleged to have raped Jane, Jane did not fully comprehend what had happened to her or the extent of the harm it was causing her, according to the lawsuit. The trauma was deeply buried and for decades, she had no conscious recollection of the assault. In other words, Jane paved over the memory of her rape, and it wasn't until 2023 when it all came flooding back to her after she ran into JP in Myrtle Beach. In 2023, according to court records and other documents and source recollections, JP was separated from Micah on and off. It's the year he had his lawyer draw up a postnuptial agreement Giving him all the power and giving Micah virtually none. It's the year that Micah escaped to Kansas only to come back to Myrtle Beach at JP's disgusting urging because church members were asking where his wife was, only for Micah to then once again be rejected by JP who wanted to explore being single, again according to our previous reporting. At that time, the church was thriving. JP had built it back up from the 2015 scandal when Myka and him were caught having an affair. JP was moving quickly on plans for expansion.

According to the lawsuit, when JP saw Jane, who was with a friend of hers, he leaned into her as if to hug her. But instead, he allegedly, quote, shoved his hand down her pants, touching her genitals without consent. Jane immediately recoiled. According to the lawsuit, she tried to brush it off and move his hand because she didn't think that her friend had seen it happen and she was scared of what would happen. 30 minutes later, according to the lawsuit, Jane Doe got into a heated argument with JP about his use of the title pastor and his use of scripture to justify sexual Misconduct, which again, is an important factor to keep with you. If JP was engaging in sexual misconduct to the degree that this lawsuit says he was, how was JP able to stave off criminal charges or lawsuits before this one, right? People allegedly knew about what was happening at the church, right? What's a more powerful tool of inspiration to churchgoers than a pastor sharing scripture? On the darker side, what's a more powerful tool of coercion and control and persuasion and minimization? What is a more powerful threat to a believer's salvation than a carefully chosen and strategically shared verse of scripture?

According to the lawsuit, JP JP had to answer to Jane's anger over his title of pastor and of scripture to justify his alleged sexual misconduct. He allegedly said, no man is without sin and temptation. God understands that. Jane was left reeling from this encounter with JP, according to the lawsuit, and she began experiencing a long-delayed spiral of self-loathing. Self-doubt and depression. And the memories of what happened to her in 1998, the details her body tried to protect her from reliving, reemerged. After Micah was found dead in a North Carolina swamp with a gunshot wound to her head, and after Micah's death was declared a suicide, and after all of the details of Micah's life with JP began spilling out, Jane was crushed. Crushed by the burden of guilt that came with the thought that had she spoken up sooner, Jane might have been able to prevent further harm to others. The lawsuit says, the guilt and shame experienced by Jane Doe 1 for not reporting the second assault at the time of the occurrence of the first assault after memories came flooding back was another insult to the plaintiff's emotional psyche.

Jane Doe 2 filed her own lawsuit against JP and Wayne Miller. Hers involves a different setting, Cathedral Hall Academy, and a different year. Here's a clip from True Sunlight Podcast, Episode 90.

Jane Doe 2 was 14 when her parents enrolled her at Cathedral Hall Academy. A private Christian school run by Wayne and JP Miller, according to the lawsuit that said JP and Wayne portrayed themselves as devout men of God, offering a faith-based education in a nurturing environment. I'll have David read this next part directly from the lawsuit to give y'all a real feel of this sketchy schooly business that they were allegedly operating.

Instead, Jane Doe 2 walked into a nightmare. Cathedral Hall Academy was not a school, it was a trap. There were no certified teachers, no legitimate coursework, and no structured academics. The classrooms were carved from a repurposed bowling alley, their walls incomplete, their floors slick and uneven. Many of the staff were simply members of Wayne Miller's churches or colleges with no credentials, no oversight, and, in some cases, deeply questionable backgrounds. What should have been a place of learning became a place of control, fear, and unchecked abuse. Within months, Jane Doe 2 became one of its victims.

