Murder on Trial Season 1 Episode 5

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Transcript

00:00Police asked for your help in finding the missing man, Gregory Rice.

00:05He was most recently seen on Friday.

00:07They used drones, people were on horseback.

00:10They searched a lot of area looking for Greg Rice to no avail.

00:15Where do you think he is? You think?

00:18I have no idea.

00:19Our fear was that the body had been burned and we would never find it.

00:23I did not preview him. I can't even run the machine.

00:26Megan and Chris were seen together constantly.

00:28I don't think it was a particularly well-kept secret.

00:32The only thing that I'm guilty of is somebody that's married.

00:35There were some locals.

00:37They smelled what you can never forget, the smell of a dead body.

00:42There's the body you threw over the bridge.

00:44You're going to be charged with murder, Chris.

00:45He had a murder dump kit in his shopping cart.

00:48The exact items that Greg Rice's body was wrapped in.

00:51This is a tale of the oldest kind.

00:54An affair, a pregnancy, and a murder.

00:57She said, have you ever cheated on your wife?

00:59I said, no.

01:01She said, well, you're about to.

01:02The central part of Horry County has a small-town feel.

01:25Everybody knows each other.

01:27It was not the norm to have someone just completely disappear like Greg Rice did.

01:39My name is Ginger Popp.

01:44I'm an investigator here at the 15th Judicial Circuit Solicitor's Office.

01:51Initially, there was talk that maybe he had a drug problem.

01:56Maybe he had an alcohol problem.

01:58You know, maybe he just wandered off and had drank too much.

02:01The person initially who reported Gregory Rice missing was Megan Jackson.

02:13Megan Jackson and Gregory Rice had had a long-standing relationship.

02:18They had several children in common and did not live together anymore.

02:22Megan Jackson reported him missing after she took the children to Greg Rice's apartment

02:51for a scheduled visitation, and he didn't answer the door or the phone.

02:55I said, you know what?

02:57Something's not right here.

02:58His car's here.

02:59He's not answering.

03:00And I was talking to him Friday and knowing he was, like, kind of messed up.

03:06I was really scared he was, like, in the apartment and OD'd or something.

03:10Normally, when people take off, they take certain items on them that they can survive with.

03:16I mean, well, that's why I'm always concerned.

03:20Megan Jackson was already known to local authorities because of her work for them as what is known

03:24as a body mover.

03:26We pick up bodies for the local coroner's office and the local funeral homes.

03:31My name is Charles Benjamin, and Megan Jackson used to work for me going to crime scenes

03:37and making the removal and taking them to the morgue.

03:40A lot of people say, oh, I could do that until they get out and have to clean up a nasty

03:44scene, but she adjusted real well.

03:47Has he ever tried to commit suicide or threaten suicide in the past?

03:52Just that one time I knew all his family stuff was going on was, like, 2007.

03:59But it wasn't like a...

04:00He just kind of threw himself down the steps.

04:03It wasn't a legit attempt?

04:06No.

04:07And I got to ask, does he like, as far as women, I mean, would he get online and find

04:14a prostitute?

04:16I mean, I hate to say that, but it's more frequent than you think with men.

04:20I honestly have no idea.

04:22He's into some...

04:24What's his sexual name?

04:25Is he mellow, or is he like the weird stuff?

04:31He likes torture stuff.

04:32Okay.

04:34Okay.

04:35Well, thank you.

04:36Thanks for talking to us.

04:37Sorry for the situation.

04:39Horry County Police Department initially treated this right out the gate as a true missing person.

04:47A missing persons flyer was created, and it was all over the local news.

04:51Police asked for your help in finding a missing man.

04:54Who you see right here is Gregory Rice.

04:56He was most recently seen on Friday near Flint Lake Drive outside of Myrtle Beach.

05:00Horry County Police Department had dogs come search.

05:05They used drones.

05:06People were on horseback, four-wheelers.

05:10They searched a lot of area looking for Greg Rice to no avail.

05:17It doesn't make sense.

05:20One day, not hearing from him as normal, but two days, I kind of knew something was up.

05:26My name's Ryan McNevich.

05:29I was best friends with Greg Rice.

05:32Worked with him and golfed with him and surfed with him.

05:35I was in constant contact with a lot of the detectives at the time.

05:39Greg Rice's cell phone record showed he was home most of the Friday night before he was reported missing.

05:48They knew the last contact that Greg had had with anyone, and that was with Megan Jackson.

05:53My name is Mary Ellen Walter, and I'm a senior assistant solicitor in Horry County.

05:58At that point, Megan Jackson and Greg Rice had been separated for some time.

06:03Didn't get along particularly well, but Greg was very, very focused on his children.

06:07Detectives began to gather surveillance video from the places Megan said she had been that Friday night,

06:14including a restaurant where Megan was seen with the county's deputy coroner, Chris Dantel.

06:21They were seen together constantly.

06:23They would often go to dinner together or lunch together.

06:26I don't think it was a particularly well-kept secret.

06:30So Chris Dantel was brought in for questioning in what was still a missing persons investigation.

06:36How we got your name was Megan.

06:39Said that you guys had gone out to eat on Friday night.

06:43What's the relationship with you and Megan?

06:45Um, if I'm being honest, it's something I would get divorced over.

06:52And that's why I said, whatever it said in here, it stays in here.

06:56We ain't gonna run and tell nobody.

06:57I mean, I, you know, I, you know, was expecting this, so.

