Full Name: Gregory Vincent Rice
Date of Birth: October 13, 1973
Date of Death: October 2020
Age at Death: 46 (based on court filings)
Place of Residence: Horry County, South Carolina
Occupation: Rice worked in construction and maintenance, known for his strong work ethic and devotion to his children.

Gregory’s disappearance in early October 2020 sparked a multi-week search. His body was discovered on November 8, 2020, in the Little Pee Dee River, wrapped in a tarp and weighed down with a cinder block. His death was ruled a homicide, and Meagan Jackson, along with former Horry County deputy coroner Christopher Dontell, was later arrested and charged in connection with his murder.

Gregory Rice’s tragic death has become central to one of Horry County’s most high-profile criminal cases. His family continues to seek justice and remember him as a loving father whose life was taken far too soon.

Meagan Jackson & Christopher Dontell

November 2019

• Meagan Jackson’s 16-year relationship with Gregory Rice collapses.
• That same month, Jackson’s mother dies suddenly; she had been set to co-sign a home purchase for Jackson in Murrells Inlet, SC.
• According to her half-brother Shawn Harju, Jackson’s life spiraled. She became essentially homeless and her demeanor changed.

Late 2019–2020

• Jackson begins a romantic affair with married deputy coroner Christopher Dontell. The two meet through work, as Jackson was subcontracted to the Horry County Coroner’s Office to transport bodies.
• The exact start of the affair is unclear, but by fall 2020, they are intimately involved.
• Jackson becomes pregnant with Dontell’s child.

October 2020 – Disappearance & Missing Person Report

October 2, 2020

• Gregory Vincent Rice (46), father of four, Rice was last seen by friends as he was leaving work on October 2, 2020 around Flintlake Ct Myrtle Beach, SC 29579 – Horry County, South Carolina.

Evening:

• Dontell and Jackson went to Lewis Ocean Bays Heritage Preserve to practice shooting, then went to dinner.
• Jackson asked to visit Rice and had Dontell drive her in her work van to Rice’s Arrowhead apartment.
• Jackson exited the van, approached Rice, and then began shooting at him, according to Dontell.
• She ordered Dontell to load Rice’s body into the van, and they took it to the Myrtle Beach Funeral Home, where it was stored in a cooler.

October 3, 2020

• Surveillance video later shows Dontell purchasing a tarp, zip ties, cinder blocks, and ratchet straps at Lowe’s items later found with Rice’s body.

October 5, 202

• Meagan Jackson reported Gregory Rice missing to police. Horry County authorities launched a missing person investigation. Source
• Bloodhounds and search teams canvassed several locations, including river access points.
• Early searches include areas around Highway 378 and the Little Pee Dee River.
• Same Day: Chief Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard was formally briefed by the Horry County Police Department (HCPD) on the disappearance of Gregory Rice. During that briefing, Willard was informed that Deputy Coroner Christopher Dontell would be questioned in relation to the investigation. Permission was granted at that time for law enforcement to examine Dontell’s county-issued phone and vehicle.

Mid October 2020

• As a result of the investigation, both Dontell and Jackson were identified as suspects in the disappearance and murder of Gregory Rice.

October 23, 2020 

• Chris Dontell was informed by HCPD that he was officially under investigation in the disappearance of Gregory Rice at which point he was suspended immediately from Horry County Coroner’s Office (through verbal interaction), denied access to all county property and promptly removed from the call schedule.

November 8, 2020

• Early Morning: Two fishermen discovered Rice’s body in the Little Pee Dee River near Highway 378 on the Horry–Marion County line.
• The body was wrapped in a blue tarp, zip-tied, and weighed down with cinder blocks.
• Autopsy revealed five gunshot wounds as the cause of death.

November 9, 2020

• Dontell was terminated from Horry County Coroner’s Office, due to the nature of this ongoing investigation nothing further will be released from this office. Please direct all questions to HCPD

November 11, 2020

• 11:00 AM: Both Jackson and Dontell are arrested after authorities analyze their phone records, license plate reader data, and witness statements. Police confirm the affair; Jackson was pregnant with Dontell’s child.  Source
  Arrests: Meagan Jackson (Rice’s ex-girlfriend) and Christopher Dontell (her then-boyfriend and a deputy coroner) were arrested.
• Charges: Murder, Kidnapping, and Criminal Conspiracy.
• Both Dontell and Jackson were arrested and transported to J. Reuben Long Detention Center

November 12, 2020

• Search warrant executed at Jackson’s home. Police find her children locked in rooms with padlocked windows and battery-disabled electronic locks. Children were forced to urinate in jars.

