When a South Carolina dad disappeared, authorities had no concept it would certainly cause the exploration of a surprising event, a body located in a river and accusations of kid misuse.
Greg Rice, 46, inexplicably went away from his Myrtle Coastline home in 2020. The proof appeared to cause his ex-girlfriend and mom of his 4 youngsters, Meagan Jackson, that carried carcass for a living.
A brand-new “20/20” episode, “ Driven to Fatality” ai ring Friday, Oct. 17, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC and streaming the following day on Hulu.
You can likewise obtain even more behind the curtain of weekly’s episode by paying attention to “20/20: The After Program” once a week collection precisely your 20/20 podcast prey on Mondays, organized by “20/20” co-anchor Deborah Roberts.
On Oct. 3, 2020, Jackson got to Rice’s house to leave their youngsters for the weekend break. They shared protection after their 15-year partnership finished.
Meagan Jackson and Greg Rice remained in a 15 year partnership prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, per authorities.
Politeness Chuck Benjamin
Nonetheless, Jackson located no person in your home. She stated it was weird considering that she declared to have actually talked to Rice the evening prior to.
Rice’s good friend, Ryan Michniewicz, kept in mind that it was extremely uncommon for Rice to miss out on anything related to his youngsters.
” Greg had the youngsters nearly every weekend break. That’s the one point that mattered one of the most with him,” he informed “20/20.”
Jackson reported Rice missing out on, and detectives located his secrets packed in a padding on the front patio.
Michniewicz likewise kept in mind that Rice informed him something startling prior to his loss.
” Greg pointed out to me that if something was to take place to him … he really did not off himself,” he stated.
After that, detectives stated he obtained 2 telephone calls from Jackson, and a trace on his phone place revealed it entrusting to her.
Dubious of Jackson, detectives located that the body transportation van she utilized for job was seen on video cameras leaving Rice’s area a number of days prior to she reported him missing out on. They likewise mapped Rice’s phone documents and located that he was home a lot of the evening. After that, detectives stated he obtained 2 telephone calls from Jackson, and his phone place was mapped to be seen entrusting to her.
Greg Rice stayed in Myrtle Coastline with his 4 youngsters.
Politeness Chuck Benjamin
Jackson informed detectives she had actually invested the whole of the evening concerned with Chris Dontell, a wedded coroner she collaborated with. Authorities would certainly later on find out that she and Dontell had actually been having an event for concerning a year.
Prior to Rice went missing out on, Dontell’s better half Erica stated she obtained some uncomfortable confidential messages.
” It simply stated, believe you ought to understand that your spouse is having an event and obtained someone expectant,” Erica Dontell informed “20/20.” “Oh, and I believe you ought to understand it’s Meagan Jackson.”
Jackson and Chris Dontell rejected the claims, and Jackson informed the Dontells she thought Rice had actually sent out the messages.
On Nov. 7, 2020, over a month after Rice disappeared, Donna Sue Soles was catfishing with member of the family in the close-by Pee Dee River when they located what seemed a body covered in a tarpaulin and held back by cinderblocks.
” It resembled the tarpaulin was simply laid there. And afterwards as soon as you obtained the paddle and we raised it, that’s when we seen the ratchet bands connected about the lower components of the legs. It was around both. And afterwards around the directly the opposite,” Soles informed “20/20.”
” I went down a paddle. It terrified me, and I began sobbing. I resembled ‘This can not hold true,'” she included.
The body was quickly determined as Rice, however the clinical supervisor located something a lot more troubling– 5 gunfire injuries on his body.
Authorities stated they found that the tarpaulin Rice’s body was covered in had actually been cost a regional equipment shop. They stated security video footage revealed Dontell getting all the things utilized to get rid of the remains.
Authorities apprehended Dontell and Jackson for Rice’s murder. When they looked her home for proof, they apparently found the youngsters’s severe living problems.
Their areas were furnished with alarm systems that would certainly go off if they unlocked, locks that can just be shut from the outdoors, and home windows that were toenailed closed, according to detectives. The food cupboard was likewise maintained under lock and secret, authorities stated.
