Show Notes
Netflix’s The Death of the Pastor’s Wife has put the Mica Miller case back in the national spotlight. Now investigative journalist Rich McHugh, one of the key journalists featured in the documentary, joins Billy Bush to reveal what he learned while investigating J.P. Miller — including what happened when he finally sat down with the controversial pastor face-to-face. McHugh began investigating Mica’s death in 2024, speaking with her family while simultaneously communicating directly with J.P. Miller. After months of trying, McHugh eventually convinced Miller to sit for an extensive interview. What followed was unlike anything McHugh says he had experienced in thousands of interviews. Billy and Rich examine the allegations of coercive control, stalking, emotional and sexual abuse, religious manipulation and surveillance that surrounded Mica’s marriage and her attempts to leave it. They also discuss Mica’s mental-health treatment, her efforts to regain control of her life, and the videos she made documenting what she said she was experiencing. Then there are the unanswered questions surrounding Mica’s death. McHugh retraced Mica’s final movements to Lumber River State Park and explains why certain details still trouble him — including the location of Mica’s body in relation to her belongings and questions he believes deserved greater scrutiny. Billy also plays portions of McHugh’s remarkable interview with J.P. Miller, including Miller’s description of his marriage and his answer when asked whether there was anything he would have done differently. McHugh explains what those answers revealed to him and discusses an email in which he says Miller addressed some of the conduct Mica had accused him of. The conversation also turns to the federal criminal case against J.P. Miller. Miller was indicted in December 2025 on cyberstalking and false-statement charges and pleaded not guilty. His federal case has since faced repeated delays. Importantly, J.P. Miller has not been charged in connection with Mica Miller’s death. Why did Mica’s story resonate with so many people? Could her case change how the law addresses coercive control? And after everything Rich McHugh uncovered, what questions does he believe still need answers? Rich McHugh joins Billy Bush for an in-depth look inside the Mica Miller story, the investigation, his extraordinary interview with J.P. Miller, and the case that continues to raise questions two years later. Subscribe to Hot Mics with Billy Bush for more interviews, investigations and breaking legal coverage. #MicaMiller #JPMiller #RichMcHugh #DeathOfThePastorsWife #BillyBush #HotMics #Netflix #TrueCrime #NewsNation #CoerciveControl See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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