LA PLATA, MD — A professional cornhole player and quadruple amputee was charged with first-degree murder after allegedly shooting and killing a passenger in his vehicle during an argument Sunday night before fleeing to Virginia with the victim’s body.
Dayton James Webber, 27, of La Plata, faces multiple charges including first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and assault in the first degree following the death of 27-year-old Bradrick Michael Wells of Waldorf. The shooting occurred around 10:30 p.m. Sunday while Webber was driving near La Plata Road and Radio Station Road with three passengers in his vehicle. Webber, who became a quadruple amputee after contracting a bacterial infection that led to sepsis at 10 months old, has competed in the American Cornhole League World Championships and was crowned Maryland’s best cornhole player in 2020.
According to charging documents filed by Detective M. Bigelow of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, Webber had picked up two witnesses from work, with Wells already seated in the front passenger seat. During the drive, an argument erupted between Webber and Wells. The two back-seat passengers told investigators that Webber pulled out a firearm and shot Wells twice in the head during the dispute. “The incident occurred about 10:30 last night,” said Diane Richardson of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office. “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.”
After the shooting, Webber allegedly pulled over near Radio Station Road and Llano Drive and asked the two back-seat passengers to help remove Wells from the vehicle, according to court documents. The witnesses refused and exited the car, later flagging down La Plata police officers to report the incident. Webber then drove away with Wells’ body still in the vehicle. “The information that we have at this point is that all the occupants of the vehicle are acquaintances and friends,” Richardson said. Nearly two hours later, around 12:41 a.m. Monday, a resident in the 10000 block of Newport Church Road in Charlotte Hall discovered Wells’ body in their yard and called 911. Officers responded and pronounced Wells dead at the scene.
Investigators located Webber’s vehicle at a gas station in Charlottesville, Virginia, more than 100 miles from where the victim was found. Webber was discovered at a nearby hospital seeking treatment for an unspecified medical issue. Albemarle County officers arrested him after his release from the hospital and charged him as a fugitive from justice. Court documents show Webber is formally charged with first-degree murder for allegedly killing Wells “intentionally and with premeditated malice,” along with second-degree murder, two counts of assault in the first degree, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Both back-seat witnesses positively identified Webber as the shooter and Wells as the victim, providing the basis for the charges.
Webber gained recognition as a professional cornhole player despite his physical challenges, competing in the American Cornhole League since becoming a professional in 2021. In a 2023 essay for NBC’s TODAY, he wrote about his journey from amateur to professional competitor, stating he had overcome “a serious blood infection and undergoing a quadruple amputation as a baby to becoming a professional athlete as an adult.” ESPN featured Webber in 2023, highlighting how he called cornhole his “calling.” The American Cornhole League, which has been featured on ESPN since 2016, issued a statement Monday acknowledging the charges. “This is an extremely serious matter and our thoughts are with all those impacted, including the family and loved ones of Bradrick Michael Wells,” the organization said.
Webber is currently awaiting extradition from Virginia to Charles County, Maryland, where he will face the formal murder charges. Deputies have not disclosed what sparked the argument between Webber and Wells that led to the shooting. The investigation remains ongoing, with Detective R. Johnson handling the case. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Charles County Sheriff’s Office at 301-609-6453 or submit anonymous tips to Charles County Crime Solvers.