07:03Did you ever have any contact with Greg about anything?

07:06None.

07:07I mean, not just like on this day, like period.

07:09Have you guys ever had contact with each other?

07:11I've never even said a word to him.

07:14I know of Greg.

07:15I know, um, to be honest with you, he's kind of a weirdo.

07:20Yeah.

07:20Um, I know he's into some crazy stuff, and I think that's why she moved away from him.

07:27She told me that it was an abusive relationship, but obviously she never got into details, but.

07:32Yeah.

07:33She always said.

07:33He's, he, um, he is a, he's a pervert.

07:40He's a violent pervert.

07:41Have you ever been to Greg's apartment?

07:44No.

07:45So she would always go there by herself, even if he never, he never would have ever been there?

07:49I never went there.

07:51I've never been to his apartment.

07:54And then later that day, Megan was brought in for a second round of questioning.

08:00Not in any trouble?

08:01No.

08:02Okay.

08:04There are claims that are being made against you that we have to have answers to.

08:08Right.

08:08Okay.

08:10Um, we talked to Chris this morning.

08:14Mm-hmm.

08:15We know about you and Chris.

08:17Okay.

08:19We don't care.

08:20Okay.

08:21That has nothing to do with this.

08:23But if some of the vagueness you gave the other day was to try to cover that up, it needs to go away.

08:32Okay.

08:33What are they going to know about him?

08:35What?

08:35Who said something about me?

08:37Well, he's, it's nothing against you, but, I mean, I, all the fingers from his family were like.

08:47Pointing at me?

08:48Yeah.

08:49So I have to.

08:49Do you know what happened?

08:50So I got to treat you as.

08:52Do you know what happened?

08:52Suspect number one and prove that you weren't suspect number one.

08:56Detectives wanted to know what happened after Megan and Chris left the restaurant that Friday night.

09:02We both got in my car.

09:04Okay.

09:06That's the uncomfortable part, right?

09:08Yeah.

09:10Hmm.

09:11So y'all were in your car?

09:13Yeah.

09:14Okay.

09:15Did y'all have sex in your car?

09:18Possibly.

09:19Where did y'all go?

09:21We drove around.

09:23Okay.

09:24What I've kind of gathered over the past couple of days is that, or what I've been told is that Greg recently found out that you and Chris were having sex together.

09:35And then detectives asked if Megan would let them go through her phone.

09:46You are going to see stuff on there where he, uh, f***ed about Chris.

09:50And I, I'll admit that there's been times that I was a true f*** to him after he was, he was rude to me first.

10:02Did you do anything to cause his disappearance?

10:04No.

10:04Okay.

10:05Then you don't have anything to worry about.

10:18Three weeks after Greg Rice was first reported missing, there was still no sign of him.

10:25And detectives brought Megan Jackson in for a third round of questioning about her timeline on that pivotal Friday night.

10:32It's the lack of details is what's throwing these red flags and why we keep having to bring you back here.

10:38I mean, it's just because I don't remember.

10:41Here's the kicker in the whole thing.

10:43Did you ever go to Greg's house?

10:44No.

10:44But a license plate reader showed Megan's van going into Greg Rice's neighborhood that Friday night.

10:52Well, it shouldn't have.

10:53Well, it shouldn't have.

10:53I have pictures of it.

10:56I mean, that's fine, but it shouldn't have.

10:58But it did.

11:02Right at the time that you called Greg and you exit six minutes later.

11:10Which I've timed out is just enough time to go to Greg's apartment.

11:14I didn't go anywhere.

11:15I have the camera from the LPR, from the license plate reader.

11:18Okay, but I didn't go to his apartment at all that night.

11:23Honestly, I think you're either covering for somebody's or you're covering for yourself at this point.

11:33You see what I'm getting here?

11:33It all adds up and it all, you're not telling me the truth.

11:39Like, I know there's more to this than you were telling me.

11:42I know.

11:43It's not a coincidence.

11:44And there's more to what you're giving us.

11:47I mean, I can't help you with anything.

11:50I mean, I get it.

11:52I know it looks bad.

11:54One of the things that Megan Jackson told police was that Greg Rice was threatening to expose her affair with Christopher Dontell.

12:02Someone had sent anonymous messages to Erica Dontell, Christopher Dontell's wife,

12:07saying that he was having an affair with Megan Jackson and she was pregnant with his child.

12:12Megan admitted she had been pregnant, but then had a miscarriage.

12:16Megan Jackson told Christopher Dontell that it was Greg Rice.

12:19She also told Erica Dontell that it was Greg Rice.

12:22Erica confronted her husband and things changed for them, but Greg Rice went missing pretty quickly after that.

12:29You know who has the motive?

12:31Who?

12:31Chris.

12:33He was with me.

12:34He has the motive.

12:36Chris has a wife, kids, a job.

12:39He has everything to lose.

12:42Okay?

12:42And Greg knows, and Greg was supposedly leaking information to Chris's wife.

12:47What do you do if somebody's leaking information?

12:50You plug the leak.

12:52He wouldn't do that, though.

12:54Is it worth covering up for somebody that doesn't really give a s*** about you?

12:58It's just a piece of s***?

13:00Because if you want to look at his phone, you're just a piece of s***.

13:04Is it worth covering up for somebody like that?

13:07I'm not covering for him, though.

13:09I think you are.

13:11If he did something, I don't know about it.

13:13That would be the stupidest thing that he could do.

13:19He, I, I'm not a fan.

