Former Horry County coroner accused of murder back in jail after bond violation
A former Horry County Deputy Coroner who is accused of murder is back in jail after violating conditions of his bond, according to 15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson.
Chris Dontell had his bond revoked by Judge William Seals for violating conditions of his bond, WBTW first reported Thursday afternoon. Jail records show the 38-year-old was booked back into J. Reuben Long just before 5 p.m. Thursday.
Dontell was arrested on Nov. 11, 2020, and was granted a $125,000 surety bond a week later. Among the conditions of that bond was an order that Dontell have no contact with his co-defendant, Meagan Jackson, 36.
Dontell’s codefendant, Meagan Jackson, had her bond revoked in June.
Jackson was accused of having contact with Dontell both physically and over the phone multiple times. Jackson was also accused of violating her bond conditions by being pinged at locations where she was not allowed to be.
Jackson and Dontell are accused of killing Gregory Vincent Rice, who was reported missing Oct. 5.
Horry County police released few details about the alleged murder after the arrests, but Chief Deputy Solicitor Scott Hixson provided a few during a bond hearing in Nov. 2020. Hixson said Jackson was the mother to four of Greg Rice’s children. The two ended their relationship about a year ago, but continued to speak to each other because they shared custody of the children.
Dontell—who was fired as a deputy coroner in Horry County after he was named as a suspect—and Jackson had an affair, Hixson said. Jackson worked as a sub-contractor for the Horry County Coroner’s Office and that is how Dontell and Jackson’s relationship began, Hixson said. The two also lived in the same Conway-area subdivision.
This story was originally published September 10, 2021 at 8:23 AM.
