On Monday, Chris Dontell was sentenced by a judge to 20 years in prison for his involvement in the 2020 death of Gregory Rice. Dontell was convicted of criminal conspiracy to commit murder and being an accessory after the fact.

Chris Dontell’s Role in the murder of Gregory Rice

A former deputy coroner in Horry County who assisted his adulteress lover in concealing a murder will be serving the next 16 years in prison.

The judge granted Chris credit for the time he had already served, reducing his sentence to approximately 16 years.

Meagan Jackson, sexual partner of Chris, fatally shot the father of her children Gregory Rice in October 2020, firing at least five bullets near his residence in the Arrowhead neighborhood. Meagan Jackson had four children with Gregory Rice.

Savannah Rice, one of Jackson and Gregory’s children, stated her unwillingness to forgive Chris Dontell, given that she must now navigate life without both her parents.

Zach Rice, the son of Gregory, and Kenneth Rice, the brother of Gregory, submitted victim impact statements that the judge reviewed privately prior to Chris being sentenced.

Chris Dontell confessed to assisting Jackson in concealing the murder in December, and his attorneys negotiated a plea agreement that exempted Chris from facing trial for the murder.

Chris’ defense team on Monday attributed his behavior to Jackson, noting a distinct change in Chris’ demeanor before and after interacting with Jackson.

The defense once argued for the judge to grant Chris Dontell probation, highlighting his clean record and concerns about his lover Meagan Jackson.

Chris’ wife, Erica Dontell, went a step further and called Jackson the anti-Christ of their existence.

Erica mentioned that Meagan Jackson (Chris Dontell’s lover) came into their lives and generously bestowed an extravagant present, leading them to think they were friends.

Things changed, leading Jackson to manipulate Chris using problems in the marriage shared by Erica and his alcohol consumption.

“Chris is an amazing person despite the bad decisions he made while under the control of Meagan,” Erica said.

The defense claimed that Meagan exploited Chris’ loyalty and lack of maturity.

When speaking in court, Chris stated that his connection with Jackson was rooted in deceit. He also mentioned that Jackson goes against everything he believes in and represents.

Chris Dontell, as part of his plea agreement, testified during Jackson’s trial that Jackson used a miscarriage she had as justification to dispose of Gregory’s body.

Meagan Jackson was found guilty of killing Gregory by a jury last month and was given a life sentence in prison with no chance of parole by a judge.

During Monday’s hearing, Chris Dontell directed his attention towards the Rice family. He expressed that he has kept the family in his thoughts daily for the last five years and is committed to assisting them in achieving closure.