CONWAY, S.C. (Court TV) — Moments before his trial was set to begin, a former deputy coroner pleaded guilty to charges in connection with the death of his mistress’ longtime boyfriend.
Christopher Dontell pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and accessory after the fact in the death of Gregory Rice, who was shot to death in 2020. Dontell was initially charged with murder as well. At the time of his death, Rice was the father to four children with Meagan Jackson, with whom Dontell was having an affair. Jackson is facing the same charges and is scheduled to stand trial in Feb. 2025.
Dontell’s trial was initially scheduled to begin on Dec. 3, but moments before it began Dontell indicated he wanted to plead guilty to the single charge of accessory after the fact. The next morning, he accepted a plea on the two charges and agreed to testify against Jackson at her trial in exchange for the murder charge to be dropped.
Christopher Dontell (L) and Meagan Jackson are charged with the murder of Gregory Rice (C). (Horry County Sheriff’s Dept/Horry County Police Dept.)
Jackson reported Rice missing on Oct. 5, 2020, three days after he was last seen. On Nov. 8, Rice’s body was found on the Marion County side of the Little Pee Dee River. According to court documents, “The victim had been wrapped in a tarp that was secured by zip ties, and was weighted down by at least one cinder block secured with a ratchet strap.” At autopsy, the coroner determined Rice had been shot five times.
Police were able to trace the items with Rice’s body to a Lowe’s home improvement store and then found video surveillance allegedly showing Dontell purchasing them on Oct. 3. Cell phone records, license plate readers and witness interviews led police to arrest both Dontell and Jackson.
At the time of her arrest, Jackson worked as a body transporter, taking bodies from the scene of death to funeral homes or the coroner’s office. Dontell worked as a deputy coroner for Horry County. When Jackson was charged with murder, detectives learned that she was pregnant with Dontell’s child. Dontell was married to a school teacher with whom he shares two children.
Both Jackson and Dontell were released on bond pending trial, but both were returned to jail after violating the terms of their release by having contact with one another.
Dontell faces up to five years in prison for the accessory charge and up to 15 years for conspiracy to commit murder. He will be sentenced after testifying in Jackson’s trial.
