A pro cornholer and quadruple amputee has been charged with the murder of his friend.
Dayton Webber, 27, was arrested in March, accused of the shooting of his long-time friend Bradrick Wells, also 27, in his Tesla following an argument.
On Monday, officials said he was charged with first-degree murder following an indictment by a grand jury, including two counts of gun possession charges and two counts of reckless endangerment filed in Charles County Circuit Court, Maryland.
According to The Washington Post, citing his lawyer, Webber had been acting in self-defense.
“It’s a situation where the occupants of that car, to include Mr. Webber, are terrified of Mr. Wells,” claimed one of Webber’s attorneys, Hammad Matin. “He was about to be killed and he had to kill.”
Speaking to ABC 7 WJLA, he conceded his client had killed Webber and then reiterated the same message: “100 percent this is a self-defense case. He was about to be killed. He had to kill or be killed.”
In a follow-up statement on Monday, Webber’s attorneys claimed that Wells had threatened to shoot him.
The statement also noted: “Dayton was terrified of being murdered… Dayton did what the law allows.”
Charles County deputy state attorney Karen Piper Mitchell said there was no question about Webber having shot Wells, but that the question they were interested in was why.
“One thing that the defense and the state agreed at the bond hearing… is that this is not a question of who,” she said Monday at a news conference. “Both parties agree that Dayton Webber shot Bradrick Wells. As to the why, that’s where we’re in dispute.”
According to police, Webber shot Wells in Charles County while there were two other people in the car.
The pair allegedly exited the vehicle after the shooting, and Webber drove off with Wells’ remains. They reported the incident to the police.
Police are understood to have later found Webber at a hospital in Virginia.
Wells was allegedly found with two gunshot wounds in Charlotte Hall, Maryland, hours later.
Wells’ mother, Anita Stewart-Murchison, said, according to the Washington Post, “It didn’t happen that way. His evilness did it,” she said, blaming Webber. “He caused it to happen.”
She added, “Brad did everything he could to help him. Brad was a person who wanted to help everyone in the world.”
She also claimed that she doubted her son was carrying a weapon, as he would have been able to defend himself if he had. She also said she welcomed the indictment.
On the day of Webber’s arrest, police said “appropriate accommodations” would be made for him to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Webber lost his limbs after a blood infection as a child. As an adult, he became well known for his cornholing skill, playing professionally for cash prizes with the American Cornhole League for a decade.
He also became an advocate for people with disabilities undertaking activities like driving cars and shooting guns.
“He has overcome so much adversity in his life,” Matin said this month. “He is kind of an inspiration for a lot of people.”
Charles County District Judge Patrick replied: “I’m not disputing that his life has been an inspiration. I understand that he’s overcome a lot.”
The judge has ordered that he be kept in jail and faces five years to life if convicted.
The Daily Beast has contacted Matin for comment.