November 19, 2020

• Child Neglect Charges Filed after warrant executed at Meagan Jackson’s residence uncovered evidence related both to Rice’s disappearance and alleged child neglect reports note Jackson’s children were locked in a room with padlocks and left with removed door batteries Warrant
  
  Child Neglect Allegations Against Meagan Jackson:
  Location: 218 Rivers Edge Dr, Conway, Horry County, South Carolina
  Defendant: Meagan Jackson
  Charges: Neglect of a child or helpless person (multiple counts)
  Victim Details: Jackson is the mother of multiple minor children, including three youngest children referenced in the report. One child was reportedly 13 years old and weighed only 50 pounds at the time — severely underweight and likely malnourished
  
  Living Conditions & Evidence of Endangerment:
  Locked Bedrooms: The three youngest children were locked inside their rooms using electronic locks.
  Batteries were removed from these locks, disabling any internal override. No interior doorknobs were installed on the inside of the bedroom doors.
  Only a keypad code (which the children did not know) could open the doors.
  Urination Conditions: Due to being locked in without access to a bathroom, children were forced to urinate inside their bedrooms, using available containers.
  Secured Windows: Jackson installed small padlocks on the bedroom windows. She also manipulated the window slide tracks to prevent them from opening, effectively eliminating all points of escape or ventilation.
  Starvation Allegations: One child disclosed to authorities that she was only fed once per day. The reported weight of the 13-year-old (50 lbs) reflects severe malnutrition and possible long-term deprivation.
• Bail Hearing: Meagan Jackson was given a $100,000 bond and was ordered to be on GPS monitoring and home detention. The judge ordered that she was only allowed to leave for employment, medical attention, court appearances and to meet with her attorney
• Bail Hearing: Christopher Allen Dontell, 38, of Conway, was granted a $125,000 surety bond with conditions have no contact with his co-defendant Meagan Marie Jackson.

Records

Disappearance and Early Investigation

• October 2, 2020: Rice leaves work and is last seen alive around 8 PM in Conway, SC.
• October 3, 2020 Dontell is seen on surveillance footage purchasing a tarp, zip-ties, concrete blocks, and a tow strap at Lowe’s.
• October 4–5, 2020 Meagan Jackson reports Rice missing. Police begin search and flag inconsistencies in Jackson’s statements.
• October 6, 2020 Phone and vehicle tracking evidence begins to show coordination between Jackson and Dontell.
• October 12–20, 2020 Police obtain surveillance and license plate reader footage showing Jackson and Dontell traveling together in Rice’s last known hours.
• October 23, 2020 Dontell is suspended from the Horry County Coroner’s Office.

Body Discovery and Forensics

• November 8, 2020Two fishermen discover Rice’s decomposed body in the Little Pee Dee River, wrapped in tarp and weighed down with cinder blocks.
• November 9, 2020 Autopsy reveals five gunshot wounds to the body. The case is now officially ruled a homicide.
• Nov 10–11, 2020Dontell and Jackson are arrested and charged with:
  • Murder
  • Kidnapping
  • Criminal conspiracy
• November 19, 2020 A search warrant at Jackson’s home reveals evidence of child neglect—her children had been left with no heat, food, or working electricity. Additional charges are filed.

October 2, 2020 

• Gregory Vincent Rice (46), father of four, Rice was last seen by friends as he was leaving work on October 2, 2020 around Flintlake Ct Myrtle Beach, SC 29579 – Horry County, South Carolina. He was reported missing on the following Monday when he didn’t show up for work. He shared children with Meagan Jackson, his ex-girlfriend.

October 5, 2020 Meagan Jackson reported Gregory Rice missing to police.

• Horry County authorities launched a missing person investigation.  Source
• Bloodhounds and search teams canvassed several locations, including river access points.
• Early searches include areas around Highway 378 and the Little Pee Dee River.
• Same Day: Gregory Rice is reported missing by Meagan Jackson. Detectives learned about Meagan affair with Deputy Coroner Christopher Dontell.
• Horry County PD briefs Chief Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard and informs her that Deputy Coroner Christopher Dontell will be questioned.
• Permission is granted to search Dontell’s county-issued phone and vehicle.