13:21You do stupid stuff when, when, when your world's about to come crashing down.

13:25I mean, it, we're human beings.

13:26That's the way we were at.

13:29If you did know Chris had done something, would you tell us?

13:31I mean, if I knew he'd hurt him, then yes.

13:38Because, I mean, that's my kid's dad.

13:41He's a s***.

13:45But I, I wouldn't be okay with something like that.

13:48But GPS phone data also showed that after about 10 p.m. that night,

13:52the phones of Megan, Chris, and Greg were all traveling together.

13:56All signs pulled towards that y'all were together that night, the three of you.

14:03We were not together.

14:06Then what? Where's Greg?

14:07I don't know.

14:09I'm the one that called you guys.

14:10I knew something was wrong right away.

14:12I honestly thought he was going to be dead in his apartment from an OD.

14:16The more I talked to you puts more doubt in my mind.

14:19I mean...

14:20And it just, it's, it's very alarming.

14:22And if something happened that night, and you're covering up for somebody...

14:27Then I'm going to go down too, but I'm not.

14:29I don't, I don't care.

14:34As they tracked the three phones that night,

14:36it appeared there was a stop at a Myrtle Beach funeral home,

14:40which operates a crematory.

14:42And the only explanation for that is...

14:44Is that I cremated him.

14:46I did not cremate him.

14:47I can't even run the machines.

14:48The explanation of that is something happened that we don't understand.

14:52Our fear was the body had been burned and the ashes were dispersed.

14:58We wouldn't have had the evidence we needed to know that it was a murder case.

15:03There is no doubt in my mind that you and Chris have done something

15:08that has resulted in Greg's disappearance.

15:12A thousand percent.

15:13Like, there's no doubt in my mind.

15:16And all I'm going to do is end up working in order to prove,

15:19to find out what it was that you all have done.

15:21I mean, it's fine.

15:23No, it's...

15:24I tell you right now.

15:25You take the car away, but you're not going to find anything.

15:26I just...

15:26You know what?

15:27You can say that, but all three of us in this room know that that's not true.

15:31It had nothing to do with it.

15:34I didn't have anything to do with it.

15:36The only thing that I'm guilty of is f***ing somebody that's married.

15:39The case was at a standstill for another two weeks

15:45until the waters of the Little P.D. River would surface a grisly discovery.

15:59Greg was missing for seven weeks.

16:01There were some locals who would go to Pitts Landing and they would set catfish lines.

16:11As they were setting the lines, they smelled what you can never forget,

16:16the smell of a dead body.

16:17It was the body of Greg Rice, shot dead,

16:22wrapped in a tarp that had been weighed down with cinder blocks.

16:25They went to some stores around Horry County to see if they sold those items.

16:30And surveillance footage at one of the stores,

16:33the day after Greg Rice was last seen alive, told the story.

16:37You can very clearly see Christopher Dantel pushing his shopping card

16:40into the self-checkout line and find the exact items that Greg Rice's body was wrapped in.

16:46He had a murder dump kit in his shopping cart.

16:49Very clear.

16:50It was cinder blocks, zip ties, ratchet straps, and a tarp.

16:54That was a big break.

16:56It was pretty clear, I think, to law enforcement

16:58who had caused Greg Rice to disappear.

17:03Megan Jackson was brought in for a fourth time.

17:07So,

17:07go back

17:10for round two, I guess we'll say.

17:14Round four?

17:15Well,

17:16all I want, Megan, is the truth.

17:19Okay.

17:20So, let me show you where Chris was

17:21at 2.55 on Saturday.

17:25Uh, sure.

17:31What is that?

17:33Some cinder blocks, a tarp, zip ties,

17:36ratchet strap.

17:37I'm going to show you where I was

17:44this past Saturday.

17:45I got called out at 2 o'clock in the morning.

17:55You know who that is?

17:59Is that Greg?

18:00That's Greg.

18:02And guess what he was wrapped in

18:03and sunk with in the river?

18:06The s*** Chris bought on the third.

18:11So, like I said earlier,

18:13either you're this f***ing horrible person

18:15that killed your kid's dad,

18:17or you just took Greg

18:18to go see Chris

18:19and asked Chris

18:20to have a conversation.

18:24Greg was in the river

18:25for a f***ing month.

18:26You got two, two choices.

18:38Explain to us what happened.

18:41Or look like the horrible person

18:42who killed your kid's father.

18:46You got two choices.

18:47What do you want to do?

18:48You just said you guys were together

18:50the entire night.

18:56I don't know what happened.

18:58Yes, you do, Megan.

18:59I don't know what happened.

19:01Greg's f***ing dead.

19:02Somebody f***ing killed him.

19:04Shut up.

19:04This ain't a f***ing Megan story.

19:08Chris is going to be charged

19:09for murder today.

19:13This is your time

19:14to get yourself out of it.

19:19Do you want to be charged

19:20for murder today,

19:20or do you want to tell us what happened?

19:22I don't know.

19:24You do know, Megan?

19:26Down the hall,

19:27another pair of detectives

19:29was questioning Chris Duntell,

19:30who asked for a lawyer.

19:32All right, Chris.

19:33I'm not going to ask you any questions.

19:37I'll explain everything to you.

19:39Here in just a few minutes.

19:42What I do want to do, though,

19:45is I'll leave these here with you.

19:48As you're shopping,

19:50you bought a ratchet strap,

19:52a tarp,

19:52some zip ties,

19:53and two cinder blocks.

19:56All right?

