The South Carolina pastor whose wife fatally shot herself last month told mourners in a eulogy that he visited her body four separate times — and even tried to “raise her from the dead.”
Mica Miller, 30, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head in Lumber River State Park, NC, on April 27 after she was reportedly heard crying for several minutes.
Her death was casually announced by her husband John-Paul Miller, 44, during a sermon to his congregation at Solid Rock Church in Myrtle Beach.
During a 20-minute speech at the funeral service on May 5, the pastor recounted to mourners how he visited his wife’s body following her suicide.
In a video of the eulogy shared online by Solid Rock on Saturday, Miller said he made several trips to the morgue — four to be exact — in the week after her death.
“Each time it still didn’t hit me, I thought she was going to wake up — I even tried to raise her from the dead one time this week,” he told mourners a memorial service at Solid Rock Ministries in Myrtle Beach.
Miller said he visited a mall later that day, where he noticed a woman resembling his late wife.
Miller said he couldn’t help himself and shouted, “Mica” — only to find out it was one of her sisters.
“I thought I raised her from the dead… I can’t wait to see her again one day,” he said, breaking down in tears.
The pastor said that many people noticed Mica’s beauty, but “only a spouse knows how beautiful a person is on the inside.”
“If I had 10 hours it wouldn’t be enough to tell you all the great things about her,” he added.
Miller’s death came two days after her husband was served divorce papers from her, according to court documents.
She had also alleged to relatives and other church members that she was abused by her partner, according to her sister’s affidavit.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.