October 23, 2020

• Dontell is officially notified he is under investigation.
• He is immediately suspended from the Horry County Coroner’s Office, denied access to county property, and removed from the on-call schedule.

Crime Scene & Discovery

November 8, 2020

• Early Morning: Two fishermen discovered Rice’s body in the Little Pee Dee River near Highway 378 on the Horry–Marion County line.
• The body was wrapped in a blue tarp, zip-tied, and weighed down with cinder blocks .
• Autopsy revealed five gunshot wounds as the cause of death.
• Surveillance footage, GPS data, and Lowe’s receipts begin linking Dontell and Jackson to the body disposal.

November 9, 2020

• Dontell was terminated from Horry County Coroner’s Office, due to the nature of this ongoing investigation nothing further will be released from this office. Please direct all questions to HCPD

November 11, 2020 

• 11:00 AM: Update – During the investigation after Rice’s body was found in November, he was found with gunshot wounds, in a tarp with ties around him and immediately suspended, barred from county facilities and removed from coroner duties.

Surveillance & Digital Evidence

• Investigators recovered Lowe’s surveillance footage showing Dontell purchasing items found with the body tarps, zip ties, and cinder blocks to weigh him down before being tossed and witness interviews, helped place Jackson and Dontell together around the time of the murder
• License plate reader data and GPS data placed Jackson and Dontell together at critical intervals before an dare Dee River. Christopher Dontell was seen on surveillance footage at a nearby Lowe’s Home Improvement buying those items.
• Through surveillance and cell phone records, everything pointed to Dontell and Jackson murdering Rice on October 2, 2020. At the time of the murder, Jackson was pregnant with Dontell’s child. Dontell, who was married with two children, worked closely with Jackson in the death care industry transporting and processing remains for funeral homes and the coroner’s office.  Source

Arrests:

• Meagan Jackson (Rice’s ex-girlfriend) and Christopher Dontell (her then-boyfriend and a deputy coroner) were arrested.
• Charges: Murder, Kidnapping, and Criminal Conspiracy.
• Both Dontell and Jackson were arrested and transported to J. Reuben Long Detention Center

November 19, 2020

•  A warrant executed at Meagan Jackson’s residence uncovered evidence related both to Rice’s disappearance and alleged child neglect reports note Jackson’s children were locked in a room with padlocks and left with removed door batteries  Warrant
  Child Neglect Allegations Against Meagan Jackson
  Location: 218 Rivers Edge Dr, Conway, Horry County, South Carolina
  Defendant: Meagan Jackson
  Charges: Neglect of a child or helpless person (multiple counts)
  Victim Details
  Jackson is the mother of multiple minor children, including three youngest children referenced in the report.
  One child was reportedly 13 years old and weighed only 50 pound, and neglect of a child, among other counts

Investigative Context & Legal Weight

• Prosecutors have emphasized that the case is built on strong circumstantial evidence corroborated by digital and forensic records at the time — severely underweight and likely malnourished
  Living Conditions & Evidence of Endangerment
  Locked Bedrooms: The three youngest children were locked inside their rooms using electronic locks.
  Batteries were removed from these locks, disabling any internal override. No interior doorknobs, reinforcing the principle in South Carolina law: “the hand of one is the hand of all”
• The defense has argued the evidence is circumstantial and lacks direct proof like eyewitness testimony or video of the murder .

Investigative Impact

This detailed investigation centered on:

• Forensic science: tying together physical purchase evidence and body concealment materials
• Digital tracing: using phones, GPS, and license plate readers to place suspects in time and space
• Coerced confession framework: Dontell’s plea deal aimed at building the prosecution’s narrative against Jackson

2021–2023 – Pretrial Proceedings

• Investigators gathered evidence including:
• Surveillance footage of Dontell purchasing the tarp, zip-ties, and cinder blocks.
• Cellphone location data, license plate reader data, and witness statements placing Jackson and Dontell at key locations.
• Multiple delays in court proceedings due to COVID, case complexity, and legal motions.

June 29, 2021 – Meagan Jackson Files Civil Lawsuit

• While out on bond, Meagan Jackson filed a personal injury lawsuit stemming from a car accident on October 28, 2020—just weeks after the alleged murder of Gregory Rice. The timing of the filing raised public and legal scrutiny due to her pending murder charges.

