Update: Murder charge for ex Horry coroner dropped, details about affair made public
Although Christopher Dontell admitted he helped dispose of Greg Rice’s body, his murder and conspiracy to kidnap charges were dropped Wednesday morning — three days into his murder trial.
The former Horry County coroner’s murder trial was supposed to continue Wednesday but was cut short after he pleaded guilty to two charges. Dontell was indicted on murder, conspiracy to kidnap, criminal conspiracy to commit murder and accessory to murder after the fact for the death of his lover’s ex boyfriend.
Other details about his affair were also released during and after the trial.
He pleaded guilty to the latter charges and agreed to potentially testify against Meagan Jackson, his ex-mistress, in exchange for the murder and accessory to kidnapping charges being dismissed. Jackson worked in the body transportation business while Dontell was a deputy coroner.
Dontell admitted to disposing of Rice’s body after Jackson allegedly killed him in October 2020. Jackson reported Rice missing in early October and his body was found wrapped in a tarp in the Great Pee Dee River a month later.
Rice and Jackson dated until 2019 and had four children together.
Jackson’s trial is supposed to begin in February, said Aimee Zmroczek, Dontell’s lawyer. She is facing two murder charges, two criminal conspiracy charges, four charges of neglect of children/helpless person, conspiracy to commit kidnapping and accessory after the fact charges
Prosecutor Mary-Ellen Walter explained how the state would not have been able to prove Dontell committed murder but could show how Dontell disposed of Rice’s body in October 2020.
Jackson allegedly killed Rice and brought his body to the Myrtle Beach Funeral Home around Oct. 2, 2020, Walter said. Afterwards, she texted Dontell saying something similar to, “Greg is gone.”
“Ms. Jackson said to him, essentially, ‘It was him or you. I need you to go get him out of the Myrtle Beach Funeral Home,’” Walter said in court. “We then have direct video of Mr. Dontell at the Lowe’s Home Improvement Store purchasing items that were later found to be used to dispose of Greg Rice’s body, specifically a tarp, ratchet straps, two cinder blocks and some zip ties.”
There is also video of Dontell entering and leaving the site where he dumped Rice’s body.
Dontell was always willing to plead guilty to accessory to murder after the fact, Zmroczek said. They decided to go to trial because he was not guilty of murder or accessory to kidnapping.
“(Dontell) won’t be able to testify as to what exactly happened to Mr. Rice, because he he doesn’t know,” Zmroczek said.
The former deputy coroner will stay in J. Reuben Long Detention Center until sentencing, which will happen after Jackson’s trial. He faces up to 20 years in prison. Jackson is currently serving home detention.
How did Dontell and Jackson’s relationship begin?
While it’s been widely reported that Dontell and Jackson’s relationship began when Jackson began work as a subcontractor for the Horry County Coroner’s Office, it actually started earlier, Zmroczek said during a press conference. The two were family friends for “quite some time.”
Their kids played together and Jackson’s children babysat Dontell’s kids sometimes, Zmroczek said. She believes their relationship escalated around January 2020.
In the fall, Jackson told Dontell she was pregnant and he believed it was his child. In early October, she told him the fetus was dead and everything was working out because “Greg was gone.” Jackson had earlier told Dontell about her relationship problems with Rice.
She also said she believes Jackson manipulated Dontell in their relationship
“What’s so important in this case, is that you see this man who has no criminal record, I mean, he was a county public official . . . and he meets this woman,” Zmroczek said. “It never ceases to amaze me that when people create a romantic relationship, their brains fly out the window.”
This story was originally published December 4, 2024 at 11:11 AM.
