Killer, 73, hides man's body in barrel filled with concrete after 'brutal' murder

A pensioner who hid the body of a man in a barrel filled with concrete has been found guilty of murder. Christopher Wright, 73, was convicted at Sheffield Crown Court on Tuesday (July 28) for murdering 55-year-old Richard Dyson, who disappeared in November 2019.

Mr Dyson had been living in vehicles on land in Barnsley owned by Wright. He was reported missing by his daughter, Bethany, on November 25, 2019, after he failed to show up for their regular Sunday afternoon get togethers. His body was found at a farm six years later.

Karl Schwalbe, 72, a childhood friend of Wright's, was also convicted of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice after helping his pal conceal his vicious crime.

Det Ch Insp Andy Knowles said: "Richard’s family and loved ones have endured an unimaginable wait for answers and clarity and my thoughts remain with them.

"No one deserves to lose their lives at the hands of someone else and the impact of this tragedy has been felt by those who loved him every single day."

He added: "Throughout this long investigation, Bethany and Richard’s wider family have shown extraordinary strength by attending court every day and listening to heart-breaking evidence, testimonies and defence.

"No verdict can erase what they have been through, but I hope it brings them a measure of clarity and the first steps towards healing. They have carried a burden no family should ever have to bear."

The disappearance of Mr Dyson was originally treated by police as a missing persons case. The last known call made from his phone was on November 17, 2019.

Detectives interviewed Wright and Schwalbe in the months after Mr Dyson disappeared, but they both denied any knowledge of what happened to him.

A fresh review of mobile phone evidence in July last year revealed Wright had called the owner of Alderthwaite Farm three days after Dyson was last known to be alive.

In a written diary entry, the farm’s owner confirmed Wright had asked to leave a trailer at the farm for a few days. But he never came back to collect it.

When police visited Alderthwaite Farm in July 2025, they discovered a blue plastic barrel filled with concrete.

Inside they found human remains from which forensic experts were able to match DNA to Mr Dyson. A name badge bearing Wright’s name was also found in the trailer.

Analysis of firearms and ammunition recovered from Wright’s home matched them to the type used to kill Mr Dyson.

Prosecutors also charged Wright with firearms offences after it emerged his gun licence had been revoked in 2016.

Bank transactions made at a building supplies shop in the days after Mr Dyson was murdered helped lead police to Wright.

Telephone records shared with jurors showed Wright made two, late-night calls to Schwalbe on the night Mr Dyson died.

CCTV footage showed Schwalbe's Toyota Hilux heading to Wright's home and leaving about an hour later.

Both men claimed they could not remember the meeting, but their lies were exposed by conversations recorded after police interviews in 2021.

The Crown Prosecution Service said it proved to jurors that Wright sought help from the man he trusted most and Schwalbe helped cover up his crimes.

Jamie Barton, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS Yorkshire and Humberside, said: "Wright brutally murdered Richard Dyson, and then enlisted his lifelong friend to help cover his tracks.

"Schwalbe may not have pulled the trigger, but his lies and actions were part of a deliberate attempt to stop justice ever being delivered.

"This was a complex case, which relied on a combination of phone records, CCTV, forensic science, firearms evidence and covert recordings to prove to the jury what Wright and Schwalbe had tried so hard to conceal."

Wright, of Sheffield Road, Barnsley, was convicted of a string of offences, including murder, preventing a lawful burial and possessing a prohibited weapon.

Schwalbe, of Dike Hill, Rotherham, was convicted of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

The pair are due to be sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on August 6.