September 2021 – Bond Revocations for Both Defendants  Source

• Christopher Dontell: His bond was revoked after it was discovered that he had continued communicating with his co-defendant Meagan Jackson, in violation of bond conditions.
• Meagan Jackson: Her bond was revoked due to multiple violations of home confinement terms. She was found via GPS tracking to have visited retail establishments and unauthorized locations, despite court orders restricting her movements to:
• Employment
• Medical appointments
• Court appearances
• Attorney meetings

May, 2022

• Christopher Dontell filed a motion seeking bond reconsideration. Judge Jocelyn Newman denied the motion, citing no change in circumstances and the seriousness of the charges Source

June 29, 2023

• New Bond Hearing for Dontell Denied Again Judge Benjamin Culbertson denied the motion, reaffirming that no new evidence or change in status justified release.  Source

July 28, 2023 – Meagan Jackson Sold Her House

• Jackson sold her residence 218 Rivers Edge Dr., Conway, SC 29526, according to public property records (PIN: 36302040002) Source 

November 13, 2023 – Meagan Jackson Buys Vehicle Instead of Supporting Children

•  Court filings or investigative notes indicate that Jackson used $35,000 as a down payment on a vehicle, instead of supporting her children. This transaction, occurring amid pending criminal charges and prior bond violations, further drew the court’s attention to her judgment and priorities Source

December 4, 2024 – Plea Deal by Christopher Dontell

• Christopher Dontell pleaded guilty to: Criminal conspiracy and accessory after the fact to murder.
• The murder charge was dropped in exchange for his cooperation and testimony against Meagan Jackson.
• He admitted to helping dispose of Rice’s body and to buying the materials used in the concealment. 

Meagan Jackson’s Statement to Christopher Dontell According to investigators and court testimony, Meagan Jackson allegedly told Christopher Dontell:

“It was him or you. I need you to go get him out of the cooler at the Myrtle Beach Funeral Home and get rid of him.”

This statement, reportedly made after Gregory Rice had been killed, is considered a direct solicitation and directive to Dontell—who was employed as a deputy coroner at the time—to dispose of Rice’s body using his access to county facilities.

• Sentencing was postponed until after Jackson’s trial.

Trial Delayed

February 10, 2025 The Trial original scheduled date but postponed due to

• Meagan Jackson’s defense attorney, who also serves as a state legislator, invoked protections under South Carolina’s “legislator shield law” (no court proceedings during legislative session).
• Judge William H. Nettles postponed the trial to no earlier than June 1, 2025.

Trial of Meagan Jackson Begins

June 5, 2025 

• Final trial date confirmed for June 9 in Horry County Circuit Court.

June 9, 2025 – Jury Selection

• About 300 jurors summoned.
• A pool of 70 was narrowed to 12 jurors and 4 alternates.

DAY 1 – Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Opening Statements + First Witnesses

• Prosecution (Leigh Waller): Called Meagan Jackson a “master manipulator” who lured Rice to his death and covered her tracks using her lover, Christopher Dontell.
• Defense (Case Brittain): Blamed Dontell; said Jackson had no motive. Highlighted that Dontell pleaded guilty to avoid a murder charge.

Key Testimony:

• Savannah Rice (daughter):
• Tearfully testified to family turmoil, infidelity, and her father’s disappearance.
• Claimed Jackson once said during a drunken rant: “I hope what happened to your dad happens to your sister.”
• Recalled overhearing her mother and Dontell having sex.
• Law enforcement presented:
• Cell phone records: Last ping of Rice’s phone matches Jackson and Dontell’s phones traveling together.
• Surveillance video: Shows Dontell at Lowe’s with a cart containing zip ties, tarp, and cinder block—later used to wrap Rice’s body.

DAY 2 – Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Phone Data Analysis + Timeline Reconstruction

• Phone analysts testified:
• Timeline constructed using call/text history and GPS.
• Jackson and Dontell were seen together at a restaurant and nature preserve prior to Rice’s death.
• Rice’s phone ceased activity at 11:06 PM on Oct 2, 2020.
• All three phones (Jackson, Dontell, and Rice) were present near the funeral home before the phone went dark.
• Oct 3: Dontell buys “murder dump kit” (zip ties, tarp, cinder block).
• Oct 4: Dontell’s phone pings near Pee Dee River—body dump location.

