Pro cornhole player with no arms or legs facing murder charges after ‘shooting passenger in car,’ cops say
A professional cornhole player and quadruple amputee has been arrested for allegedly shooting and killing another man during an argument on Sunday in Maryland.
Police say 27-year-old Dayton James Webber was in his Tesla SUV when he shot and killed his passenger, 27-year-old Bradrick Michael Wells, during an argument in La Plata.
Webber allegedly pulled over and asked two backseat passengers to help him remove Wells from the car, but they refused and fled before calling police. All occupants of the car were known to each other, according to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities say Webber fled the scene with Wells still in his car. The body was later found in a yard on Newport Church Road in Charlotte Hall, Maryland.
While Wells was pronounced dead at the scene, Webber was ultimately located by police at a hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia and is now awaiting extradition to Charles County, Maryland on first- and second-degree murder charges.
Police have yet to explain how Webber, who has no limbs, was able to fire his weapon or ditch the body. There are online videos purportedly showing Webber using a handgun.
Maryland police say 27-year-old Dayton James Webber (pictured) was in his Tesla SUV when he shot and killed his passenger, 27-year-old Bradrick Michael Wells, in La Plata
Dayton Webber is an avid outdoorsman, in addition to being a professional cornhole player
Dayton Webber, 27, is able to compete in cornhole by holding the bag between his arms
Webber was diagnosed with a bacterial infection as a child that ultimately led to sepsis
‘It’s early in the investigation, but there’s no evidence to suggest anyone else was involved in the shooting and that he acted alone,’ Charles County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Diane Richardson said, as quoted by Fox5DC.com.
Webber reportedly became a quadruple amputee as a baby due to a blood infection that ultimately led to sepsis.
‘They suggested he be baptized and given his last rights,’ Webber’s mother, Natalie, told ESPN in 2023. ‘That just didn’t enter my thoughts that I was going to lose him.’
Ultimately, his arms were amputated just above the elbow, giving him the ability to pin objects between his upper arms. It’s this trait that allowed him to become a competitive cornhole player, ultimately joining the American Cornhole League in 2023.
Dayton Webber, 27, has been the subject of several ESPN profiles following his amputations
Dayton Webber, now 27, said his passion for cornhole began when he was about 8
‘At first, it took me a little while to get it there to the board consistently,’ he told ESPN of his cornhole obsession, which began at age 8. ‘I was able to compensate the grip on the bag by just grabbing the corner of it with me propelling myself forward.
‘It’s something I’ve been doing my whole life, is overcoming things that people didn’t think I can do.’
Interestingly, this was the second piece ESPN did on Webber. As a 12-year-old wrestler in Maryland, he was featured in an ESPN.com article.
‘I like wrestling better than any other sport,’ he told ESPN.com. ‘I like using my strength and being fit. And I don’t have to rely on other people to do stuff for me like you do in football. Sometimes when I watch my teammates in certain situations I wish I had hands, but I just try to do things my own way.’
The American Cornhole League has released a statement in response to the arrest.
‘The ACL is aware of the reports regarding allegations involving Dayton Webber,’ the statement began. ‘This is an extremely serious matter and our thoughts are with all those impacted, including the family and loved ones of Bradrick Michael Wells.
‘At this time, this remains an active legal situation. We respect the judicial process and will not comment on specific allegations or details while proceedings are ongoing.’