More than two years after Mica Miller’s death, a forensic psychologist is drawing renewed attention to what she describes as “glaring red flags” in the young woman’s marriage — particularly patterns associated with coercive control, gaslighting and spiritual abuse.

Dr. Joni Johnston, a clinical and forensic psychologist who has studied Mica’s case, recently examined allegations surrounding Mica’s relationship with her estranged husband, South Carolina pastor John-Paul “JP” Miller.

John-Paul Miller has denied allegations of abuse. He has not been charged in connection with Mica’s death, which authorities officially ruled a suicide.

He is, however, now facing separate federal charges accusing him of cyberstalking Mica before her death and later making false statements to investigators. He has pleaded not guilty, and the allegations remain unproven unless established in court.

For Johnston, the larger issue raised by the case is how coercive control can develop inside a relationship without always looking like the type of abuse outsiders immediately recognize.

“There were just absolute glaring red flags,” Johnston said while discussing the case.

What Coercive Control Can Look Like

Coercive control is not defined by a single incident.

Instead, Johnston explained, it can involve a continuing pattern in which one person gradually limits another person’s choices, independence and ability to trust their own judgment.

At its core, she said, the behavior is about power.

“The attempt really is to take away all freedom and choice from that person,” Johnston explained.

That control can take many forms.

A person may be isolated from friends or relatives, monitored, financially restricted or repeatedly told that their interpretation of events is wrong. Over time, Johnston said, the victim may begin questioning their own perceptions.

That process is often described as gaslighting.

In Mica’s case, friends, relatives and her divorce attorney have publicly alleged that she experienced a pattern of manipulation and control during her marriage.

Those claims have received renewed scrutiny following federal prosecutors’ decision to charge John-Paul Miller.

Federal Indictment Details Alleged Harassment

A federal grand jury indicted Miller in December 2025 on one count of cyberstalking and one count of making false statements to federal investigators.

According to the indictment, prosecutors allege that beginning in November 2022 and continuing until Mica’s death on April 27, 2024, Miller engaged in a prolonged course of unwanted and harassing conduct.

The government alleges that the conduct included posting a nude image of Mica online without her consent, arranging for tracking devices to be placed on her vehicle, interfering with her finances and daily activities and, on one occasion, damaging her vehicle’s tires.

Prosecutors also allege that he contacted her more than 50 times in a single day.

The false-statement charge stems from allegations that Miller denied damaging Mica’s tires when questioned by investigators, even though prosecutors say evidence showed he had purchased a tire-deflation device and communicated with others about her vehicle.

Miller has pleaded not guilty.

If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison on the cyberstalking charge and up to two years on the false-statement charge. His federal trial is currently expected during the October 2026 term after several postponements.

Why Spiritual Abuse Can Be Hard to Recognize

One aspect Johnston highlighted is the possibility of spiritual abuse — particularly when religion becomes intertwined with authority inside a relationship.

John-Paul Miller was not only Mica’s husband. He was also a pastor and, according to people close to Mica, had occupied a position of spiritual influence in her life for years.

Johnston said that dynamic can make certain forms of control particularly difficult for victims to recognize or challenge.

When a person believes that questioning a partner may also mean questioning religious teaching, spiritual authority or even their own faith, ordinary relationship boundaries can become blurred.

Johnston has written previously about the potential for religious ideas to be used as mechanisms of control, including allegations in Mica’s case that faith and ideas about marital submission were used in ways that left her doubting her own decisions.

That does not mean religion itself is abusive. Johnston’s concern is specifically about situations in which spiritual beliefs are allegedly used to justify domination, silence objections or increase dependence on the person exercising control.

Why Outsiders May Not See What Is Happening

Coercive relationships can also be difficult to identify because they may not appear chaotic from the outside.

A couple can continue going to work, attending church, appearing in photographs and interacting normally with friends while one person is privately experiencing escalating control.

Johnston said that confusion is part of what makes coercive control so effective.

The victim may be receiving one message privately and presenting an entirely different image publicly.

Friends and relatives may notice individual incidents without realizing they form a broader pattern.

That is why, Johnston said, behavior must often be examined collectively rather than incident by incident.

Allegations involving surveillance, financial interference, repeated unwanted contact, isolation or attacks on a person’s credibility can take on a different meaning when viewed as part of a sustained course of conduct.

Federal prosecutors are now attempting to prove such a course of conduct in the cyberstalking case against Miller.

Mica’s Death Remains Officially Ruled a Suicide

Mica, 30, was found dead at Lumber River State Park in North Carolina on April 27, 2024.

Authorities concluded that she died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and ruled her death a suicide.

John-Paul Miller has not been charged with causing her death.

That distinction remains important as public discussion around the case continues.

Mica’s relatives and friends have questioned circumstances surrounding the period leading up to her death and have spoken extensively about what they say she endured during her marriage. Some have publicly said they believe the alleged harassment and coercive behavior played a major role in the emotional circumstances surrounding her final months.

Those views are separate from the official finding regarding the manner of her death and from the federal criminal case now moving toward trial.

Mica’s Family Is Pushing for Legal Change

The case has also become part of a broader campaign in South Carolina over whether coercive control should receive greater recognition under state law.

Mica’s relatives have advocated for legislation commonly referred to as “Mica’s Law,” intended to address patterns of coercive control in intimate relationships.

The original effort did not become law earlier this year, but her family has continued pushing for legal reform and public awareness.

They have also created a nonprofit organization aimed at helping people affected by abuse and keeping Mica’s story in the public conversation.

For Johnston, the continuing attention to the case provides an opportunity to focus less on one sensational detail and more on the patterns that can precede a crisis.

The signs, she said, may include a partner increasingly controlling finances, movement, communications, relationships or even the victim’s understanding of reality itself.

What Comes Next

The next major legal development is expected to be John-Paul Miller’s federal trial.

He remains free on bond and continues to deny the allegations against him.

Prosecutors will have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that his conduct met the legal requirements for cyberstalking and that he knowingly made false statements to investigators.

The case will not determine the official cause or manner of Mica’s death. It will instead focus on his alleged conduct toward her before she died.

More than two years after Mica’s death, however, the case continues to generate a larger question that reaches beyond the courtroom: how many warning signs of coercive control can exist in plain sight before the people around a victim recognize them as part of something more serious?

For Johnston, that is one of the most important lessons emerging from Mica Miller’s story.