What protections are in place for victims stalked and harassed in South Carolina?
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Following Mica Miller’s death, News13 has looked into what protections are in place for victims who experience harassment and stalking in South Carolina.
Mica Miller, wife of Solid Rock Church in Market Common pastor John-Paul Miller, died by suicide on April 27. She filed for separation two days before her death.
News13 obtained documents that show Mica told police she was being followed and harassed.
According to state law, for someone to be convicted of stalking, victims must be able to show a pattern of two or more acts within a 90-day period.
Mica Miller made five police reports related to harassment and stalking in that 90-day period. However, no arrests were ever made.
“Stalking and harassment are just beginning, and they lead to much bigger things that unfortunately, in this case, Mica lost her life because of it,” said Allicia Young, a former Solid Rock Church member and friend of Mica.
Mica and John-Paul married back in 2017. Mica’s lawyer Regina Ward said Mica and John-Paul had been working on getting separated before she died.
Between that time, police reports show Mica called police about tires being slashed, tracking devices, unknown number calls and someone following her.
Police said on March 11, she went to the courthouse to try and get a restraining order and while they were with her, she pointed out the suspect driving by. No charges were ever filed.
In the last several weeks since Mica’s death, her family, Ward and Young all told News13 the control John-Paul had over her is what they think led to her death.
“I would hate to see someone else lose their life over not being fully protected by the law that is fully put in place for things like this,” Young said.
South Carolina law classifies stalking as “engaging in a pattern of words or conduct intended to cause a targeted person to be in fear of death, assault, or related.”
In one police report, Mica told officers she was afraid for her life.
Daniel Selwa is an attorney who works with victims of domestic violence. He said he seen cases similar to Mica’s many times.
“A lot of it gets lost in in the drama sometimes,” Selwa said. “And sometimes the police officers just don’t believe the victims.”
Ward said for married couples seeking a restraining order, you have to go through a family court attorney and not the magistrate.
Ward said she filed one for Mica with the court on April 16, but a hearing was not set until June 5.
“People learn the system and they learn how to how to dodge this or that or manipulate this issue,” Selwa said. “And unfortunately, the way the laws are, police officers’ hands are tied sometimes.”
15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson said it’s crucial for victims to record phone calls, check for device trackers and install ring cameras if they’re stalked or harassed.
He also encouraged anyone to seek help from the Family Justice Center which advocates for domestic violence victims.
“The best advice I can give you is to advocate for yourself, have your paperwork together, because your encounter with the police may not be but 15 or 20 minutes,” Richardson said. “So, you need to be able to show them what has happened other than the 15 minutes previously.”
Young recently started a petition to introduce a bill, strengthening stalking and harassment laws in the state. She dedicated it to her calling it “Mica’s Law.”
“Things need to be put in place to protect not only just women, but for other victims,” Young said. “I mean, there’s men that go through this, there’s children. And if the law doesn’t help to protect, then something has to be done. Something has to change.”
You can find the petition here.
John-Paul has not been charged with any crimes. News13 continues to reach out to his lawyers for comment but have still not heard back.
At last check, officials said the FBI is investigating but said it’s not related to Mica’s cause of death.
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Adrianna Lawrence is a multimedia journalist at News13. Adrianna is originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and joined the News13 team in June 2023 after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University in May 2023. Keep up with Adrianna on Instagram, Facebook, and X, formerly Twitter. You can also read more of her work, here.
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