In a quiet corner of Nottinghamshire, the disappearance of Brian Wright, a well-respected 82-year-old farmer and churchwarden, has ended in profound tragedy. Over the past week, the villages of Langford and Winthorpe have been gripped by shock and sadness as the details of a suspected murder-suicide involving Brian Wright and his eldest son, Charles, have come to light.
Brian Wright was reported missing from his home in Langford, near Newark, on Thursday, November 20, 2025. According to multiple reports from BBC News, Nottinghamshire Live, and The Mirror, concern for his wellbeing quickly mounted, prompting Nottinghamshire Police to launch a large-scale search. The urgency was palpable in the community, where Brian was known not only as a farmer at Hall Farm—a property managed by his father before him—but also as a churchwarden at St Bartholomew’s Church and a member of the Winthorpe with Langford Parish Council.
Just two days after Brian’s disappearance, on Saturday, November 22, police were called to a farm off the A1133 in Langford. There, they discovered the body of a 52-year-old man in an outbuilding. As reported by BBC News, the deceased was locally identified as Charles Wright, Brian’s eldest son, who lived in the neighbouring village of Winthorpe. Although formal identification was still pending as of Wednesday, police quickly established a link between Charles’s death and Brian’s disappearance.
In a statement released to the media, Detective Chief Inspector Ruby Burrow of Nottinghamshire Police described the situation as “clearly a deeply tragic case.” She emphasized, “We are continuing to support family members at this extremely difficult time. We again ask the media and public to respect their privacy as they come to terms with recent events.” She also extended her gratitude to the public and the search teams: “I would like to thank everyone who shared our appeals to locate Brian since he went missing, as well as our search teams for their professionalism and dedication over the last few days.”
The investigation took another heartbreaking turn on Tuesday, November 25, when officers discovered a second body in a field near Danethorpe Lane. Recovery operations concluded the following day. While formal identification and post-mortem examinations are still to be completed, police have informed Brian Wright’s next-of-kin and are supporting them with specially trained officers, as reported by Nottinghamshire Live.
Authorities have made it clear that they are not seeking anyone else in connection with these deaths. The case is being treated as a suspected murder-suicide, with detectives drawing direct links between the two fatalities. In addition, police confirmed they are not investigating any connection to a separate incident on Gainsborough Road, Winthorpe—where, shortly after 10:00 am on Saturday, November 22, two men were struck by a car. According to Daily Mail, Charles Wright is thought to have driven his car into his brother James and another man during this incident, though both men escaped with minor injuries.
The timeline of events, as pieced together from the official police statements and corroborated by local news outlets, is both swift and devastating. Brian Wright vanished on Thursday. By Saturday morning, police, acting on new intelligence, deployed search teams to Langford. That same day, Charles’s body was found. Four days later, Brian’s body was recovered in a field, with recovery efforts completed on Wednesday, November 26.
While the motive remains unclear, the sequence of events suggests a family tragedy with deep roots. James Wright, Brian’s other son, reportedly told neighbors that his father’s disappearance was “totally out of character” and that it had followed an argument with Charles. This brief insight, reported by Daily Mail, hints at tensions within the family, though authorities have not elaborated further and have urged the public to avoid speculation out of respect for the grieving family.
Brian Wright was a fixture in Langford village life. His farmhouse, Hall Farm, was a generational home, with Brian, his wife Judith, and their middle son all living there together. Local residents described Brian as a familiar face and a pillar of the community. One resident told Nottinghamshire Live, “I knew of Brian but I didn’t really know him. We always see [another son] running through the village.” Such comments underscore the impact his loss will have on the tightly-knit village, where everyone knows everyone else and the rhythms of daily life are closely intertwined.
Charles, too, was a known figure, residing in nearby Winthorpe. While less is known publicly about his personal life, the events of the past week have cast a long shadow over both villages. A lifelong friend of Brian’s confirmed to Nottinghamshire Live that Brian had three sons, including Charles, and that the family had deep roots in the area.
As the police investigation continues, formal identification and post-mortem examinations will be carried out “in due course,” with a file prepared for the coroner. For now, the official line from Nottinghamshire Police is that no further suspects are being sought and that the deaths are believed to be contained within the family, with no wider threat to the public.
The events have prompted an outpouring of sympathy for the Wright family and the wider community. The police have reiterated the importance of respecting the privacy of those affected, while also reminding the public of the support available for anyone struggling with the emotional impact of such tragedies. Organizations like the Samaritans remain available for those in need of someone to talk to, offering a 24-hour helpline and other support services.
As Langford and Winthorpe come to terms with these losses, the story serves as a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and the hidden struggles that can exist even in the most familiar of places. The investigation may soon provide answers to some of the lingering questions, but for now, the villages mourn the loss of a father, a son, and a sense of peace that will take time to restore.