Of course, there is a scammy school in this bottomless hellscape of a story. We haven't told you in detail about the quote-unquote schools that Wayne Miller ran back in the day, but put a pin in that because, whew, there's a lot more there. And there's a lot more to come on this lawsuit after a short break, and we'll be right back.

According to the most recent lawsuit filed against J.P. Miller, one morning in 1999, 14-year-old Jane Doe number 2 was asked to hold open the door to the church building as children left after chapel service. When the last child ran out of the building, Jane Doe number 2 found herself alone with one of the teachers. JP Miller, who was seated at the piano and playing softly. According to the lawsuit, JP Miller then asked Jane Doe number 2 if she wanted to play, and she saw no reason to decline. But when she got up to leave, JP allegedly pulled her into a hug, and before she could react, he then allegedly moved his hands down her back to her waist, under her clothing, touching her bare butt. Horrible, right? But then it gets worse. Jane Doe number 2 says she told a teacher what JP had allegedly done to her. And instead of that teacher helping her, Jane says the teacher sent her to Wayne Miller's office. Wayne Miller, you know, the man who allegedly fled Florence just a decade earlier because of a 5-part television series accusing him of sexually abusing Bible college students. When Jane Doe number 2 got to Wayne's office, JP Miller was already there, according to the lawsuit.

Here is David reading the next part of Jane Doe #2's lawsuit. Listen carefully.

Wayne Miller demanded she repeat her accusation with his son standing beside him. Jane Doe #2's voice wavered and she told the truth. Wayne Miller did not ask for details. He did not care. He shouted at her, you will not lie about my son! Then came her punishment. She was forced to write the words, I will not lie about John Paul Miller, 5,000 times.

Let me repeat that again. Wayne Miller allegedly made a 14-year-old girl write, I will not lie about John Paul Miller, 5,000 times. Again, 5,000 times. This is alleged, but if it's true, it is something straight out of a Bad Parenting 101 playbook. This is how monsters are made. JP was around 20 years old at the time, so while he was absolutely old enough to know better and old enough to face accountability for his actions, We have to point out how much worse Wayne allegedly made this situation. JP could have learned an important lesson that day that could have changed his life and so many others, including Micah's, but instead, Wayne Miller added gasoline to JP's fire and not only gave him the green light to continue to allegedly abuse others with his position of power in the church, But he emboldened JP by punishing the 14-year-old who told on him. He sent a strong message to those around JP that there will be consequences for those who cross him. If those allegations are true, then it makes a lot of sense, right? It makes sense that 25 years ago, JP Miller allegedly learned that whenever a person makes an accusation about him, His father will be there to not only blindly defend him without even attempting to investigate the claim, but his father will use the power he has as a pastor to punish those who speak out against him in any way.

If that did happen, it would make sense that 20 years later, that same man would have the audacity to call the police like he's ordering While he's under federal investigation, for example. And it would make sense that that same man, 20 years later, would file a gaggle of frivolous lawsuits that clog up the courts and attempt to scare the internet into silence. If that did happen, it would explain a whole lot about JP Miller. And it makes my heart break all over again. For Micah. But back to the lawsuit. After Jane Doe 2 was punished for telling on JP, her life at school kept getting worse. Here is David reading from Jane Doe 2's lawsuit.

After that day, the torment escalated. The students at the school, many from troubled backgrounds, took their cues from the Millers. They turned on plaintiff with full force. Calling her a liar, a whore, and a slut. They whispered behind her back, shoved notes under her desk, and made her life a daily humiliation. Then came the physical assaults.

The lawsuit said that in JP's quote-unquote so-called music class, 2 girls assaulted Jane, grabbing her from behind, holding her arms back to rip open her shirt and stuff tissues in her bra. And when this happened, JP, the teacher, allegedly laughed. Here is David again reading from Jane Doe 2's lawsuit.

