Exclusive:Butcher who "neatly severed" man's body and hid remains in barrel found guilty
Gasps and cheers rang out from the public gallery as the verdict was read out
An ex-butcher who chopped up his former lodger’s body and hid it in a barrel on a farm has been found guilty of murder.
The jury in the “body in the barrel” murder trial returned their verdicts after three days of deliberations.
Richard Dyson was 55-years-old when he was last seen in November 2019, when he failed to appear for a meet up with his daughter, Bethany.
A missing persons investigation was subsequently launched, and the search for Mr Dyson continued for several years, until July 14, 2025, when human remains were discovered on Broadcarr Road, Barnsley.
The remains, which had been “neatly severed” were confirmed to be those of Mr Dyson.
Former butcher Christopher Wright, now aged 73, of Sheffield Road, Hoyland, Barnsley, was charged with Mr Dyson’s murder, which he denied.
Wright has been on trial at Sheffield Crown Court since June 15, 2026, and the jury was sent out to consider its verdicts at 1.39pm on Thursday (July 23, 2026).
The jury returned a unanimous verdict, finding Wright guilty of Mr Dyson’s murder.
Gasps and cheers rang out from the public gallery as the verdict was read out, following 12 hours and 30 minutes of deliberations.
They also found him guilty of additional charges including conspiring to pervert the course of justice, preventing a lawful burial and weapon offences including possessing prohibited firearms, possessing firearms including a shotgun and ammunition without certificates.
Wright’s best friend and co-accused, Karl Schwalbe, aged 72, has been on trial alongside him, also accused of conspiring to pervert the course of justice.
Prosecutors alleged Schwalbe, of Dike Hill, Harley, Rotherham assisted Wright with disposing of Mr Dyson’s body.
The jury found him unanimously guilty of conspiring to pervert the course of justice.
The judge, Mr Justice Cotter KC, adjourned the case until next week, when the two defendants will be sentenced.
Evidence heard during the trial
Mr Dyson’s “neatly severed” remains were found inside a barrel filled with concrete, which was located on a trailer on farmland near to Wright’s property in July 2025.
The court heard Wright formerly worked as a butcher, but hadn’t been in that profession for around 40 years.
Opening the case against Wright, prosecutor Peter Moulson KC said Wright is alleged to have murdered Mr Dyson on the evening of November 17, 2019.
Moving to the possible motive for Mr Dyson’s murder, Mr Moulson told the jury of seven men and five women it may emerge that Mr Dyson had stolen some firearms from Wright and sold them on.
“It may be that Mr Wright would have been very angry about such thefts, and it may be that Mr Wright’s motive for the murder of Mr Dyson arose out of those thefts,” Mr Moulson said.
He told Sheffield Crown Court that for several years prior to his death, Mr Dyson had been living and sleeping in one of his three vehicles which were parked at Wright’s home address.
“Mr Dyson had lived in that way for several years,” Mr Moulson told the jury, adding: “You might ultimately conclude that Mr Dyson bit the hand that fed or helped him, and thereafter was made to pay the ultimate price with his life.”
“The trailer had within it a name badge with Chris Wright written on it,” Mr Moulson said, in reference to the trailer within which the barrel containing Mr Dyson’s remains were discovered.
He added: “Further examination of the skeleton revealed that Mr Dyson had been shot, possibly more than once.”
In his evidence to the jury, Wright denied shooting and killing Mr Dyson, said he was not angry with him and, as far as he was aware, Mr Dyson had “never” stolen anything from him.
Wright also denied embarking on a “course of conduct” to conceal killing Mr Dyson, and said he did not recruit his best friend, and co-accused, Karl Schwalbe, to assist him with disposing of Mr Dyson’s body.
Wright said the last time he saw Mr Dyson was as he was leaving to go to a shop on November 17, 2019.
And shortly before that he helped Mr Dyson get his starter motor to work.
During his evidence, Schwalbe, aged 72, denied going to Wright’s home on the night the murder is alleged to have taken place, and said he was at “home in bed.”