Richard Dyson, Second-Degree Murder, District of Columbia 2025

Body Found in Mall Dumpster Leads to 24-Year Sentence

A gruesome discovery in a Washington D.C. mall dumpster has led to a 24-year prison sentence for a local man.

Richard Dyson, 58, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced to 24 years in prison for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Donnella Bryan, 62.

Bryan’s body was found in a Hechinger Mall dumpster in Northeast Washington D.C. on April 19, 2025, just one day before Easter Sunday.

According to the government’s evidence, Dyson murdered Bryan by striking her in the head and suffocating her with a sock at the Press House Apartments in Northeast on April 15, 2025.

Dyson then purchased a large container from Home Depot, and with the help of an accomplice, disposed of Bryan’s body into the dumpster.

Law enforcement arrested Dyson on June 11, 2025, and he has been in custody ever since. Dyson pleaded guilty in Superior Court in October 2025 to one count of second-degree murder.

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Grazy Rivera, Victim/Witness Advocate Karina Hernandez, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Cocuzza, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

A 24-year sentence is a testament to the dedication of law enforcement and the justice system to seeking justice for victims of violent crime.

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