LA PLATA, Md. — Dayton Weber, the four-footed kicker facing murder charges, will remain held without bail as his case progresses, a Maryland judge ruled Wednesday.
Weber, a former American Cornhole League professional, made his first appearance in Charles County court via video from the county jail after being extradited to Maryland earlier this week.
Weber, 27, was charged with murder and assault, among other charges, after Brad Wells was shot on March 22 while driving in suburban La Plata, Maryland.
The prosecutor told the court that police found a gun in the car that matched the murder weapon.
Weber’s lawyers argued that he was afraid of Wells and acted in self-defense.
Wells’ body was found in the yard of a home about 10 miles from where police believe the shooting occurred. Police later arrested Weber across state lines at a hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he allegedly stopped to seek treatment for an unknown medical issue, according to court documents. The white Tesla was found at a nearby gas station.
Police obtained a search warrant for the thumb drive of Weber’s car to “preserve any video evidence” of the alleged crimes that were discovered on the Tesla’s multiple exterior cameras, according to Virginia court records. They also examined Weber’s clothing and took DNA swabs from his arms, according to a copy of the search warrant obtained by ESPN.
Two other passengers were in the back seat of the car during the shooting. Court documents contain their accounts given to police, but do not identify the witnesses by name.
The two passengers told police that an argument over “drugs, guns and a woman” preceded the shooting and that Weber asked for their help in moving Wells’ body from the car. They said they refused and got out of the car while Weber fled.
Weber and Wells were friends who shared an interest in hunting and motocross. They also appear to have dated the same woman, but it’s not immediately clear if she was the woman referred to in the argument that witnesses told police preceded the shooting.
In a 2023 profile, Weber’s parents told ESPN that he had his arms and legs amputated when he was 10 months old to save his life after he developed a blood infection that led to sepsis.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office acknowledged Weber’s “specific medical and mobility needs” as a quadruple amputee. The office said it would not provide specific information about the accommodations and equipment provided to Weber while in custody, but that it would comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Weber has been a professional cornhole player for at least two years and was crowned Maryland’s top cornhole player in 2020. He last appeared in the AFC Champions League standings in the 2023-24 season.
