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Texas man pleads guilty to killing landlord, burying in yard

Posted at 9:38 PM, Jan 24, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-24 22:38:45-05

DALLAS (AP) - A Dallas man accused of killing his landlord, entombing him in a concrete slab in the backyard and then posing as the victim to sell the house has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Court records show 46-year-old Christopher Colbert pleaded guilty Tuesday to murder in the death of 57-year-old Ronald Shumway. He also pleaded guilty to theft, tampering with a government record, securing execution of a document by deception and money laundering.

Theft and murder carried sentences of 25 years in prison, while the others carried 20-year sentences. A Dallas County district attorney's office spokeswoman says the sentences will run concurrently.

Officials said Colbert strangled Shumway in April 2015. A new homeowner found the body in September 2015.

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