She Warned the Nation—and Was Murdered Weeks Later: The Family Court Crisis Wendi Miller Tried to Stop

America's Family Court Crisis: California Family Court of Horror and Murder

Jul 14, 2025

Oxygen True Crime, The Real Murders of Orange County. June 9, 2023.

In the spring of 2019, Wendi Miller (Carpenter) —a psychologist, domestic violence advocate, and mother—was murdered in Newport Beach, California, just weeks after delivering a series of blistering interviews warning that America’s family courts were enabling child abuse, not stopping it.

For over a decade, Miller had counseled survivors of domestic violence in California and Michigan. She authored two books, Betrayed Vows and the Care Point Training Manual for Facilitators of Support Groups, and led support groups for women and children recovering from abuse. She knew the failures of the court system intimately—not just as a therapist, but as a mother whose own children were left unprotected. She channeled that experience into founding Wings for Justice, a nonprofit dedicated to exposing the crisis and protecting children.

Her warnings would echo louder after her death—and in 2025, with the Arizona Joint Legislative Ad Hoc Committee on Family Court Orders and other hearings spreading across multiple states, her voice is being heard once again.

Wings For Justice. Facebook. July 14, 2025.

‘It’s Time for Change’: The Founding of Wings for Justice

On December 2, 2016, in Ottawa, author and domestic violence expert Lundy Bancroft introduced Wendi Miller at a public event where she shared her family court horror story. In her speech, Wendi issued a chilling warning: America’s family court system was not just failing to protect children—it was enabling their abuse. She announced the launch of her nonprofit, Wings for Justice (WFJ), concluding powerfully: “It’s time for change. It’s time for change.”

WFJ's mission was clear:

Create national awareness of injustice and corruption in family court.
Empower children so their voices are valued and heard.
Equip parents with resources to better protect their children.
Educate the public to improve accountability in the system.
Advocate for new laws that prioritize child safety.

UCI Conference Sparks a Movement

On April 5, 2019, Wings for Justice hosted a Conference and Advocacy Training at the University of California, Irvine School of Law titled The Medical and Legal Need to Protect Survivors and Children in Family Court. The event was a major milestone, drawing attendees from across the country and featuring prominent voices in the fight for reform.

Wings For Justice, The Medical and Legal Need to Protect Survivors and Children in Family Court. Facebook March 20, 2019.

In a statement, Wendi wrote:

“We are so grateful for our entire Wings for Justice Team, our partners at UCI Law, and everyone who helped make this event a success. The movement has begun! We couldn’t be more excited! Join the movement and help us protect children from abuse across the country.”

Speakers included author Lundy Bancroft, legal scholars, domestic violence experts, and local advocates. Jane Stoever, director of the UCI Law Domestic Violence Clinic, also took part—a voice that would soon echo Miller’s warnings.

Dr. Sandra Murray clinical Prolessor UCI School of Medicine, Wendi Miller and Jane Stoever and others. Facebook. April 9, 2019

A Stark Warning: Wendi’s Final Interviews

In the weeks following the UCI event, Wendi Miller sat before a camera and issued one of the most powerful indictments of the American family court system ever recorded. She cited the now-infamous statistic: every year, over 58,000 children are removed from protective parents and placed with known abusers.

As a survivor and advocate, she spoke with a rare urgency. Her message was clear: family courts were not only failing—they were weaponized against protective parents.

Miller’s warning introduced a series of interviews featuring survivors, children, and professionals from across the country. Her goal was to elevate their voices and bring national awareness to the systemic injustices operating in plain sight.

‘If You’re Doing Family Law Without Domestic Violence Law…’

In one of Miller’s final interviews, Jane Stoever —a legal scholar, professor at the University of California, Irvine School of Law, and director of both the UCI Law Domestic Violence Clinic and the Initiative to End Family Violence—warned that the court system routinely re-traumatizes survivors under the guise of legal procedure. Stoever, who is also the wife of U.S. Congressman Dave Min, underscored the disconnect between family law and the lived experiences of domestic violence victims. Listen and watch Stoever and Miller at the 43 minute timestamp below:

“If you’re doing family law without doing domestic violence law,” Stoever said, “you’re probably missing out on a lot of key facts.”

