A man who concealed his victim's body in a concrete-filled barrel has been convicted of murder following a six-year cover-up.

Christopher Wright, 73, was found guilty at Sheffield Crown Court today of the murder of 55-year-old Richard Dyson, who disappeared in November 2019.

Mr Dyson, who had been living on Wright’s land in Barnsley, was reported missing by his daughter on 25 November 2019. A missing person’s enquiry became a murder investigation when police found his body concealed in a trailer at a nearby farm six years later.

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

The Crown Prosecution Service, working closely with South Yorkshire Police, built a detailed case based on phone records, CCTV, forensics and covert recordings to expose the two men’s guilt to the jury.

Both men will be sentenced at a later date.

Building the case

The last call from Richard Dyson’s phone was made on 17 November 2019, with the investigation into his whereabouts initially treated as a missing person’s enquiry. He had been living in vehicles at Christopher Wright’s property at the time, as he had been for several years.

Both Wright and his long-term friend Karl Schwalbe were interviewed by police in the months after his disappearance but denied any knowledge of what had happened.

In July 2025, a fresh review of mobile evidence uncovered that Wright had phoned the owner of nearby Alderthwaite Farm three days after Dyson was last known to be alive. A written diary entry kept by the farm’s owner confirmed Wright had asked to leave a trailer at the farm for a few days. He never returned to collect it.

When police attended Alderthwaite Farm in July 2025, they discovered a blue plastic barrel filled with concrete hiding human remains. Forensic experts were able to confirm the DNA as matching Richard Dyson’s. A name badge bearing Wright’s name was also found in the trailer.

The CPS worked closely with police to build the case following the discovery of Mr Dyson’s body. This included directing further enquiries into Wright’s extensive firearms collection. Expert analysis of firearms and ammunition recovered from Wright’s home address found them to match the type used to cause the death of Mr Dyson. The prosecution were also able to charge Wright with multiple firearms offences, as it was discovered his licence to own them had been revoked in 2016.

The case was further strengthened by detailed evidence surrounding Wright’s attendance at Alderthwaite Farm and bank card data showing Wright had purchased materials from a local building supplies shop in the days between Mr Dyson’s murder and his visit to Alderthwaite Farm.

Prosecutors were also able to evidence Karl Schwalbe’s involvement by showing telephone records to the jury of two late-night calls made by Wright to his childhood friend on the night of Mr Dyson’s death. CCTV footage also showed Schwalbe’s Toyota Hilux travelling towards Wright’s address and leaving around an hour later.

Both men denied any recollection of that meeting, but covertly recorded conversations captured after police interviews in 2021 exposed their lies. The CPS was able to demonstrate to the jury that Wright sought help from the person he trusted most, and that Schwalbe then assisted him in covering up his crimes.

Jamie Barton, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS Yorkshire and Humberside, said: “For six years, Richard Dyson’s loved ones were left without any answers about what had happened to him.

“Despite Christopher Wright’s persistent attempts to thwart police investigations and cover up his crimes, we were able to work with South Yorkshire Police to gather evidence and present it in court to expose his guilt.

“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.

“The CPS worked closely with police to bring that evidence together and show the jury how events before and after Mr Dyson’s disappearance fitted together.

“I am pleased that both men have finally been held accountable for their roles in Richard Dyson’s death and the years-long cover-up that followed. Our thoughts remain with Mr Dyson’s family.”

Leading the work on the investigation, Detective Chief Inspector 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.

“Throughout this long investigation, Bethany and Richard’s wider family have shown extraordinary strength by attending court every day and listening to heartbreaking 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.

“Today, we remember Richard.”