Shivangi Sinha
In June 2025, Savannah Rice testified against her mother, Meagan Jackson, in the trial for the murder of her father, Greg Rice. She spoke with clarity and conviction, sharing the profound pain of losing her father and the impact it had on her life. Savannah also shed light on her parents’ troubled marriage, emphasizing how important it was for her to speak out. ABC’s ’20/20: Driven to Death’ highlights Savannah’s perspective, offering insight into her childhood experiences and helping viewers better understand both the perpetrator and the circumstances surrounding the crime.
Savannah Rice Alleged There Was Infidelity in Her Parents’ Relationship
Savannah Rice grew up in what appeared to be a loving home. Her parents, Greg Rice and Meagan Jackson, had built a life in Conway, South Carolina, with her three siblings, Dakota, Madison, and Blake. However, things were not as perfect as they appeared. In a later testimony, Savannah shared that her parents’ relationship was troubled. She alleged she was about nine when one of her parents had an affair and added, “They were mean to each other. They were mean to the kids. I didn’t hear them say, ‘I love you,’ very often.” In December 2019, when her parents separated, Savannah moved in with her mother. She noted that the house was just a few doors down from Christopher Dontell’s, and she ended up meeting his family inadvertently.
Savannah testified that she once brought some friends over to the house when she overheard Meagan and Christopher in one of the rooms, realizing then that her mother was having an affair. She said she confronted her mother, who admitted to seeing Christopher at the time. Savannah also mentioned that her siblings sometimes stayed with Christopher. In early October, when he didn’t arrive as he normally did, she began to wonder about his whereabouts. On October 5, 2020, Meagan called Savannah, saying she could not find Rice, and Savannah recalled that her mother sounded very “frantic.”
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Savannah Rice Testified Against Her Mother at Her Trial
Savannah Rice was the only sibling to testify during Meagan Jackson’s trial in June 2025. The then-19-year-old provided insight into her parents’ relationship and described Meagan’s behavior after Rice went missing. She said that her father was an extremely kind man who had always been involved with them. Savannah alleged that on one occasion, after the incident, Meagan came home intoxicated and became angry over something one of the children had done.
Savannah alleged that her mother had remarked that she hoped what had happened to their father would happen to them. She said she found this deeply suspicious, as Rice was still missing and his remains had not yet been found. She also attended Christopher Dontell’s sentencing, urging the judge to impose the harshest punishment, during which Dontell even apologized to her. Savannah has stayed out of the public eye since, understandably, taking time to process such a traumatic experience.
