‘I miss him’ victim’s family says as ex-coroner, co-defendant face murder charges
Steve Rice planned to move from Ohio to Myrtle Beach to join his baby brother, his best friend, once their elderly parents passed. The two were going to make movies. Steve works behind the camera and Greg Rice loved being creative.
It was all planned.
That plan will now remain only a dream. Greg’s body was found in Horry County last weekend and Steve talked about the loss of their plan. The loss of his brother. How Steve didn’t visit nearly enough.
“I miss him and I wish I had gone down there sooner and moved down there, just regret,” Steve said. “We had planned to make movies and that was my whole goal. We had a dream for as long as I had it...It’s like seeing two things just destroyed.”
Steve voice started to break up as he fought back tears talking about the loss. He then searched for the words he would tell his baby brother given the chance.
“I loved him and I missed him so much since he moved down there,” he said.
Steve spoke to The Sun News on the same day he and his family learned two people were accused of Greg’s murder. Horry County police charged both Chris Dontell and Meagan Jackson with murder.
The two suspects waived their first court appearance Thursday afternoon in a courtroom at J. Reuben Long Detention Center. The appearance would have been just procedural as a magistrate can not set bond on murder charges, it must be done by a circuit court judge.
Both face life in prison.
Jackson is the mother to four of Greg’s children and the two were in a relationship until about a year ago, Steve said. Dontell is a former Horry County deputy coroner who lost his job when the department learned he was being questioned in connection to Greg’s disappearance.
Greg was reported missing in early October—Greg’s family say they believe Jackson reported him missing. For a month, officers searched for his whereabouts. On Nov. 8, Greg’s remains were found along the Little Pee Dee River near Pitts Landing and the Horry and Marion County line.
By Wednesday, Dontell and Jackson were cuffed and accused of his murder. Police have not released details on the motive for the killing or how Greg was killed.
Who was Greg Rice?
Greg grew up outside of Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was the youngster of five brothers. Steve was two years older and, as he explained it, practically shared a bed with Greg . The two were like best friends and Steve would have to tell Greg not to talk in his sleep or stop him from sleepwalking right out of the room.
Much of their youth was spent outdoors in the woods near the family home, Steve said. There was also time spent at nearby King’s Island Amusement Park, especially the man-made wave pool.
The two also spent time at the arcade, collect soda bottles to exchange them for quarters to then lose them to the machine-gods. When video game consoles moved into the homes, like Sega and Nintendo, they were inside playing video games.
“We’d watch movies and play video games, that was an integral part of what we did,” Steve said. “It didn’t cost you money. Once you had the game, you could just hang out and watch somebody else play the video game and just sit there and talk with whoever was in the room.”
The two also went to musical concerts, including the Lollapalooza events. Greg’s favorite bands included “They Might Be Giants” and “The Poggs.”
Greg was also big into Halloween celebrations and creating props. One year he went as a character from a Rob Zombie movie.
“That was something he was passionate about, he did it rather well,” Steve said.
When he grew up, Greg got married and had children with his first wife, Steve said. That relationship ended and Greg met Jackson, with whom he would later have four children. Greg worked for Dell Computers and had the option to transfer to Arkansas or Myrtle Beach, Steve said. Greg and Jackson looked at a place in Arkansas, thinking they were close enough to travel to New Orleans. But they eventually decided to come to South Carolina.
In Myrtle Beach, the couple raised their children. Steve said it was “really cool” to see his brother with the youngsters.
“He was the type who would do anything for his kids,” Steve said. “He was such a good dad. He had the energy to do it.”
Steve visited a couple of times since his brother moved to the beach and recalled how on a recent trip they participated in a surfing competition.
The relationship with Jackson ended about a year ago and Greg worked in landscaping when he went missing, Steve said.
On Oct 2., Greg was reported missing and it wasn’t until a few days later that Horry County police called the family to tell them the situation, Steve said. While relatives held out hope, Greg had a feeling that the worst happened.
“Basically it was nerve racking,” he said.
Steve tried to take his mind off the situation the best he could, such as by going to the movies, but thoughts of his brother occupied his mind. He contemplated coming to Horry County to search for Greg. Steve sent him messages on Facebook asking him where he was. They went unanswered.
“I knew, sadly, in my heart this was going to be the outcome,” Steve said.
Finding out murder
Steve said he had stomach pains and hadn’t slept much since his brother went missing. He was starting to fall asleep Wednesday morning when the phone rang. It was Greg’s oldest son from his first marriage who told Steve that his baby brother was murdered and two people were being charged.
“I was devastated. I had to let him go because I started breaking down crying,” Steve said. “He meant everything to me. It’s just like you have dreams...you can’t imagine it.
“It just destroys everything.”
It was then, Steve said there was a glimmer of solace knowing his brother was found. A month of wondering was over, still it wasn’t what anyone wanted to hear.
“It’s nice to have an answer, it’s just not the answer you wanted,” he said.
Steve said he didn’t know what he would say to Jackson, a woman who he knew better than he ever wanted. She and Greg lived with Steve while they looked for a place to in Ohio.
“I wish I never met her,” Steve said.
Dontell is a man the Rice family did not know, Steve said. He said he didn’t have much to say for the man who once helped investigate murders, was now being accused in connection to one.
“It just a stranger that has entered my family life, my life, and just destroyed it,” Steve said. “Just destroyed our heart.”
A few people reached out to the family since Greg’s death and Steve talked about the stories they heard about their younger brother. They included tales of how Greg would help out the elderly people in the apartment complex where he lived.
It was then that Steve hearkened back to their childhood (Should this be childhood?), shoving snow in driveways in the neighborhood. It was never for the money. It was about taking care of the neighbors. Steve then admitted it was a cliche, but said Greg would give the shirt off his back to someone in need.
“He did what was right,” Steve said. “He didn’t have to ask to do it. He just did it.”
This story was originally published November 12, 2020 at 1:53 PM.
