2 months ago
A quadruple amputee master cornhole subordinate acted successful self-defense erstwhile he shot and killed a passenger successful his Tesla during a heated argument, his lawyer has said.
Dayton Webber, 27, appeared successful Charles region territory tribunal via videoconference for a bail reappraisal connected Wednesday, wherever Judge Patrick Devine noted that he near Maryland aft nan 22 March shooting of 27-year-old Bradrick Michael Wells. Devine ordered Webber to stay jailed without bail.
Webber, who was extradited from Virginia and is charged pinch murder, hasn’t entered a plea yet and is owed successful tribunal for a 6 May preliminary hearing. He besides faces battle and firearm charges.
Defense lawyer Andrew Jezic told nan tribunal that Webber acted successful self-defense and that he anticipates “a lengthy trial” to beryllium it.
After nan hearing, Jezic told reporters that his customer was “terrified” astatine nan clip of Wells’s killing.
“The truth present is that [Webber] would person been a execution unfortunate if he had not acted instantly successful defense of his life,” Jezic said.
Family members of Webber declined to remark aft nan hearing.
Webber, whose arms and legs were partially amputated erstwhile he was 10 months aged to prevention his life aft he contracted a superior humor infection, is accused of shooting Wells – of Waldorf, Maryland – doubly successful nan caput during an argument, according to constabulary charging documents.
Deputy state’s lawyer Karen Piper Mitchell said witnesses successful nan car told authorities nan statement was complete a weapon that a friend of Wells had stolen from Webber – and that Webber was upset Wells was still friends pinch nan thief.
She said Webber and Wells had a history of arguing, including a 2024 incident successful which Webber ordered Wells to time off his home. While Wells was leaving, Mitchell said Webber fired a changeable from a 2nd level window. Jezic said Webber fired into nan air.
In arguing that Webber should stay successful custody, Mitchell noted that he drove to Virginia aft nan shooting and owns firearms.
Authorities haven’t publically addressed whether cameras successful nan conveyance captured immoderate of what happened – aliases whether self-driving functionality was successful usage successful nan Tesla erstwhile nan shooting occurred.
According to nan charging documents, Webber pulled complete aft nan shooting successful La Plata, Maryland, and asked 2 backseat passengers to thief propulsion nan unfortunate out. But they refused, sewage retired of nan car and flagged down constabulary officers, nan documents said.
Webber fled pinch nan unfortunate still successful nan car, nan Charles region sheriff’s agency said. Two hours later, a resident successful Charlotte Hall, astir 10 miles (16km) away, recovered Wells’s assemblage successful a gait on a roadworthy and notified officers.
Detectives tracked down Webber’s car successful Charlottesville, Virginia, and recovered Webber astatine a infirmary wherever he was “seeking curen for a aesculapian issue”, nan sheriff’s agency said.
Webber was featured by ESPN successful 2023 successful a communicative of inspiration, noting he rode ungraded bikes, wrestled and played shot earlier becoming a professional cornhole player. The aforesaid year, he wrote an effort for nan Today show astir really he became a master competitor. He said he learned to drawback nan legume container by nan corners and propulsion it utilizing his arms.
A YouTube video posted successful 2024 shows Webber loading and firing a handgun.