Her words underscored a critical flaw in the system: a lack of trauma-informed judicial education. Courts often grant custody to abusers while silencing protective parents, dismissing evidence, and disallowing expert witnesses.

“Law hasn’t solved the problem of domestic violence,” Stoever added. “Home is still the most dangerous place for women.”

Wendi Miller’s Murder: Ignored by National Media

Just weeks after recording her final interviews, Wendi Miller was murdered in Newport Beach, California.

In an episode of The Real Murders of Orange County, Wrong Place, Wrong Time aired June 9, 2023 on Oxygen, law enforcement officers claimed they didn’t know who she was, that no one knew who she was. One stated, “Newport is not a violent place. Irvine is a lot like Newport—not a lot of violent crime.”

The episode made no mention of Miller’s high-profile advocacy, her nonprofit Wings for Justice, the national movement she had ignited, or her outspoken criticism of family court corruption—particularly in Orange County.

The omission was not just journalistic oversight—it reflected a broader institutional silence around the role of local power structures. In 2024, former Senior Assistant District Attorney Tracy Miller (no relation) won a $3 million jury verdict in a civil suit against the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. The jury found that the OCDA had subjected her to workplace harassment, hostility, and malice. Part of the retaliation she suffered stemmed from her proximity to the Wendi Miller murder investigation and a Racial Justice Act violation, in which Jamon Buggs—a man with a known record—reportedly killed Wendi.

The DA’s office, according to the lawsuit and this reporter’s investigation (see: Orange County DA’s Office: A Culture of Malice and Retaliation Against Women – County Responds), fostered a toxic work environment that punished female prosecutors who raised concerns. Wendi Miller’s murder became both a literal and symbolic flashpoint for systemic breakdowns in protection, prosecution, and accountability.

Her death was a devastating loss to the movement. Her warnings, however, did not die with her.

Systemic Corruption She Tried to Expose

Wendi Miller frequently spoke about the perverse financial incentives in family and juvenile court —particularly those tied to Title IV-E federal funding. Miller may have been referring to 42 USC §§ 672,  CFR § 1356; and Child Welfare Policy Manual 8.1B. She explained how counties receive thousands of dollars for each child removed from a home, even when that home is safe and protective.

“Every time a child is taken away from a safe parent and given to an abuser or put into foster care,” Miller said, “that county receives $6,600 a month. Judges, case workers, attorneys, investigators—they all get a piece.”

She called it what it was: state-funded child trafficking. Her message was urgent then. Six years later, it has become impossible to ignore. More to come in part two.

Lundy Bancroft Facebook Post. April 22, 2019

Readers are recommended to review the information and back ground linked below on Wendi Miller’s story:

Wings For Justice YouTube Channel

wings.for.justice

A post shared by @wings.for.justice

Wings For Justice Instagram

Wings for Justice Facebook

Lundy Bancroft on Wendi Miller (Carpenter) Story of Corruption in Ottawa County Family Court

Wings for Justice Series Launch - “Pain and Suffering” Podcast

Todd Spitzer made racist comments in a double murder case. The victims’ loved ones are worried

If you have had similar experiences within the California family court system, please contact this reporter ASAP.

Are you committed to protecting America’s children and restoring integrity to our legal system?

Contact your legislative representatives. Speak out. Reach out to media outlets. And vote.

Whistleblowers and victims of family court, CPS, probate court, or foster care corruption anywhere in the U.S.—please contact this reporter at juliea005@proton.me.

Together, we can ignite a national movement and create lasting change.

Julie M. Anderson-Holburn is a California-based investigative journalist reporting on criminal and family court corruption, judicial abuse, and systemic failures. Her work is published on NewsBreak, Substack, and The Family Court Circus, and has been featured by the Center for Judicial Excellence and National Safe Parents. Julie believes that exposing the truth is the first step toward meaningful reform.

This article was made possible by the support of readers like you. Thank you.

Julie M. Anderson-Holburn