DAY 3 – Thursday, June 12, 2025

Autopsy + Affair Testimony + Confession

• Dr. Susan Presnell (Forensic Pathologist):
• Performed autopsy before Rice was ID’d.
• Rice had 5–7 gunshot wounds: one to head, one to chest (both potentially fatal), two to left hip, one to right thigh.
• Brain was “liquified” due to decomposition.
• Erica Dontell (Christopher’s wife):
• Described friendship with Jackson, their neighborhood proximity, and how she was blindsided by the affair.
• Said she received anonymous texts revealing the pregnancy and affair.
• Recounted being emotionally devastated during testimony—delivered on her wedding anniversary.
• Ken Marcus (Horry County PD):
• Confirmed geo-location and cell-tower data placing Jackson and Dontell together the night of the murder.
• Affirmed Rice was texting Erica anonymously about the affair.
• Defense grilled him on inconsistencies and Dontell’s changing stories.
• Christopher Dontell (co-defendant):
• Testified in shackles; pleaded guilty to accessory and conspiracy.
• Said he was afraid of Jackson.
• Claimed Jackson shot Rice from the van, forced him to help move the body.
• Described taking Rice to funeral home cooler, then dumping body in river after buying materials.
• Apologized to Savannah Rice in open court.
• Cross-examined: Admitted continued affair, unprotected sex post-murder, and being “scared of that little woman.”

Dontell Testimony:

Christopher Dontell, a former Horry County deputy coroner and co-defendant, pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy charges and accessory after the fact in December 2024. At the time of the crime, Dontell and Jackson were having an affair. They met at work, as they both worked as body transporters for several years. Dontell became a coroner in 2020.

• Dontell admitted to dumping Rice’s body after Jackson shot him.
• Dontell testified. Jackson allegedly shot Rice the night of Oct. 2, 2020.
• Dontell dumped his body in the Little Pee Dee River either late Oct. 3 or early Oct. 4, 2020.
• Fishermen found Rice early Nov. 8, 2020.

Dontell and Jackson began seeing each other in late 2019. At about the same time, Jackson moved with her four children into the same neighborhood as Dontell. Rice lived in an apartment elsewhere. When living only a few streets over, Jackson became close with Dontell and his wife, and their children spent a lot of time together.

The evening of October 2, Dontell and Jackson were hanging out, having gone to Lewis Ocean Bays Heritage Preserve to practice shooting and then went to dinner, Dontell testified. At one point, Jackson said she needed to visit Rice at his home and had Dontell drive her in her work van there. Dontell said he pulled up next to Rice outside his Arrowhead apartment. Jackson opened the door and then began shooting at Rice, he said. She then had Dontell load the body into her van and they brought him to the Myrtle Beach Funeral Home, where they stored Rice’s body in the cooler, Dontell testified.

Dontell said Jackson threatened to kill him if he ever told anyone about what he saw that night. The next morning, Jackson called for a welfare check on Rice after he did not answer his door and then filed a missing person report several days later. On Oct. 3, she told Dontell to dump Rice’s body and threatened him again, according to testimony. Dontell said he lied to law enforcement for years about not seeing Jackson shoot Rice because he was afraid she would kill him or his family. He said he told the truth after his lawyer arranged for protection for his family

DAY 4 – Friday, June 13, 2025

State Witness: Digital Forensics

• Lt. Benjamin Wells (Digital Crimes Expert, Horry County Sheriff’s Office):
• Extracted data from Jackson’s iPhone XS Max.
• Key Evidence:
• Text thread with Dontell: Jackson wrote about sabotaging Rice’s car—“ready for him to suffer a popped tire or cut brake lines.”
• Anonymous email to Erica: 10 images showing pregnancy and affair originated from Jackson’s phone minutes before email was sent.
• Text argument between Meagan and Greg right before murder: Greg blamed her for ruining his job and life. Final message: “All I can say is wait for the storm.”
• On cross: Maintained he could only locate devices, not people—resisted defense attempts to discredit GPS data.

Day 5 – Tuesday, June 17, 2025

• Meagan Jackson said she would not testify.
• The defense said they would not call any witnesses.
• Prosecutors and the defense delivered their closing arguments.
• The jury reached a guilty verdict for Meagan Jackson.
• The judge sentenced Jackson to life in prison.