Dayton “DJ” Webber built a national reputation by tossing beanbags with deadly accuracy despite having no hands or feet, but Maryland authorities now allege he turned a real weapon on a passenger in his own car. The 27-year-old professional cornhole player, who travels the country competing from a custom wheelchair, was arrested Sunday in Virginia on first- and second-degree murder charges after witnesses told police he shot 27-year-old Bradrick Michael Wells during an argument and then dumped the body in a residential yard.
From Viral Sports Sensation to Murder Suspect
Webber’s rise began when videos of his high-arcing shots and mid-air celebrations racked up millions of views on TikTok and YouTube. Born with a rare bacterial infection that forced the amputation of all four limbs before age five, he learned to grip a cornhole bag between the end of his arm and his shoulder. Sponsors soon followed, and Webber regularly appeared at American Cornhole League events, often billed as the league’s most recognizable adaptive athlete.
That feel-good narrative collapsed this week. According to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, Webber picked up Wells and two other acquaintances late Saturday night. While driving along Route 301 in Indian Head, Maryland, Webber and Wells began arguing. Witnesses seated behind them told detectives the fight escalated until Webber produced a handgun and fired at least one round into Wells’s upper body. The witnesses say Webber then pulled to the shoulder, asked for help moving the body, and—when they refused—sped away with Wells still slumped in the front passenger seat.
Deputies found Wells’s body shortly after sunrise in a yard off Livingston Road. An autopsy confirmed the cause as a single gunshot wound. Investigators traced Webber to a hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he was taken into custody without incident. He is awaiting extradition to Maryland, where prosecutors intend to seek life without parole.
Resurfaced Footage Shows Webber Operating a Firearm
Within hours of Webber’s arrest, a 2021 YouTube clip titled “No Excuses” began circulating on Reddit and Twitter. In the two-minute segment, Webber sits in an open field littered with spent shells. Balancing a 9 mm pistol on his thigh, he uses the residual limb of his right arm to seat a magazine, then clamps the frame between the end of his left arm and the bicep of his right. By pressing the trigger with the rounded edge of his arm, he squeezes off the entire magazine, pausing only to grin at the camera.
Prosecutors have not indicated whether the video will be introduced at trial, but legal analysts say it undercuts any argument that Webber could not have handled the murder weapon. “Jurors will watch a man with no hands fire ten rounds in under fifteen seconds,” said former federal prosecutor Melanie Klaus. “That makes the defense’s job a lot harder.”
Inside the American Cornhole League’s Response
The ACL moved quickly to distance itself. Less than 24 hours after the arrest, commissioner Stacey Moore released a statement saying Webber’s player credential had been “permanently revoked” and that the league would “cooperate fully with law-enforcement.” Equipment sponsor GLC Sports announced it had terminated Webber’s endorsement deal, and his name was scrubbed from the upcoming Players Championship bracket in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
Fellow adaptive athletes expressed shock. “DJ was the face of what we wanted the sport to be—inclusive, inspiring, competitive,” said para-cornhole pro Jenna Castillo. “Now every interview I do this season is going to start with questions about him. It’s heartbreaking.”
What the Charges Carry in Maryland
Maryland abolished the death penalty in 2013, but a first-degree murder conviction still carries a maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole. Second-degree murder allows for up to 40 years. Prosecutors typically stack both counts to give jurors an alternative and to strengthen plea-bargain leverage. Webber is also charged with firearm use in a violent crime, which adds a mandatory 5- to 20-year sentence that must be served consecutive to any other penalty.
Because the alleged killing occurred in a moving vehicle, the state can argue felony murder—meaning the intent to commit a dangerous felony (assault with a firearm) makes any resulting death murder even without pre-meditation. Webber’s public defender, assigned Monday morning, declined media requests for comment.
Timeline of the Case So Far
- Saturday 11:45 p.m. – Webber picks up three passengers in Indian Head, Maryland.
- Sunday 12:07 a.m. – Argument erupts; witnesses say Webber fires one shot.
- 12:15 a.m. – Body allegedly dumped; Webber drives off.
- 6:20 a.m. – Deputies discover Wells’s body after 911 call.
- 9:00 a.m. – Maryland authorities issue arrest warrant.
- 3:15 p.m. – Webber arrested at UVA Medical Center in Virginia.
- Monday 9:30
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