Attorneys: Amputee cornhole pro Webber fired gun in self-defense

LA PLATA, Md. – Dayton Webber, the quadruple amputee cornhole player accused of murder, intends to argue that he acted in self-defense when he shot a passenger in his vehicle last week, his attorneys said during a court hearing Wednesday.

Webber, a former professional in the American Cornhole League, was accused of shooting Brad Wells while they were traveling in Webber’s vehicle outside La Plata, Maryland on March 22. The two men got into a verbal argument before the shooting, other passengers in the vehicle told police. Webber’s lawyers argued it was a “clear case of self-defense.”

“Dayton Webber is not guilty,” said Hammad S. Matin, one of his lawyers. “Dayton was terrified of being killed. Dayton knew he had to shoot or be killed.”

Webber’s lawyers raised the notion of self-defense during a bond hearing for their client in Charles County District Court – the first since Webber was extradited from Virginia earlier this week. He appeared remotely, wearing an orange jumpsuit, as he was shown on a video monitor in the courtroom.

Although Matin argued that Webber would not present a flight risk or pose a risk to the community, Charles County District Court Judge Patrick Divine ultimately sided with State’s Attorney Karen Piper Mitchell and ordered that he continue to be held without bail.

Piper Mitchell noted that Webber could pose a flight risk because he was arrested across state lines in Charlottesville, Virginia, after allegedly shooting Wells in Maryland. She said he owned several guns and was known to fire them from a second-story window of his home.

“There remains a danger,” Piper Mitchell said during the hearing.

Piper Mitchell hesitated when asked at a news conference outside the courthouse about the self-defense allegations. “Defense must represent its client in the best possible way,” she said.

The hearing brought new details to a case that has made national headlines over the past week.

Piper Mitchell told the court that Webber and Wells “had been arguing for some time” before the alleged shooting, and that the argument revolved around Wells’ ongoing friendship with a person who Webber said stole guns from him.

She also said police found a gun in the car matching the murder weapon as well as a box matching the gun at Webber’s home. Webber’s attorneys did not discuss the discovery of the gun during the bond hearing, but said their client was a legal gun owner and had a concealed carry permit.

Lawyers for Piper Mitchell and Webber referenced an argument between Webber and Wells in 2024, when Webber allegedly ordered Wells off his property. Piper Mitchell said Webber allegedly fired a shot in the direction of Wells as he was leaving. Webber’s lawyers said their client fired one shot into the air. No charges have been filed.

Webber’s lawyers said Wells threatened Webber at the time and had a “history of violence.” Anita Stewart Murchison, Wells’ mother, questioned the lawyers’ claims and told ESPN that Wells was not a violent person, describing him as gentle and shy. She said she was “relieved” by the judge’s decision.

The two passengers in the backseat of the car during the shooting told police that Webber asked them to remove Wells’ body from the car, but they refused and fled. Asked about that claim, Webber’s lawyers said there was “no evidence” that witnesses were asked to “alter evidence, to lie, to cover anything up.”

Piper Mitchell said the police investigation is ongoing and the state’s attorney’s office would not identify the passengers by name at this time.

Wells’ body was found in the yard of a home about 10 miles from where police believe the shooting took place, while Webber was located at a Charlottesville hospital. Matin told the court that Webber called him from the hospital, where he was suffering from anxiety and having a panic attack.

Police also found Webber’s white Tesla at a nearby gas station, and Piper Mitchell said the vehicle only had enough battery left to go 40 miles.

So far, police have obtained a search warrant for the USB drive in Webber’s car to “preserve any video evidence” of the alleged crimes captured by the Tesla’s multiple exterior cameras, according to Virginia court records. They also examined Webber’s clothing and took DNA samples from his arms, according to a copy of the search warrant obtained by ESPN.

Webber, 27, is a lifelong resident of La Plata and listed in court records his occupation as “motivational speaker.”

In a 2023 profile, Webber’s parents told ESPN that his arms and legs were amputated when he was 10 months old to save his life after he contracted a blood infection that led to sepsis. He then became a professional cornhole player for at least two years, while being crowned the best cornhole player in Maryland in 2020. He last appeared in the ACL rankings during the 2023-24 season.

In a statement Tuesday, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office acknowledged Webber’s “specific medical and mobility needs” as a quadruple amputee. Piper Mitchell said the Charles County Detention Center already has accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Webber could make additional requests if necessary.

Webber’s next court appearance is scheduled for May 6.