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Professional cornhole player and quadruple amputee Dayton James Webber was arrested on a murder charge Sunday – marking the latest dramatic chapter of his scarcely-believable story.
Webber, 27, is accused of shooting and killing Bradrick Michael Wells, also 27, while driving his Tesla SUV in the Maryland town of La Plata.
After he allegedly fled the scene with Wells still in the car – and the latter’s body was eventually found in a Charlotte Hall yard – the cornhole star was apprehended by cops at a hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia, and is now set to be extradited to Charles County on first and second-degree murder charges.
Police have yet to explain how Webber, who has no hands or legs, was able to fire his weapon or dump the body, although footage has emerged online that shows him using a handgun.
He is believed to have acted alone in the SUV, according to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office.
The alleged murder is a grizzly instalment in Webber’s life. He became a quadruple amputee as a baby after suffering a blood infection which ultimately led to sepsis.
Professional cornhole player and quadruple amputee Dayton James Webber was arrested on a murder charge Sunday
Maryland police say 27-year-old Webber (pictured) was in his Tesla SUV when he shot and killed his passenger, 27-year-old Bradrick Michael Wells, in La Plata
Despite early fears that he may not pull through, doctors eventually amputated his arms and legs when he was just 10 years old in order to save his life.
‘They suggested he be baptized and given his last rites,’ his mother, Natalie, told ESPN in 2023. ‘That just didn’t enter my thoughts that I was going to lose him.’
Yet Webber would not let the setback define him. After overcoming the infection, he regularly found news ways to defy his physical disadvantages as a child and challenge himself.
The Maryland boy taught himself to do various tasks in his childhood, including writing, picking things off the floor and driving go-karts. He even enjoyed a brief stint as a wrestler during his pre-teenage years.
And this fearless determination helped him pursue the most unlikely of professional careers in cornhole.
He initially learned the game – which involves throwing a fabric bean bag at an inclined board with a hole in its far end to score points – at backyard barbeques and other informal settings before developing his own unique way to play it.
Webber’s arms were amputated just above the elbow, giving him the ability to pin objects between his upper arms. This allowed him to pinch the bag and throw himself forward to generate some power before releasing it.
Webber was diagnosed with a bacterial infection as a child that ultimately led to sepsis
He eventually discovered his passion for cornhole at the age of eight, before becoming a pro
Webber is an avid outdoorsman, in addition to being a professional cornhole player
‘At first, it took me a little while to get it there to the board consistently,’ he told ESPN of his cornhole obsession, which began at the age of eight. ‘I was able to compensate the grip on the bag by just grabbing the corner of it with me propelling myself forward.
‘It’s something I’ve been doing my whole life, is overcoming things that people didn’t think I can do.’
Slowly but surely, Webber – also an avid outdoorsman – got more and more competitive in cornhole as a teenager, initially entering regular open-draw tournaments in his native Maryland. ‘I’d play every single night of the week,’ he previously explained.
By 2023, he was good enough to earn a call-up from the professional American Cornhole League, becoming its only disabled player.
Competing in the pro leagues means his talents would be rewarded with hefty prize money, but for Webber the main incentive wasn’t to thicken his wallet. It was the camaraderie.
Footage has emerged online of Webber loading and firing a gun before he smiles at the camera
‘This is the greatest community to get out there and socialize with,’ he previously said about cornhole. ‘They are extremely welcoming.’
‘I’ve come across quite a few people a big events. People with one leg come out and play on their prosthesis or on crutches. People play from their wheelchairs. Whatever kind of disability you might have, you can learn to throw.’
Following his shock arrest on Sunday, the American Cornhole League said in a statement: ‘This is an extremely serious matter and our thoughts are with all those impacted, including the family and loved ones of Bradrick Michael Wells.
‘At this time, this remains an active legal situation. We respect the judicial process and will not comment on specific allegations or details while proceedings are ongoing.’
