2 days ago
Testimony in Meagan Jackson murder trial reveals victim killed by .22 caliber bullet
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Three law enforcement officers testified Wednesday morning in Horry County Circuit Court in the trial of a woman accused of killing her four children's father in 2020.
Meagan Jackson was having an affair with Horry County deputy Coroner Christopher Dontell when she allegedly killed Gregory Rice, whose body was found in the Little Pee Dee River on Nov. 8, 2020. Dontell is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in early December to accessory and conspiracy charges and agreeing to testify against Jackson.
Jackson, who could be seen crying during witness testimony on Tuesday, is charged with murder and conspiracy. Rice was last seen on Oct. 2, 2020, and it was Jackson who reported him missing three days later.
Mark Bonner, who is now retired from the Horry County Police Department, was supervising investigations in the criminal investigations division at the time of Rice's death. He testified that Rice was killed by a .22 caliber bullet and that he became aware that the relationship between Jackson and Rice had become estranged.
Reggie Hotaling, a senior investigator with the Marion County Sheriff's Office at the time, said he responded to the Pitts Landing area near the Horry County line about a body in November 2020 and recovered evidence from the body that included a lighter, cigarettes, cinder blocks, tarp straps, a ball cap, sheets, a tarp and zip ties.
After an autopsy was completed, Hotaling testified he was given black sneakers, jeans, a sweatshirt and clothing, photos and bullets, all evidence that was later turned over to Horry County authorities after it was determined that they had jurisdiction in the case.
Horry County police Sgt. Adam Skellett, who worked in the department's investigations unit, testified about surveillance video obtained from the River's Edge community. Jackson's car is shown leaving River's Edge at about 6:16 p.m. on Oct. 2, followed by Dontell's gray Ford Explorer at 6:20 p.m.
He also testified about an interview with Erica Dontell, Chris Dontell's wife, who said she was receiving anonymous messages believed to be from Gregory Rice, saying that Chris Dontell had been sleeping with Jackson.
Testimony in the case began on Tuesday as jurors heard from Savannah Rice — Jackson's and Gregory Rice's daughter, who said her parents fought constantly and were not compatible.
Savannah Rice also testified about her relationship with her parents, saying that her dad was a flawed man but someone who cared about his kids and the people around him. She also testified that her parents broke up on two different occasions and that she did not hear them say 'I love you' to each other.
She also testified that she met Dontell because of her mother's work and spent a lot of time with the family. She testified that she found out about her mother's affair with Dontell by hearing them having sex in another room.
* * *
Dennis Bright is the Digital Executive Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