20:00There's the body

20:00you threw over the bridge.

20:03Or,

20:03place thrown in the river.

20:08Take a stone,

20:08because, well,

20:09you understand,

20:10you're not leaving the building today.

20:11You're going to be going to

20:12county jail here shortly.

20:13Okay?

20:14Is there a warrant for my arrest,

20:15or am I a free person right now?

20:16No, you're not a free person.

20:18You're not a free person.

20:18Why not?

20:19Because you are being charged

20:20with a crime, Chris.

20:20That's why.

20:21I'll tell you what.

20:22Sir, is there a warrant for my arrest right now?

20:24You're going to be charged

20:25with murder, Chris.

20:25You're not a free man.

20:28I've answered your question.

20:29You are not a free man.

20:31You were not a free man

20:32when you walked out of your house

20:33and told your one-year-old boy

20:35I love you.

20:36You're not a free man.

20:37You're going to jail,

20:39and that's it.

20:40At what point can I speak

20:41with my lawyer?

20:42Chris, stand up, turn around.

20:52All right, Chris.

20:52You're under arrest

20:53for the murder of Greg Rice, all right?

20:55I'll see you later on.

20:58Detectives tried to get Megan

20:59to confess by telling her

21:00that Chris was already blaming her.

21:03Chris is in another part

21:04of the building telling the story.

21:07You know what he just said?

21:09It was your f***ing plan.

21:10What was your plan to kill Greg?

21:13I didn't have any plan to kill Greg.

21:16Well, you look at it like this.

21:17Chris just lost his job.

21:19He's about to lose his family.

21:21So who do you think

21:21he's going to put it on you?

21:23He can put it on me all he wants.

21:25I don't have a story to tell.

21:27You are clear on how

21:28this is going to end today, right?

21:30You're either honest

21:30or you're taking a ride.

21:33You can give me that s*** up

21:34all you want.

21:37My next phone call

21:38is to Greg's family.

21:40to let them know

21:41that you and Chris

21:42dumped him in the damn river.

21:46You're under arrest

21:47for murder, Megan.

21:48And I get a call

21:49on my lawyer, right?

21:51You sit your s*** up.

21:54But they still didn't know

21:55who had actually pulled the trigger,

21:57Megan or Chris.

21:59So prosecutors decided

22:01to take Chris Duntel

22:03to trial first,

22:04believing he was most likely

22:05the one who actually

22:06killed Greg Rice.

22:07I was halfway out of my chair

22:09about to stand up

22:10and give the opening statement

22:11in the case

22:12when Christopher Duntel

22:13stood up and said

22:13he wanted to plead guilty.

22:15Duntel, you want to

22:16plead guilty here today?

22:17That's correct.

22:18That was not an agreement

22:20he made with the state

22:21in advance.

22:21He simply stood up

22:23and pleaded guilty.

22:24The murder charge

22:25against Duntel

22:26was dropped.

22:27He pleaded guilty

22:28to accessory after the fact

22:30to murder

22:30and criminal conspiracy

22:31to commit murder.

22:33It was a big moment for us

22:34when Christopher Duntel

22:35finally decided to tell us

22:37what exactly had happened

22:38to Greg Rice that night.

22:41According to Duntel,

22:42he and Megan Jackson

22:44had indeed driven

22:45to Greg Rice's apartment

22:46that night

22:46and they saw him

22:47walking along the road.

22:49Christopher Duntel

22:50said that Megan asked him

22:51to drive past

22:52and then pull alongside Greg

22:53and then she jumped out

22:55and shot him.

22:57And when detectives

22:58searched Megan's home,

22:59they found evidence

23:00of another possible motive,

23:02the treatment of her children,

23:04malnourished

23:05and often locked

23:06in their rooms.

23:07They actually ended up

23:09charging Megan Jackson

23:10with unlawful conduct

23:11toward a child

23:12based on the living conditions

23:13in the home.

23:15So I think Greg was

23:16extremely concerned

23:17for the welfare

23:17of the children

23:18and may have been exploring

23:20getting custody of them,

23:22which means that Megan Jackson

23:23would have had to pay

23:23him child support.

23:24And that's certainly

23:25not something

23:26that she wanted to do.

23:27And then a final

23:29surprising discovery

23:30about who had sent

23:31those anonymous messages

23:32to Duntel's wife

23:34about the affair

23:35with Megan.

23:36Phone records showed

23:37it was not Greg Rice.

23:39In reality,

23:40it was Megan Jackson

23:41who was sending

23:43anonymous texts

23:44exposing the fact

23:45that she had been sleeping

23:46with Chris Duntel

23:47and was in fact

23:48pregnant with his child.

23:49She had two goals

23:51in mind.

23:51number one

23:53to be rid

23:54of Greg Rice

23:55and also

23:56to destroy

23:57Chris Duntel's marriage.

23:59Now,

24:00he would be

24:00the key witness

24:01against her.

24:10We're now turning

24:10to a case

24:11out of South Carolina.

24:12Opening statements

24:13are about to begin

24:14in the trial

24:14of Megan Jackson,

24:16charged in the murder

24:16of her ex-boyfriend

24:17and the father

24:18of her children,

24:19Greg Rice.

24:20Ladies and gentlemen,

24:21we're going to begin

24:21the opening statement.

24:23Megan is a small,

24:25female, short,

24:27very petite,

24:28long hair.

24:29Anytime you have

24:30a female defendant

24:33that can look frail,

24:36not strong,

24:38you can worry

24:39about what a jury

24:42may think of this person.