In The Middle Of all this, detectives likewise stated they located a vacant weapon box that would certainly have held a lengthy rifle gun regular with the tool authorities stated was utilized to fire Rice.
Jackson’s youngsters were put right into emergency situation safety protection and she was billed with 4 matters of illegal conduct towards a kid.
Meagan Jackson in a picture launched by authorities.
Division of Corrections
Dontell shed his task as a result of the apprehension, and he and Jackson were put under home apprehension, however they maintained going against the order to see each various other, according to authorities.
At Dontell’s 2024 murder test, he begged guilty to fees of being a device to murder and conspiracy theory to devote murder. He likewise accepted affirm versus Jackson.
Jackson was billed with first-degree murder and took place test in June 2025. She begged innocent, with her defense lawyer saying that there had not been adequate proof to convict her of Rice’s murder.
In an unique brand-new meeting with “20/20” contributor John Quiñones, Dontell stated the evening he claims Jackson eliminated Rice.
” My feelings were high, however dealt with the body much like would certainly any kind of various other body,” he informed “20/20.”
According to Dontell, he and Jackson saw Rice strolling on the side of the roadway near his house on the evening he disappeared.
” I brought up, a couple of feet, quit, and she unlocked and in one movement … drew out of the seat, drew a weapon out and fired him over and over. Really did not see it coming. Neither did he,” Dontell informed “20/20.” We selected him up out of the roadway and placed him onto the cot that remained in the rear of her van.”
John Quiñones meetings Chris Dontell for today’s brand-new episode of “20/20.”
ABC Information
Dontell stated he after that utilized the tarpaulin and cinderblocks to conceal Rice’s body in the river.
At the test, detectives likewise found out that sent out the confidential messages exposing the event to Dontell’s better half Erica. Although Jackman had actually informed the Donnells that Rice had actually sent out those messages, the authorities declared she lagged those messages.
” Via the evaluation of her cellular phone, it had the ability to be shown that Meagan Jackson was the real one sending out these to Erica Dontell,” forensic specialist Ben Wells informed “20/20.”
Jackson’s protection called no witnesses however implicated Dontell of being the single wrongdoer of the murder. Dontell rejected the claims.
” The only individual that really has an objective to do away with Greg Rice is Chris Dontell. He can not be relied on,” defense lawyer Instance Brittain stated.
Jackson was condemned of first-degree murder and punished to life behind bars, while Dontell was punished to 15 years behind bars for being a device to murder and 5 years for conspiracy theory to murder.
The kid misuse fees versus Jackson were rejected, as district attorneys informed “20/20” that they did not intend to make the youngsters affirm.
” She’s doing life behind bars, so why placed them with that if we’re not mosting likely to obtain anything,” Mary-Ellen Walter, among the instance’s district attorneys, informed “20/20.”
At his sentencing, Dontell regreted ever before ending up being entailed with Jackson.
” To just maintain claiming ‘I’m sorry,’ it simply does not really feel right, and I do not understand that I can properly verbalize the deepness of the mix of love, discomfort, remorse and concern I really feel for those youngsters and for every person that enjoyed Greg,” he stated.
Jackson is appealing her sentence, while Dontell’s legal representative submitted an activity to reassess his sentence.
In a phone call with “20/20,” Jackson rejected shooting Rice and the misuse accusations, claiming she likes her youngsters significantly. In a letter to “20/20,” she declared that Dontell really did not level in his testament.
In a letter to “20/20,” Jackson declared that Dontell really did not level in his testament.
Jackson’s more youthful youngsters are being elevated by among Rice’s various other youngsters, their older half-brother from their dad’s previous partnership.
Jackson and Rice’s child Savannah talked with “20/20” concerning the message of hope she intends to share from her dad’s murder.
” There was a point living because home where I assumed I was never ever going to obtain out and despite exactly how tough and dreadful your setting can be, you can constantly make it out and you can transform your life around and be the individual that you intend to be,” she stated.
