Before this week, Dayton Webber's life was often described as inspirational. In 2010, a story on ESPN described him as a 12-year-old boy who, despite the quadruple amputation of his hands and legs to survive a bacterial infection at 10 months old, lived a spectacularly active and normal life, including a passion for wrestling. As an adult, he became a successful professional cornhole player, leading to him being the subject of TV features by both ESPN and the Today Show. Webber leaned into this imagery himself, writing on his TikTok account that he's a motivational speaker. On Instagram, his biography says that he's a "quad amputee that sees no limits." It's familiar imagery to any sports fan, where the archetype of the athlete overcoming the odds, regardless of gender or ability, is as central to the messaging as sports itself.
Webber's social media also showed him firing weapons. On TikTok, he showed his prowess with a crossbow. On YouTube, his account included videos of him shooting various firearms. Webber leaned into this imagery himself, with one video titled "No Hands No Feet Shooting 9mm Handgun!!!!"
It was a firearm he used on Monday, according to authorities, to shoot and kill another man. On Tuesday, Webber, age 27, was charged by authorities in Maryland with two counts of murder. Law enforcement said he shot a passenger in his car, killing him.
Webber has not released a statement. So far, available information has mostly come from law enforcement, Webber's own social media accounts, and earlier media coverage of him as a pro cornhole player.
According to the Charles County Sheriff's Office (CCSO), Webber and three others were in a vehicle on Sunday night in the La Plata area when Webber, who was driving, and the person in the front passenger seat, Bradrick Michael Wells, also 27, began arguing. Law enforcement said they were told by the two people sitting in the back seats that Webber shot Wells, then pulled over the vehicle and told them "to help pull the victim out of the car." They refused. Instead, they got out and flagged down police while Webber drove off. (Court documents, according to FOX 5 in Washington, D.C., said Webber shot Wells twice, both in the head.)
A search for Webber's car followed. About two hours later, a call came in to 9-1-1 reporting a body had been found in a yard about 10 miles away, CCSO said. The body was identified as Wells. A family member told FOX 5 that Wells loved motocross and cars.
Deputies found Webber's car in Charlottesville, Va. Webber, according to CCSO, was already at a hospital getting treatment for an undescribed medical issue. Authorities arrested him after his hospital discharge. According to FOX 5, Webber has been charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, two counts of assault in the first degree, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
The Baltimore Banner spoke with Wells's father. He said his son knew Webber and they hunted deer together. Webber's parents liked his son, Michael Wells said, because he didn't try to take advantage of Webber. Bradrick Wells would help out Webber, and Michael Wells recalled a time when his son helped clean Webber's home.
"He was very loving. He tried to do everything for people—he helped this guy who killed him," the 64-year-old said.
But the father also told the Banner that he worried about his son hanging out with Webber, whom he described to the publication as having an "unstable reputation."
The American Cornhole League issued a statement Monday, saying they would not comment on the pending legal case and their "thoughts are with all those impacted, including the family and loved ones of Bradrick Michael Wells."