24:43Could they be capable

24:44of this?

24:45One of Megan's

24:47former co-workers,

24:48Marilyn Wood,

24:49was in the courtroom

24:49every day.

24:51Just as her

24:52support system

24:53for her.

24:54She had no friends,

24:55family,

24:56everybody's abandoned her.

24:58She says she doesn't

24:59know what happened.

25:00And I said,

25:00well,

25:01either you

25:01or Chris

25:03killed Greg.

25:04And she goes,

25:04it wasn't me.

25:06Can I please

25:06the court honor?

25:07Yes, ma'am.

25:10Good morning.

25:10that the tale

25:14that's on its own

25:15is the story

25:17of an affair,

25:18a pregnancy,

25:20and a murder.

25:21And the victim

25:22of that murder

25:22is Gregory Wright,

25:24the father

25:25of her children.

25:27There's one person

25:29at the center

25:30of everything

25:31you're going to hear.

25:32And that person

25:33is Bane Jackson.

25:35She's sitting right over there.

25:37Now,

25:37when you look

25:38at Bane Jackson,

25:39you know Bane.

25:40She looks meek,

25:42mild.

25:42She's a small woman.

25:45But looks

25:45can be deceiving.

25:47And this defendant

25:47is certainly deceiving.

25:50She deceived Greg Rice.

25:52She deceived

25:53her co-defendant

25:54Christopher Dontel.

25:55She deceived

25:56Christopher Dontel's

25:57wife,

25:58Erica Dontel.

25:59And she deceived

26:00law enforcement.

26:02Not only is she

26:03a master manipulator,

26:05she was literally

26:06in the business

26:07of death.

26:09And at the end

26:10of this case,

26:10if you believe

26:12that Christopher Dontel

26:14and Megan Jackson

26:15are responsible

26:16for the murder

26:17of Gregory Rice,

26:19then there's only

26:20one verdict,

26:21and that's guilty.

26:23All right.

26:24Can I just push

26:24your back,

26:25sir?

26:26Yes, sir, Your Honor.

26:27All right.

26:27Now, please support.

26:28Yes, sir.

26:30I'll be honest with you,

26:31I thought she was going

26:31to say Dontel

26:32in there because

26:32that's what it sounded like,

26:33right?

26:34At the end of all that,

26:36that Dontel

26:36was the one in the hand.

26:38Megan Jackson

26:39had written

26:40Drake Rice off.

26:42She's done.

26:43Fifteen years.

26:44Gone.

26:44See ya.

26:45Bye.

26:45She's already done something.

26:46She didn't need

26:47to do anything

26:47with him anymore.

26:49But the deputy coroner?

26:53Don't touch me, man.

26:54I'm a deputy coroner.

26:56He's got something

26:57to lose.

26:58That's motive.

26:59We have a chance

27:01in this courtroom,

27:03these halls of justice,

27:05to show

27:07that the presumption

27:09of innocence

27:10is paramount.

27:13All right?

27:14It means that

27:15you don't convict

27:16somebody

27:17of a murder

27:18without a murder weapon.

27:19You don't convict

27:21somebody

27:22of a murder

27:23without any video

27:24of a crime

27:26or a shooting,

27:27any audio

27:28of the crime

27:30they're accusing

27:30or any 911 calls

27:32from an apartment complex

27:34of that evening

27:35with five shots.

27:37No 911 calls?

27:40Zero?

27:41Remember that

27:43she's instant

27:44until proven guilty.

27:46Look at everything.

27:50Everything.

27:52And say,

27:52presumption of innocence

27:53means something.

27:55It does.

27:57And we'll come back

27:58when I'm not guilty.

27:59The state can call

28:00your first witness.

28:01Thank you, Your Honor.

28:02The state calls

28:02Savannah Rice.

28:04The prosecution's

28:05first witness

28:06was the daughter

28:07of Megan Jackson

28:08and Greg Rice,

28:09Savannah.

28:10She called

28:10us

28:11after Christopher

28:12Dantel

28:13pleaded guilty

28:14and said

28:15she really needed

28:16to see justice

28:17for her father

28:18and she wanted

28:18to testify

28:19against her mother.

28:21How would you describe

28:22your parents' relationship?

28:24It was not great at all.

28:26There was constant fighting.

28:29They were mean

28:30to each other.

28:30They were mean

28:31to the kids.

28:32Just they didn't,

28:33they weren't compatible.

28:34You didn't hear

28:35I love you very much

28:36throughout the house.

28:38at some point

28:41did you

28:42come to know

28:43that your mother

28:44was having an affair

28:45with Christopher Dantel?

28:46Yes, but not at first.

28:48Okay.

28:49Do you,

28:49how did you find out

28:50about the affair?

28:51I had some friends over

28:53and

28:54it was quiet.

28:55We went downstairs

28:56and

28:57we heard them

28:58having sex

28:59in their bedroom

28:59and it just kept

29:00getting louder

29:01and louder

29:01and the next day

29:03I asked her

29:04and she said

29:04what I thought you knew.

29:08Did your mother

29:09ever say anything

29:10about your father

29:10between the time

29:11that he went missing

29:12and the time

29:13that they found his body?

29:16Yes.

29:17Can you just tell us

29:18about that?

29:19Take a couple deep breaths

29:20and tell us about that.