Other times, boys and girls alike shoved her into bathroom stalls, slapped her, and yanked her hair. One student even held her down and sprayed bug spray into her mouth and eyes while others watched. Through it all, JPM was there, smirking, encouraging, watching. RWM was no different. One day, he found her crying. He told Jane Doe #2, stop disturbing the Lord's work, and repent for your lies. The message was clear. No one would protect her.

According to the lawsuit, when Jane Doe 2 was in 9th grade, the abuse only escalated. One day, JP allegedly cornered Jane Doe 2 alone in his classroom and told her that she had failed the test, but if she stayed after class, he could fix it for her. Jane Doe 2 stayed after class, according to the lawsuit, and sat down in a chair near the piano. Here is David reading from the lawsuit.

He started with small talk and asked, did she like him? And did she have a boyfriend? His hand moved to her knee and she froze. He leaned in further and said he could protect her if she would let him. He then grabbed her and physically assaulted her by putting his hands under her shirt and skirt and touching her sexually. She struggled to push him away, but he was stronger and pushed her down. She finally broke free and sprinted for the door. She ran down the hall and out of the school, away from JPM. When her mother finally found her walking down the road, she did not say what had happened.

The lawsuit also details horrific and heartbreaking psychological abuse that Jane Doe 2 allegedly endured while attending Wayne Miller's school.

The horrors of Cathedral Hall Academy were not just physical and sexual, they were psychological. When plaintiff brought a Harry Potter book to school, Wayne Miller and J.P. Miller dragged her into the office. They berated her, called her a servant of Satan, and told her that if she continued down this path, she would be raped by demons. Then, right in front of her, they set the book on fire! Wayne Miller then beat her with a Bible and poured water over her head. She was 16 years old. That was her final year at Cathedral Hall Academy.

According to the lawsuit, Jane Doe 2 repressed the memories of the abuse foisted upon her by John Paul Miller and Wayne Miller. The lawsuit said, as a direct result of the trauma inflicted by John Paul Miller and Wayne Miller's assaults, plaintiff repressed memories of the abuse, preventing her from fully recognizing the extent and impact of the harm she suffered. Jane Doe 2 first began to process and recall the abuse in 2024, following the widespread media coverage of Micah Miller's death, according to the lawsuit. Here's David again reading directly from the lawsuit.

The media revelations surrounding Micah Miller's death triggered Plaintiff's realization of the coercion, control, and abuse she had endured at the hands of JP Miller and It was only then that plaintiff was able to fully comprehend the nature of the assaults by John Paul Miller and Wayne Miller and their lasting impact on her, making the accrual of the statute of limitations begin at that time. John Paul Miller and Wayne Miller's abuse and predatory behavior acts in 1998 through 2001 Has caused plaintiff severe and lasting harm.

5,000 times. According to her lawsuit, that's how many times a 14-year-old girl was made to write, I will not lie about John Paul Miller, a quarter century before the world learned Micah's name. As of September 2026, both Jane Doe lawsuits are still ongoing. These cases could go to trial, but it would take years for these brave women to get justice. Both women say it was the coverage of Micah's death that helped them understand the impact of what had happened to them. That's what sunlight does. Micah's story didn't just expose one man. It gave other women strength to speak up for themselves. 28 lawsuits to silence people, 2 lawsuits that shine a bright light into the archives of allegations of a long-time criminal behavior by JP and Wayne Miller, and one more courtroom still ahead. Next time, the day the questions stop being civil. Federal agents arrive at JP Miller's door And an arrest follows within days. And a grand jury in Florence hands down the indictment this entire series has been building toward. With the trial now just weeks away— well, scheduled anyway— who knows what tricks JP has up his sleeve this month? Until next time, stay tuned, stay pesky, and stay in the sunlight.

Coerced: The Devotion and Death of Micah Frances Miller is a Luna Shark production with reporting from journalists Mandy Matney, Liz Farrell, and Beth Braden, made possible by producers Kate Thomas, Grace Hills, and David Moses. Learn more about our mission and membership at lunasharkmedia.com.