01/06/2026
It might feel like uncertain times right now, but one thing you can count on is Beth Braden having to look into some interesting filings surrounding JP Miller 👀⬇️
👀 It's another new year and there's another group of alleged land shenanigans from now-federally indicted "pastor" John Paul Miller in Myrtle Beach.
🔍 The Horry County Planning Commission is meeting on Thursday and one of the things they'll hear is a rezoning request for approximately 15 acres of land on the Highway 17 Bypass in Myrtle Beach. Right now, the land is designated as a mixture of General Residential and Office/Professional/Institutional use. The new request is to rezone it for "Convenience & Auto-related services."
🔍 My pesky pals, I have some big questions.👀
☀️☀️Quick refresher on this land: ☀️☀️
🗓️ On January 3, 2024, the Myrtle Beach Sun-News published an article about how Solid Rock church members had raised around $1 million to purchase and build a new school, church and summer camp facility on 28 acres across two parcels of land on the bypass. The purchase price for the two parcels totaled up to $610,000.
🗓️ At the same time JP was being quoted in the newspaper, our research and reporting — and now a federal indictment — indicate that JP was allegedly cyberstalking his now-deceased wife, Mica Francis.
🗓️ On October 17, 2024, at 11:20 PM, JP Miller filed a new entity with the South Carolina Secretary of State: Living Water Church at Market Common. The address he gave for Living Water is the same address where longtime church secretary, Tricia Ross, lived. Interestingly enough, October 17, 2024, is the same day that JP Miller allegedly lied to federal investigators, according to the indictment.
🗓️ On December 13, 2024, the land on the bypass that was slated to become the new home of Solid Rock was transferred to Living Water Church at Market Common for $5. He also transferred ownership of his Coldwater Circle home to Living Water Church in the same transaction. As of today, Living Water Church is the "owner" of all three properties.
☀️☀️ Fast forward to present day. ☀️☀️
💰 The land on the bypass has an estimated value of $7.1 million according to property records, and the planning commission is going to consider allowing one of the two parcels to be rezoned. I included a screenshot of the proposal. But look at the agent name. Jonathan Cochrane.
🤔 In the 20 months I have been researching the Mica Francis case, I don't recall EVER seeing the name Jonathan Cochrane.
🤔 That weirdness aside, here's what kinds of buildings are allowed on a property zoned as RE3:
🤔"Some of the allowed uses in RE 3 include gas stations, self-storage, restaurants/bars, ATM, ice vending, high bulk retail, LP gas dealers, retail, grocery stores, trade shops, contractors’ offices, warehouses, banks, barber shops, funeral homes, gyms, laundromat, offices, medical offices, event centers,
car washes, boat services, repair services, animal services."
☀️☀️ I don't see "church" on that list, but I think I see some dollar signs between the lines. ☀️☀️
🕵️♀️ My "Things I'm Keeping an Eye On" list grows longer by the day.