29:24She had come home

29:25drunk one night

29:26and I was in the kitchen

29:29and my sister

29:30wasn't,

29:31she was,

29:32she wasn't behaving

29:33and I pulled my mom

29:35and she started screaming

29:36and my sister was upstairs

29:38but then she looked at me

29:39and she said

29:40I hope what happened

29:41to your dad

29:42happens to your sister

29:43and I asked her

29:44what do you mean

29:45and she just

29:46wouldn't say anything.

29:49And that was before

29:50they found

29:50her father's body.

29:53It took such strength

29:55for Savannah

29:55to get up there

29:57and testify

29:57against her mother

29:58for killing her father

29:59and Megan Jackson

30:01showed absolutely

30:02no emotion

30:03during that testimony.

30:10Thank you,

30:11your honor.

30:12The state calls

30:13to Christopher Dantel.

30:24Was your case

30:26called for trial

30:27in December

30:28of last year?

30:29Yes, ma'am.

30:30What happened

30:32when it was called

30:33for trial?

30:35When it was called

30:36for trial,

30:37I, um,

30:38I planned to

30:40access the

30:40after the fact

30:41and conspiracy.

30:43Did you plead guilty

30:45to those charges

30:46because you are,

30:47in fact,

30:48guilty of those charges?

30:49Yes.

30:52At some point,

30:54did you and the defendant

30:56begin a sexual relationship?

30:58Yes.

30:58How did that begin?

31:01She said,

31:01have you ever cheated

31:02on your wife?

31:07I said,

31:07no.

31:08She said,

31:09well,

31:09you're about to.

31:12Dantel said

31:13after dinner that night

31:14at a local restaurant,

31:16Megan told him

31:16she had to go see Greg.

31:18And I saw Greg

31:20on the left side

31:20of the road

31:21walking towards us.

31:23I was stopping

31:24right next to him

31:25and she said,

31:26pull up,

31:27don't be awkward.

31:30So I said,

31:30pull up.

31:31She said,

31:31yeah,

31:31pull up.

31:32So I pulled up

31:33so that we had

31:35passed him.

31:36What happened next?

31:37She opened the door

31:42and shot it.

31:45How many shots

31:46did you hear?

31:47A lot.

31:49What did you do?

31:53I froze.

31:58Did the defendant

31:59say anything to you

32:00at that point?

32:00Yeah.

32:03She said,

32:04what are you doing?

32:05Help me, help me.

32:07Cursing at me,

32:08help me.

32:09So what did you do?

32:10She said,

32:11put him in the back

32:12of the van.

32:12So I opened

32:13the back of the van

32:14and we started

32:16treating him

32:18just as we would

32:19treat any other body.

32:22And we got in the van

32:25and I hightailed it

32:27out of there.

32:29Dantel said

32:30they stored

32:30the body

32:31overnight

32:31at the Myrtle Beach

32:32funeral home

32:33as if it were

32:34an official

32:35coroner's action.

32:36She told me

32:37that if I ever

32:40told anybody

32:41what would happen,

32:42she would kill me

32:43and that

32:44we have to be

32:47in this together.

32:49So did you agree

32:50to dispose of

32:51Craig Pye?

32:52Not at first.

32:53I heard her say,

32:54you know,

32:55do this or do that

32:57or I'm going to kill you.

32:58I had just

33:03watched her kill

33:04the father of a kid

33:04and I'm going to

33:05take it serious.

33:10So did you in fact

33:12dispose of

33:13Frank's body?

33:14I did.

33:15So I went

33:16and I just

33:18started buying

33:18things that I

33:19thought might be

33:20useful

33:21and

33:22it makes me sick

33:26to even tell

33:27this story.

33:28I'm sorry.

33:28I knew that the

33:29Petey River was

33:30out on the

33:30county line

33:31and it took

33:35about 10 seconds

33:36to put them in the

33:37water.

33:39What did you do

33:40after that?

33:41Went back to the

33:42defendant's house.

33:42Was there any

33:47conversation at that

33:48point about

33:49getting rid of

33:51had you done

33:52that?

33:53I came in

33:53and she smiled

33:55at me

33:55and said,

33:57did you do

33:57what you needed

33:58to do?

34:02I said yes

34:03and she said,

34:04good boy.

34:06I don't have

34:06any further

34:07questions at this

34:08time.

34:08I believe

34:08Tommy Burton

34:09may have some

34:10questions for you.

34:11Across the

34:11denomination.

34:12You're the kind

34:14of man that

34:16will lie and

34:17betray an own

34:17wife.

34:19Is that

34:20true?

34:21I did for a

34:22period of time,

34:23yes.

34:24Well, let's

34:25just say,

34:26how many times

34:26do you have

34:26sex with

34:27Megan Jackson?

34:28I don't know.

34:29Too many to

34:29count, right?

34:31I suppose so.

34:33You blame

34:34Megan Jackson

34:35for having

34:37oral sex

34:38for you

34:38and all that

34:39kind of

34:39thing.

34:39You blame

34:39her?

34:40I don't

34:40blame

34:41Megan Jackson

34:41for that.

34:42No,

34:42sir.

34:42I blame

34:43myself.

34:44Okay.

34:46But even

34:46after the

34:47way you

34:47described

34:47these events

34:48for that

34:50night,

34:51through

34:52your tears,

34:54you were

34:54still having

34:55sex with

34:55Megan Jackson

34:56afterwards.

35:00Correct.

35:01For a

35:01period,

35:02yes.

35:02Okay.

35:03That's adultery.

