CONWAY, S.C. (Court TV) — Christopher Dontell was sentenced to the maximum of 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges connected to the murder of his mistress’s husband.
Christopher Dontell appears in court for his sentencing on July 14, 2025. (Court TV)
Dontell pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and accessory after the fact in the death of Gregory Rice. At the time of his death, Rice was the father to four children with Meagan Jackson, with whom Dontell was having an affair.
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Jackson stood trial in June and was convicted of Rice’s murder. Dontell testified at her trial, telling the jury that he witnessed Jackson murder Rice and then was forced to help dispose of the body after Jackson threatened him.
Dontell remains married, and his wife, Erica, delivered a statement at Christopher’s sentencing asking the judge for mercy and placing much of the blame on Jackson, to whom she referred as “the Antichrist for our family.” Christopher addressed the courtroom as well to offer a tearful apology.
“I’m sorry for having any involvement with Meagan,” Christopher said. “Virtually everything about her is the exact opposite of everything I’ve ever been. … I chose to overlook everything bad about her because she was spending thousands of dollars on my family.”
While Christopher’s attorney proposed a sentence of probation, noting his remorse and truthful testimony at Meagan’s trial, Judge Alex Hyman disagreed. “The fact that you pleaded to accessory and conspiracy,” the judge said, noting the lesser charges Christopher faced, “that is your lesser sentence.” Judge Hyman sentenced Christopher to 15 years on the accessory charge and five years on the conspiracy charge to be served consecutively.
Jackson was sentenced to life in prison.
