Editor’s Note: This story was corrected on June 3, 2025 to accurately reflect the Horry County Coroner’s Office ruling in the death of Chris Skinner.
(NewsNation) — Pastor John-Paul Miller, whose previous wife died by suicide 13 months ago, married Suzie Skinner in a beach wedding Sunday, drawing criticism for the timing and circumstances surrounding both their deceased spouses.
Miller, 45, wed Skinner in a ceremony attended by a small group of guests and reportedly protected by armed guards. The couple’s seven combined children were absent from the celebration, per freelance reporter Robbie Harvey.
The marriage comes as Miller faces civil lawsuits from women alleging sexual assault. He has not been criminally charged in connection with any of the deaths or assault allegations.
Credit: Robbie Harvey
Credit: Robbie Harvey
Miller’s second wife, Mica Miller, 30, was found dead in a North Carolina swamp in April 2024. Investigators ruled her death a suicide by gunshot, but thousands of people have questioned the circumstances and blamed Miller for contributing to her death.
Skinner’s previous husband, Chris Skinner, was a quadriplegic Army veteran who died by drowning in a swimming pool in 2021. At the time, the Horry County Coroner’s Office ruled his death as accidental. In January, his death was reinvestigated when new evidence emerged but authorities closed the case in March citing “no probable cause existed to charge anyone with a crime.”
According to court documents, Chris Skinner confronted Miller about an alleged affair with his wife just two weeks before his death. Miller has repeatedly denied having an affair with Suzie Skinner, claiming they were only friends.
The controversy drew protests outside Miller’s former church, Solid Rock Church in Myrtle Beach, where both Skinners were congregation members.
Miller has maintained his innocence regarding all allegations and continues to deny any wrongdoing in connection with the deaths of both spouses.
Mica Miller’s death
Mica Miller was found dead of a gunshot injury in Lumber River State Park in North Carolina. Her death was officially ruled a suicide, but her friends and family have suggested otherwise and pointed to what they say is a history of abuse by John-Paul Miller against his wife.
After her death was ruled a suicide, other theories spread online based on information about the couple’s marriage, including a 911 call days before her death where Mica Miller said she was scared for her life after finding a GPS tracker on her car.
The couple was estranged while Mica Miller was seeking a divorce from her husband, and her family has said, based on her statements and journals, that she was a victim of abuse and coercive control by her husband.
John-Paul Miller had served as a pastor at Solid Rock Church but was released after his wife’s death. He has denied all reports of abuse and said he was trying to get help for his estranged wife, who he said was mentally ill.
NewsNation affiliate WBTW contributed to this report.