A Charles County grand jury has indicted Dayton James Webber, a 27-year-old professional cornhole player and quadruple amputee from La Plata, on first-degree murder and related charges in the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Bradrick Michael Wells of Waldorf.
The indictment was handed down Friday. Prosecutors announced it Monday outside the Charles County courthouse. Webber faces a possible life sentence if convicted on the first-degree murder count. Additional charges include use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, two counts of reckless endangerment and having a loaded handgun in a vehicle.
The shooting occurred about 10:25 p.m. March 22 on Radio Station Road in La Plata. According to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, Webber was driving with Wells in the front passenger seat and two other known individuals in the back. An argument between Webber and Wells escalated inside the vehicle. Webber shot Wells twice in the head, authorities said.
Witnesses flagged down La Plata police officers near La Plata Road and Radio Station Road. They reported the incident but refused Webber’s request to help remove Wells from the car. They exited the vehicle and left the scene. Webber drove away with Wells still inside.
Nearly two hours later, a resident in the 10000 block of Newport Church Road in Charlotte Hall called 9-1-1 after discovering a body in a yard. Officers found Wells, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Webber fled to Virginia. He was located at a hospital in Charlottesville seeking treatment for a medical issue. Albemarle County police arrested him as a fugitive from justice. He waived extradition and was returned to Charles County, where he was booked into the detention center March 31.
Charles County Deputy State’s Attorney Karen Piper Mitchell addressed reporters Monday. “We’re dealing with a homicide,” she said. “Someone lost their life and from that base perspective our job is to make sure we put the case together.”
Mitchell said the investigation included witness statements and preservation of evidence collected after Webber’s hospital treatment, with attention to maintaining chain of custody. “Based on the investigation and witness statements, we see no evidence of self-defense, so we’re moving forward on the indictment,” she stated.
Webber’s defense attorney Hammad Matin, who appeared outside the courthouse Monday, described the shooting as self-defense. “He had to kill or be killed,” Matin said. “That’s what this case is.”
Matin added that the evidence will demonstrate the act was not premeditated. “I think the evidence is going to be clear that this was not planned, something that was not premeditated,” he said. “This was someone in fear who did not know how to handle a situation that was such a traumatic event. This has always been a self-defense case. He is not guilty.”
Prosecutors dispute the self-defense claim. No trial date has been set.
The case has drawn attention in Southern Maryland because of Webber’s background as a champion cornhole player. Before the amputations, he participated in dirt bike riding, wrestling and football. He later became a professional competitor in the American Cornhole League, learning to grip and throw bean bags with his remaining limbs. His story received national coverage, including features on ESPN and the Today show.
The incident occurred in La Plata, a town in Charles County that serves as a hub for residents across Southern Maryland. Charles County, along with Calvert and St. Mary’s counties, forms the core of the region where local law enforcement and courts handle such cases amid ongoing community concerns about violence and public safety.
Investigators from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office led the probe. The office confirmed all occupants of the vehicle knew one another. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant shortly after the shooting.
Webber remains in custody. Bond was previously denied in earlier proceedings.
Southern Maryland residents have followed the case closely through local updates, as it involves individuals from La Plata and Waldorf, communities central to the region’s daily life and economy. The outcome could influence discussions on self-defense laws and firearm use in vehicles within the area.
Authorities have not released additional details on the exact nature of the argument or the specific medical issue that led Webber to the Virginia hospital. The case continues through the Charles County Circuit Court.
This development marks the formal advancement of charges following the initial arrest and extradition. The grand jury’s action means the case will proceed toward trial unless resolved earlier through plea negotiations or other legal means.
