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Who Was Gregory Rice & What Happened to Him? 2025 Update & Background

by · October 16, 2025

Gregory Vincent Rice was more than the victim at the center of a headline-making murder case. He was a devoted father, a hard-working provider, and a man whose life was entangled in a complex and ultimately tragic domestic situation. Before his name became linked to a courtroom and true crime documentaries, Rice was a figure of stability in his children’s lives and a part of a family unit that, despite its challenges, mattered deeply to him.

Born and raised in South Carolina, Gregory Rice lived most of his life in the Myrtle Beach area, where he raised his children alongside his longtime partner, Meagan Jackson. Though their romantic relationship eventually ended, Rice remained closely involved in his children’s upbringing. By all accounts, he was deeply committed to them. Text messages introduced during the murder trial revealed that Rice’s main concerns revolved around their well-being and his efforts to remain a present and responsible parent.

A Man Caught Between Conflict and Commitment

Rice’s relationship with Meagan Jackson was described as volatile and complicated. The two had four children together and a shared history stretching back over a decade. According to family members and court testimony, Rice struggled at times to maintain harmony with Jackson, especially as their relationship became strained by infidelity and mistrust. Even after they separated, Rice continued co-parenting, staying in frequent contact with Jackson about the children’s needs.

Despite allegations of past drug use and arguments in the household, no formal criminal charges had been brought against Rice during his life. Family members and those close to him painted a picture of a man who was working to be a better father, trying to navigate a fraught relationship while prioritizing his kids. His daughter Savannah described him as loving and attentive—someone who cared deeply for his children and expressed frustration over the increasing tension with Jackson.

The Final Days

In the days leading up to his disappearance in October 2020, Rice had become increasingly suspicious of Jackson’s behavior. He reportedly knew about her affair with Christopher Dontell and had even messaged Dontell’s wife, Erica, to expose it. The final text messages exchanged between Rice and Jackson showed his growing concern about her intentions and the instability surrounding their family dynamic.

On October 2, 2020, Rice was last seen walking near Flintlake Drive. By October 5, he was reported missing. Over a month later, his body was found in the Little Pee Dee River, wrapped in a tarp, zip-tied, and weighed down by cinder blocks. He had been shot multiple times. The discovery marked the end of a search that had rattled the community and devastated his loved ones.

Legacy and Remembrance

Though his life was cut short by violence and betrayal, Gregory Rice’s memory lives on through his children and those who knew the man behind the tragedy. In the courtroom, his daughter Savannah became one of the most powerful voices for justice, testifying against her own mother and describing the emotional trauma the murder inflicted on their family.

Family members, including Rice’s children, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Meagan Jackson and Christopher Dontell in 2021. They claimed that Rice survived for a period after the shooting and accused the pair of conspiring to end his life in a manner described as “utterly intolerable in a civilized community.”

Gregory Rice’s life may now be remembered in part through court records and television coverage, but to his children, he was a father who showed up, a man trying to do right in difficult circumstances, and someone whose absence left a painful void that will never be fully filled.

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Ryan Gill

Ryan is a passionate follower of true crime television programs, reporting on and providing in-depth investigations on mysteries in the criminal world.

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