HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — What began as a missing person’s alert by the Horry County Police Department in October 2020 would unravel into one of the region’s most high-profile, shocking murder cases ever.
On Tuesday, Meagan Jackson learned she’d spend the rest of her life in prison after murdering the father of her four children, Gregory Vincent Rice, with help from Chris Dontell, who at the time was a deputy coroner — ending a five-year saga that drew national attention.
Oct. 5, 2020: Horry County police announce that Rice is missing
The 46-year-old was last seen Oct. 2 near Flintlake Drive outside of Myrtle Beach. Just more than a month later, Dontell and Jackson would be charged was charge with Rice’s death.
Nov. 11, 2020: Horry County deputy coroner 1 of 2 charged with murder in connection with missing man’s death
Neither Dontell, who was 37 at the time or Jackson, then 35, had criminal records when they were arrested and hit with murder charges. Rice’s body was pulled from the Little Pee Dee River near the Horry-Marion County line on Nov. 8, 2020. Investigators said he was shot multiple times.
Nov. 16, 2020: Prosecutors say former deputy coroner caught on video with cart full of items later found on murder victim’s body
Prosecutors showed photos at Dontell’s bond hearing with a shopping cart full of items they say were later found on Rice’s body.
Dontell was shopping at a home improvement store where surveillance video shows him with a cart containing cement blocks, zip ties, a tarp, and tie-downs, all of which were found on Rice’s recovered body, according to prosecutors…