Criminally Obsessed

In the Netflix documentary "Death of the Pastor's Wife", Mica Miller's friends, family and her divorce attorney say she was a victim of coercive control. But what does that mean? And what are the red flags? In this episode of Criminally Obsessed, investigative reporter Anne Emerson speaks with Dr. Joni Johnston, a clinical and forensic psychologist, who explains what coercive control actually looks like, why it's so often invisible even to close friends, and why spiritual abuse — using someone's own faith against them — can be especially devastating. Dr. Johnston also breaks down the alleged abusive patterns she identified in Mica and John-Paul Miller's relationship and looks into the unanswered questions surrounding her death. The medical examiner ruled Mica Miller's death a suicide. John-Paul Miller is charged with one count of cyberstalking and one count of giving false statements to investigators. He pleaded not guilty and denies all allegations.  If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 by call or text. Subscribe to Criminally Obsessed for continuing true crime investigations, courtroom analysis, and exclusive interviews that go beyond the headlines.

Sam Rickman played bass beside Mica Miller nearly every Sunday for years, watched her marriage to pastor John Paul "JP" Miller unravel from the inside, and was at Solid Rock church in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina when JP delivered the announcement of her death to their congregation in April 2024. He has never fully told his story — until now. In this episode of Criminally Obsessed, investigative reporter Anne Emerson speaks with Rickman, who describes the moment he learned Mica was gone: locked out of JP's office, told by a church staffer that Mica had shot herself through a crude gesture, and then feeling forced to perform a second worship set that same morning while grieving in silence. Rickman says JP told the band Mica's death would "blow over in two weeks" — a comment he says confirmed his suspicion that JP never loved her at all. Rickman also lays out why he doesn't believe Mica died by suicide, an odd request JP Miller made days before she died, and explains why he thinks the truth is still coming. Subscribe to Criminally Obsessed for continuing true crime investigations, courtroom analysis, and exclusive interviews that go beyond the headlines.

Before Mica Miller became the subject of the Netflix documentary “Death of a Pastor’s Wife” - which was watched around the world - she was just a bubbly, big-hearted woman leading worship at a small Myrtle Beach, South Carolina church.  Today’s exclusive interview is with one of her closest friends, Alexx Altman-Devilbiss. In this episode of Criminally Obsessed, investigative reporter Anne Emerson speaks with Alexx, who met Mica when she was in high school and watched her relationship with pastor John Paul "JP" Miller evolve from a close mentorship into an affair that would eventually end his first marriage. Alexx describes the early warning signs she now says she believes was grooming, how the church community largely turned its anger toward Mica rather than JP, and why she and her husband ultimately left the church rather than stay.  Alexx also opens up about losing touch with Mica in the years that followed, the shock of learning she had died, and the questions she still has about the circumstances surrounding her death.  Subscribe to Criminally Obsessed for continuing true crime investigations, courtroom analysis, and exclusive interviews that go beyond the headlines.

After weeks of testimony, the Lindsay Clancy trial ended not with a verdict, but with a deadlocked jury 11-1 in favor of finding her not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility.  Due to this hung jury, Judge William F. Sullivan had no choice but to declare a mistrial — or did he?  As the case heads toward a September 29th status hearing, defense attorney Kevin Reddington is preparing to argue something rare: that the case should be dismissed entirely, and that a second trial should never happen at all.  In this episode of Criminally Obsessed, investigative reporter Anne Emerson speaks with criminal defense attorney Jack Rice, who breaks down the legal reasoning behind Reddington's expected motion. Rice explains the double jeopardy and "manifest necessity" arguments at the center of Reddington's strategy, the claim that Judge Sullivan should have removed the holdout juror rather than declaring a mistrial, and why — despite the argument's logic — Rice believes it's ultimately a long shot.  The two discuss whether a plea deal is realistic, why Clancy's current mental competency could complicate any retrial, and what to expect when the case returns to court.  Subscribe to Criminally Obsessed for continuing Lindsay Clancy trial coverage, true crime investigations, courtroom analysis, and exclusive interviews that go beyond the headlines. 

What really happened to Saylor Hayes?  The five-year-old was nonverbal, autistic, and known to wander toward water — which is why her family says she wore a $35 tracking device designed to help find her if she ever got away. But when Saylor vanished from a Pawleys Island, South Carolina vacation rental on August 30th 2026, investigators say that the device wasn't on her. It was later found hundreds of miles away, back at the family's property in Virginia. Tragically, Saylor Hayes' body was found in the water near that same property on August 31st. An autopsy revealed pulmonary edema, a condition caused by a build up of fluid in the lungs. In this episode of Criminally Obsessed, investigative reporter Anne Emerson speaks with 15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson, whose office will handle the case against Saylor's parents, John and Geordyn Hayes, charged with unlawfully placing a child at risk and willfully abandoning a child. They have not been charged with her death, and are currently being held without bond. In his first interview since their arrest, Richardson discusses why the missing tracker could become one of the most damaging pieces of evidence against the defense and explains the "reasonableness" legal standard prosecutors will have to prove the parents failed to meet.  He also explains why, based on what's known so far, prosecutors aren't pursuing homicide charges, and what would need to change for that to happen.  Subscribe to Criminally Obsessed for continuing coverage of the Saylor Hayes case, true crime investigations, and exclusive interviews that go beyond the headlines.