35:03You were

35:04committing

35:04adultery,

35:04right?

35:05Right.

35:06So,

35:07you're

35:07finally

35:07excited to

35:08tell the

35:08truth today,

35:09huh?

35:09I decided

35:11to tell the

35:11truth once

35:13I had

35:13protection

35:13from your

35:14client,

35:15once my

35:15family was

35:16protected

35:16from her

35:17and her

35:17threats.

35:18Your testimony

35:18is you

35:19didn't have

35:19anything to do

35:20with the

35:20shooting.

35:20You didn't

35:24know it's

35:24going to happen,

35:25right?

35:26That's correct.

35:27I did not know

35:28the shooting

35:28was going to

35:28happen.

35:29You don't expect

35:30this jury to

35:31believe that

35:33you were scared

35:34of that woman

35:34to such an

35:35extent that

35:36you wouldn't

35:37report what

35:37you consider

35:38to be and

35:39are now telling

35:39us it's her

35:40misconduct.

35:41What was the

35:45question?

35:46Are you

35:46scared?

35:47You said you

35:48did think

35:48wrong,

35:49but you scared

35:49of that woman

35:50sitting over

35:50there.

35:51Absolutely.

35:52My question

35:53is,

35:53as a county

35:54officer,

35:54why did you

35:54take matters

35:55into your own

35:56hand and

35:57report her

35:58and see that

35:59justice was

36:00served on her?

36:01I've answered

36:01this question

36:01twice already

36:02and the answer

36:03is because

36:04she told me

36:06she would

36:06kill me

36:07and I had

36:07seen her

36:08kill the

36:09father of

36:10her kids.

36:11and I

36:11believed

36:11that she

36:12would kill

36:12me as

36:13well.

36:14Nothing

36:15except your

36:16fear of

36:18that little

36:19woman there

36:19prevented you

36:21from reporting

36:23these incidents

36:24to the police.

36:26True or

36:26fault?

36:27That's

36:27true.

36:37Have you

36:38made a

36:39decision as

36:39to whether

36:40or not

36:40you wish

36:40to testify

36:41in this

36:41case?

36:42Yes,

36:42sir.

36:42Do you

36:43wish to

36:43testify

36:44in this

36:44case?

36:45No,

36:45no.

36:46And is

36:46this

36:46your

36:47decision?

36:47Yes,

36:48sir.

36:48All right.

36:49Will the

36:49defense be

36:50putting up

36:51any other

36:51witnesses

36:51or any

36:52other

36:52defense

36:53in this

36:53case?

36:55No,

36:55sir.

36:55No,

36:55sir.

36:56It kind

36:56of surprised

36:57me that

36:57she didn't

36:58testify just

36:58because I

36:59think she's

36:59enough of a

37:00narcissist

37:00to think

37:01she could

37:01have gotten

37:01away with

37:02it and

37:02garnered

37:03some sympathy.

37:03Ladies and

37:04gentlemen,

37:05the defense

37:05has rested

37:06their case

37:06and now

37:07is the

37:07time of

37:07the trial

37:08where the

37:08attorneys

37:09will make

37:09their closing

37:10arguments.

37:11All right.

37:11State wish to

37:12close.

37:13May I please

37:13the court?

37:14Yes, ma'am.

37:15This is a tale

37:17as old as time,

37:18as you were told

37:19in the infinite.

37:20It involved an

37:21affair, a

37:23pregnancy,

37:24and a murder.

37:25But there was a

37:26fourth aspect of

37:27this case that is

37:28equally as important

37:29and that's

37:30deception.

37:32The defendant

37:33was the center

37:34of the affair,

37:36certainly the

37:36pregnancy,

37:37and most

37:37definitely the

37:38murder.

37:39She began

37:40to spin her

37:41web of lies

37:42because she

37:43wanted to

37:43destroy the

37:44Dantel's

37:45marriage.

37:46But she also

37:47wanted to get

37:48rid of Greg.

37:50And so she

37:51started to

37:52frame him

37:53for revealing

37:54information about

37:56the affair.

37:57What it is up

37:58to you to

37:59decide is

38:00is the

38:01defendant

38:01guilty of

38:02the murder?

38:02Certainly,

38:03by Mr.

38:03Dantel's

38:04testimony,

38:05she is.

38:06If you

38:07have any

38:07hesitation

38:08about that,

38:10then South

38:10Carolina has

38:11hand of one,

38:12hand of all,

38:13which says

38:13that it

38:14doesn't matter.

38:16Two people

38:16can be guilty

38:17of killing

38:18another when

38:19only one of

38:20them has a

38:20gun and

38:21only one of

38:21them fires

38:21a shot.

38:23The defendant

38:23is the only

38:24one who

38:25benefited from

38:26Greg's murder.

38:27It is your

38:28job to

38:29end the

38:30defendant's

38:31continued

38:31deception

38:32and speak

38:33the truth

38:34and convictor

38:35of murder.

38:37good morning.

38:50What you're

38:51looking for in

38:51this case is a

38:52reason to

38:53hesitate.

38:54And in this

38:55case, there are

38:57many reasons to

38:59hesitate.

39:00How about the

39:00first one?

39:01every word that

39:03was just

39:04uttered to

39:04you would

39:05have been

39:06used in a

39:07trial to

39:08try to

39:09convict

39:09Chris

39:10Don

39:11Tell of

39:12murder.

39:13Now all of

39:13a sudden he's

39:14an eyewitness

39:14to it?

