The Netflix documentary detailing the death of Micah Miller has performed quite well as a rare intersection of true crime and almost a polemic against a false church and its pastor. Mark Kaufman is depicted in the documentary as a chud who is best friends with John-Paul Miller. On occasion, he is shown attempting to reach out to Mica or otherwise act as an ally of John-Paul.
He wanted to set his record straight and reached out to true crime journalist Robbie Harvey who put out the following statement:
Mark Kaufman, John-Paul Miller’s now former best friend, has provided a statement to me.
The release of Netflix’s *Death of a Pastor’s Wife* has brought renewed attention to the tragic death of Mica Miller and has also resulted in my name, my relationships, and my business becoming part of the public discussion surrounding her death.
Mica was my friend, and her death was a tragedy. Being drawn into the controversy surrounding the Netflix series, and seeing speculation and allegations about me repeated publicly, has taken a significant toll on me, my family, my friends, my employees, and my business.
I want to address several claims and implications about me directly.On the day Mica died, I was at home with my children. I did not learn of her death until approximately 11 p.m. that night, when I was at work. Any implication, insinuation, or statement suggesting that I had anything to do with Mica’s death or with any crime connected to her is completely false.
My relationship with John Paul Miller has also been mischaracterized in the public discussion surrounding the series. He was never part of the core group of friends with whom I regularly spent my time, and portrayals suggesting otherwise do not accurately reflect our relationship.
I also want to address the suggestion that I picked up a woman from the airport so that John Paul could meet her or be unfaithful to Mica. That is false. I did not do that, and I would never have knowingly participated in helping someone cheat on Mica. I have not been shown the text messages referenced in the Netflix series and therefore cannot address their precise wording or context, but I can state unequivocally that I never picked up a woman for that purpose.
A brief excerpt of a telephone conversation between Mica and me is also featured in the series. I believe that excerpt creates a misleading impression about my role in Mica and John Paul’s marriage. I was not their marriage counselor, therapist, or mediator, and I was not closely involved in or fully aware of the extent of the problems within their marriage. A short portion of one conversation cannot provide the complete context of that exchange or accurately define my relationship with either of them.
I never witnessed John Paul abuse Mica. Had I witnessed abuse or believed that Mica was in danger, I would not have ignored it.
Because the Netflix series has also brought attention to John Paul’s past connection to Crocodile Rocks, I want to clarify that relationship as well. John Paul was never an employee of the company and never received a paycheck from Crocodile Rocks. He held a minority ownership interest. Following Mica’s death, he was no longer permitted inside the business, and I subsequently purchased his remaining shares in 2025, ending his ownership interest and affiliation with the company.
I have since severed my ties with John Paul and with the church.
I am a father, a small business owner, and someone who has spent his life in the Myrtle Beach community. I understand why a Netflix series about such a tragic and highly publicized case generates questions and strong emotions. But speculation, social media commentary, and implication should not be treated as established fact, and no one should be accused of wrongdoing without evidence.
Mica’s death was a tragedy, and like many people who knew and cared about her, I have had to process the loss of a friend while also watching this story unfold publicly. My hope is that, even amid the attention generated by the Netflix series, there remains room for facts, fairness, and respect for everyone affected.
Kaufman was the best man at the wedding between John-Paul and Mica, casting some doubt on his claims of distance. Also, his claims of never receiving a paycheck might be true in a W2 sense, but it’s hard to imagine on a cash-flowing business, the gifted pianist never received a dividend or a fee for performing and only received cash when selling his shares.
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