La Plata, Maryland — A professional quadruple amputee acted in self-defense when One of the passengers was shot and killed His lawyer said on Wednesday that he was in his car during a heated argument.
Dayton James Weber, 27, appeared in Charles County District Court via video for a bail review on Wednesday, where Judge Patrick Devine noted he had left Maryland after shooting 27-year-old Bradrick Michael Wells on March 22 and ordered Weber to remain in jail without bail.
Weber, who was Hand it over From Virginia, he is charged with first- and second-degree murder. He has not yet entered a plea and is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on May 6. He also faces assault and firearms charges.
Defense lawyer Andrew Jesic told the court that Weber acted in self-defense, and he expected a “lengthy trial” to prove that.
After the hearing, Jesic told reporters that his client was “terrified.”
“The truth here is that he could have become a victim of murder if he had not acted immediately in defense of his life,” Jesic said.
Weber’s family members declined to comment after the hearing.
Weber, who had his arms and legs amputated when he was 10 months old to save his life after contracting a serious blood infection, is accused of shooting Wells, of Waldorf, twice in the head during an argument, according to police charging documents.
Deputy State’s Attorney Karen Piper Mitchell said witnesses in the car told authorities that the argument was over a gun Wells’ friend had stolen from Weber, and that Weber was upset that Wells was still friends with the thief.
Speaking about the need for Weber to remain in custody, Mitchell noted that he drove to Virginia after the shooting and owns firearms.
According to charging documents, Weber stopped after the shooting in La Plata, Maryland, and asked two passengers in the back seat to help get the victim out, but they refused, got out of the car and notified police officers.
The Charles County Sheriff’s Office said Weber fled with the victim in the vehicle. Two hours later, a resident of Charlotte Hall, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) away, found Wells’ body in a yard along the road and notified officers.
Investigators tracked down Weber’s car in Charlottesville, Virginia, and found Weber at a hospital where he was “seeking treatment for a medical problem,” the sheriff’s office said.
It was Weber Featured by ESPN Set in 2023 in a story of inspiration, where he rode dirt bikes, wrestled, and played soccer before becoming a professional player. In the same year he wrote An article for the “Today” program. About how he became a professional competitor. He said he learned to grab a bean bag by its corners and throw it using his amputated arms.