39:15If that

39:16doesn't give you

39:17a reason to

39:17hesitate, I

39:18don't know

39:18what else

39:18could.

39:19He's about

39:19himself.

39:21That's the

39:21reason he's

39:21pushing Megan

39:22and that's the

39:24reason he killed

39:24Greg Rice because

39:25he is about

39:26himself.

39:27you can piece

39:29it all together

39:29but when you

39:31get right down

39:31to it, you're

39:32always going to

39:32have to come

39:33back to

39:34trusting Chris

39:35Don Tell.

39:36And that's the

39:36one thing the

39:37state didn't want

39:38you to have to

39:38do, but they

39:39could never get

39:40around that.

39:42He sat up

39:43here and told

39:44you he disposed

39:44the body in

39:45some kind of

39:45favor?

39:46You ain't

39:46buying that.

39:48You can't.

39:50You know

39:50what?

39:50He did a lot.

39:51I called him

39:51Chris Don't

39:52Tell, full of

39:53lies and cries.

39:54I'll tell you

39:55what he wasn't

39:55trying.

39:55He wasn't

39:56trying when

39:57he was

39:57chopping, just

40:00grabbing cinder

40:00blocks and

40:01tarts.

40:03But you

40:03just ask

40:03yourself at

40:03the end

40:04of the day,

40:04do you

40:04trust Chris

40:05Don't Tell?

40:06Because the

40:06only way you

40:06can predict

40:07her is if

40:08you trust

40:08that man.

40:09I don't

40:09think you

40:09can.

40:13The jury

40:13was out for

40:14about an

40:14hour and a

40:14half or two

40:15hours, so

40:15relatively

40:16quick verdict.

40:19I understand

40:19the jury's

40:20reached a

40:20verdict, is

40:21that correct?

40:22I ask

40:23the clerk if

40:24you would

40:24please

40:25close to

40:25her.

40:27The state

40:27of South

40:28Carolina

40:28County of

40:29O'Ree

40:29versus

40:30Megan

40:30Marie

40:31Jackson

40:31as to

40:32the charge

40:32of murder

40:33will the jury

40:34by unanimous

40:35consent find this

40:36defendant

40:36guilty.

40:43That was the

40:45one time she

40:45showed emotion.

40:46It was kind

40:46of like, oh

40:46God, I got

40:47caught, they

40:49realized what I

40:49did, so she

40:50finally showed

40:51emotion.

40:51Chris

40:53Donnell was

40:54sentenced to

40:5420 years in

40:55prison, and

40:56Megan Jackson

40:57faced between

40:5750 years and

40:59life.

41:00Jackson, anything

41:01you want to say?

41:02Does anybody

41:03want to speak on

41:03your behalf?

41:04your honor, she

41:08wishes

41:08her to speak.

41:09All right.

41:11Your honor, I

41:11can have

41:12Miss Savannah

41:12rice come off.

41:14But Savannah

41:15couldn't do it.

41:20Your honor, she's

41:21understandably

41:22emotional.

41:22She says, this

41:24crime has torn

41:25apart my family,

41:26others' families,

41:27and friends beyond

41:28any measure.

41:29Not only from the

41:30loss of my father,

41:31but the loss of a

41:32mother, too.

41:33The loss of our

41:34lives.

41:35We have been

41:35waiting so many

41:36years for just a

41:37bit of closure, and

41:38this is it.

41:39I finally got to

41:39say what has been

41:40sitting in my brain

41:41the last four and

41:42a half years.

41:43It was a relief

41:44finally being able

41:45to tell the truth,

41:46and it goes

41:46towards a cost.

41:48I believe that

41:4950 years to life

41:49would be a

41:50sufficient amount

41:50of time.

41:51I thank you for

41:52your time, for

41:52listening to what

41:53I had to say.

41:58Your honor, the

41:59state is asking

41:59for the maximum

42:00term of life

42:00imprisonment.

42:01We believe that

42:02there is clear

42:02evidence that this

42:03defendant not only

42:05plotted and planned

42:06this murder, but

42:07also tried to

42:08frame the victim

42:09for things that

42:11she was doing.

42:12We believe that

42:13there is nothing

42:13short of life

42:14imprisonment

42:14that would

42:15address this

42:16crime.

42:18All right,

42:19Ms. Jackson,

42:19you have been

42:20filed real to

42:21be a murder

42:21by a jury

42:22of your peers.

42:23A sentence

42:23of the court

42:24I root

42:25it to say.

42:26A sentence

42:27of the court

42:27would let you

42:28be committed

42:29to the Department

42:30of Corrections

42:30for the remainder

42:32of your life.

42:33Life in prison,

42:34and that's no

42:35parole in South

42:36Carolina.

42:36She will be in

42:37prison until the

42:38day that she dies.

42:41Justice has been

42:42done, but you

42:44can never fully

42:45achieve justice

42:46for someone who's

42:47been killed.

42:47He was robbed

42:48of his life

42:50with his

42:50children, who

42:51he loved.

42:52He was so

42:53devoted to them,

42:54and you certainly

42:55can't achieve justice

42:56for those four

42:56children.

42:57They lost both

42:58parents in the

42:59worst possible

42:59way.

43:00The End

43:01had the last

43:02интер sequences

43:03being killed.

43:07Three...

43:08Two...

43:11Two followed

43:17One...

43:19Flour...

43:20Two...

43:21Two...

43:23Two...

43:24Two...

43:25Two...

43:26Two...

43:27Two...

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