Mica Miller Saga: Motorist Charged in Fatal Accident

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The motorist whom authorities say caused the collision which killed Johnnie Jacobs – a key witness in the suspicious suicide of South Carolina worship leader and aspiring missionary Mica Francis Miller – has been charged with failure to stop at a stop sign and misdemeanor death by vehicle, according to court records. 

The crash that claimed Jacobs life took place in Robeson County, North Carolina last Friday (March 14, 2025).

This week, the North Carolina Highway Patrol (NCHP) charged 54-year-old Winston Charles James of Chester, Virginia in connection with the collision. A spokesman for the agency said it would likely be a couple of weeks before the accident report is available. 

The collision took place at the crossroads of Iona Church Road and Rayhnam Road shortly before 7:35 p.m. EDT. According to police, James’ vehicle ran a stop sign and struck Jacobs’ vehicle at a high rate of speed – causing it to overturn. Jacobs, 56, was ejected from his vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene – a rural crossroads two miles from his home (and fifteen miles northwest of where Miller’s body was found eleven months ago).

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Jacobs become known to many as “the fisherman” after he found Mica’s belongings in a wooded area in the Lumber River State Park on April 27, 2024 – her last day alive.

When the aspiring missionary and pastor’s wife was found dead in a wooded area in the park under suspicious circumstances – as was first reported by FITSNews – Jacobs unwittingly became a key witness to an event that continues to attract international attention.

Intending to spend a relaxing Saturday fishing, Jacobs said he heard someone crying in the woods on that fateful afternoon – followed by a gunshot. He subsequently told media outlets that he saw three people nearby on the water on a boat at the time of the shooting.

“Did y’all hear that gunshot?” Jacobs recalled asking the three boaters, who responded in the affirmative.

The boaters denied having heard the crying, however.

Jacobs eventually tracked the source of the sounds to an opening in the river. Twenty yards into this opening, he found Mica’s “fanny pack” located approximately two-feet from the water’s edge – next to her cell phone and glasses. The fanny pack contained Mica’s license, bank card, keys, purse, credit cards and a small Bible, according to Jacobs.

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RELATED | DEATH OF KEY WITNESS FUELS CONSPIRACY THEORIES

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The backlash Jacobs experienced as a result of his discovery haunted him up to the day he died.

“I’ve got so many people hating on me and everything about this case,” Jacobs said recently. “I’m trying to get my name cleared on this thing. I mean, I’m trying not to let people get to me. I feel like they need some type of explanation. I understand that, you know, trying to figure out what’s going on.

As for James, he was transported from the scene by helicopter and remains hospitalized in Florence, South Carolina. He is scheduled to appear in Robeson District Court for a disposition hearing on the charges on July 30, 2025. 

According to the citation issued to 54-year-old Virginian, there were no passengers in either car when the collision occurred. Conditions were clear and traffic was light.  James was driving a 2006 Mercedes Benz and traveling at 55 miles per hour. 

The citation said James unintentionally caused Jacobs’ death by failing to stop at a duly erected stop sign.

FITNews is working to confirm additional information on James. Stay tuned for more in future reports…

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

Callie Lyons is a relentless investigative journalist, researcher, and author known for exposing hard truths with heart and precision. As a journalist for FITSNews, she dives into high-profile and murky cases—like that of Mica Francis Miller— with fearless resolve and a sharp eye for detail, whether it’s tracking white-collar crime, uncovering religious abuse, or examining the often-bizarre behavior of those who believe they’re above the law.

Callie made waves with her groundbreaking 2007 book Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal, the first to reveal the dangers of forever chemicals, a story that helped inspire the film Dark Waters and influenced global scientific dialogue. Her work has appeared in numerous documentaries, including Toxic Soup, National Geographic’s Parched: Toxic Waters, and more recently Citizen Sleuth, which examines the complexities of true crime podcasting.

Whether she’s navigating environmental disasters or the darker corners of society, Lyons operates with one guiding belief: “Truth never damages a cause that is just.”

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