Why Mica Miller was found 100 feet away from gun at scene of her death

Warning: This article contains discussion of domestic abuse and suicide which some readers may find distressing

Netflix’s latest true crime documentary has led online sleuths to speculate about the death of Mica Miller, a pastor’s wife who's tragic story has been catapulted back into the spotlight.

Mica died by suicide in April 2024, shooting herself in a remote North Carolina state park after calling 911 to ask the operator to locate her body for her family.

Mica was married to Solid Rock Church pastor John-Paul 'JP' Miller, and the docuseries unveiled how she accused him of abuse through journal entries - something her family has also claimed.

JP, who continues to work as a pastor to this day, has strongly denied abusing his former wife, and he was not charged in connection to her death.

He was charged, however, with cyberstalking Mica and making false statements to federal investigators in December 2025 - both of which he pleaded not guilty to, and continues to maintain his innocence.

Netflix’s documentary has gone on to spark wild online speculation, with many viewers pointing out how Mica’s body was found 100 feet away from her gun, with two bullet casings found at the scene.

Mica Miller died in 2024, and her story the focus of a new Netflix docuseries (Netflix)

This has been used to try and speculate that her death was not actually a suicide online, but speaking exclusively to LADbible, a crime scene investigation expert has explained why this isn't as suspicious as some may assume.

Alina Burroughs, a TV host and former crime scene investigator, explained that both the two bullet casings and Mica’s body being found 100 feet away can be explained when looking at the crime scene.

The two bullet casings found at the scene of Mica’s death are incredibly common in suicides from those less experienced with guns

Alina explained that in many of the suicides she worked where people were not as familiar with guns, they would fire off a test shot.

She explained: “So what we see a lot of times with people who are either less familiar with firearms or maybe nervous is they do a test shot.

“They fire a test shot first so that they can kind of know what to expect in a way, like what is it going to sound like? How is it going to feel in my hand? How loud is it going to be?

"All of those things. So it's not uncommon to see a test shot in the suicides that I've worked.

“When we see two casings and a live round, those to me fit together more with somebody who’s less experienced with firearms.”

The former CSI agent pointed to the trend amongst true crime fans to focus in on one piece of evidence, stating that it is important to look at a crime scene in its totality.

Mica’s body was found in a river and Alina stated it could have travelled even further than 100 feet

In Netflix’s docuseries, it is regarded with shock that Mica’s body is found 100 feet away from the gun she used. In an official police report, it stated that she was found in a river by a man fishing in his kayak.

Mica being found 100 feet away from the gun was a major talking point online (Netflix)

Alina stated that it was surprising if anything that Mica’s body was not further away, and that it likely became caught on rocks or some other form of debris.

She explained: “If this were on land it would be suspicious [that her body was 100 feet away], but the difference here is that we have a body of water.”

The expert stated that human bodies are buoyant and that flowing water is far more powerful than many people know, explaining: “When you look at the power of water, a cubic foot of water weighs approximately 62 pounds, water moving relatively slowly at four miles an hour exerts 66 pounds of force per cubic foot.

“That means that even a slow moving river could move a boulder… it would take seconds to move a human 100 feet.”

Theories of how Mica's body ended up where it did

Alina also pointed to Mica’s body being found in a north-south river and almanac data showing a strong south-east wind on the day of her death, which would have carried her body even further.

Alina is a former CSI agent (Supplied)

Finally, the CSI investigator addressed the allegations of abuse against JP, and the term ‘murder by suicide’ used in Netflix’s documentary.

Alina stated that many online focused too heavily on elaborate theories suggesting that he somehow had her killed, and not on the alleged abuse she suffered before her death.

JP has never been charged in connection with her death and has an alibi - he was in another city watching his children’s soccer tournament - and has denied any allegations that he abused her.

She added: “I've worked probably a dozen cases in my lifetime that would fall into that category [of murder by suicide] because somebody doesn't have to physically pull the trigger to be responsible for someone's death.”

Death of the Pastor’s Wife is available to stream on Netflix now.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence to the national domestic violence helpline Refuge on 0808 2000 247, available 24/7, or via live chat, available 10am-10pm, Monday to Friday.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123 or contact Harmless by visiting their website https://harmless.org.uk.