Professional cornhole player, quadruple amputee faces murder charges in Maryland

UNITED STATES, March 24 — A professional cornhole player who's also a quadruple amputee is facing murder charges after a deadly shooting in Charles County, Maryland, over the weekend. Dayton James Webber, 27, was behind the wheel of a car in La Plata when he allegedly shot and killed a friend during an argument Sunday night before dumping the victim's body and fleeing to Virginia, authorities say.

The Charles County Sheriff's Office confirmed to News4 the suspect is professional cornhole player Dayton Webber. Since he was 10 months old, he's been a quadruple amputee with a passion for sports. Webber has been well-known for his athletic accomplishments. In fact, News4 profiled him when he was 11 years old, after hearing how his physical disability had not gotten in the way of his desire to wrestle, play video games, ride dirt bikes and play football. As an adult, Webber became a champion cornhole player. In 2023, he wrote an essay for NBC's TODAY, sharing what it took to go from an amateur to professional competitor .

But now Webber, of La Plata, is in custody in Virginia as he awaits extradition.

Late Sunday night, back-seat passengers from Webber's car told authorities that Webber shot and killed his front-seat passenger during an argument.

"The incident occurred about 10:30 last night," Diane Richardson of the Charles County Sheriff's Office said Monday. "The suspect and three other people were in a car. They were traveling on Radio Station Road when apparently the driver and the front seat passenger were involved in some kind of an argument. We're not sure why. Based on information we received, the driver, who is Mr. Webber, shot the front-seat passenger."

Webber then pulled over in the area of Radio Station Road and Llano Drive, where he asked his two back-seat passengers to help pull the victim out of the car, the sheriff's office said. The other passengers say they refused and got out of the car. Webber then fled with the body of the victim still in the car, according to the sheriff's office. The other passengers flagged down La Plata police officers.

Everyone in the car knew each other before the shooting, the sheriff's office said.

Officers searched the area, but nearly two hours later, a resident in the 10000 block of Newport Church Road in Charlotte Hall, Maryland, called 911 to report there was a body in their yard. Officers responded and found the body of the victim from Webber's car, the sheriff's office said. The victim has been identified as 27-year-old Bradrick Michael Wells, of Waldorf. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Later that night, investigators got a call from authorities in Charlottesville, Virginia — more than 100 miles from where the victim was found — saying Webber's car had been recovered there and Webber was in a hospital.

Webber was found at a hospital seeking treatment for a medical issue, the sheriff's office said. Albemarle County officers arrested him after he was released from the hospital in Virginia. He now is awaiting extradition to Charles County, Maryland, where he will be charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder and other related charges, the sheriff's office said.

It wasn't immediately clear whether he has an attorney.

News4 is attempting to reach the family of Bradrick Wells, the victim in the shooting.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with additional information about the case is asked to call Det. R. Johnson at 301-609-6453. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous call Charles County Crime Solvers at 866-411-TIPS or submit a tip online at charlescountycrimesolvers.com .

In his essay on TODAY.com, Webber wrote in 2023 that he'd become a professional cornhole player two years earlier, after playing for years. "I went from overcoming a serious blood infection and undergoing a quadruple amputation as a baby to becoming a professional athlete as an adult," he wrote.

On Instagram, the American Cornhole League issued a statement saying it was aware of the allegations against Webber and their thoughts are with those affected.