LA PLATA, Md. — A quadruple amputee and athlete charged with murder in Charles County is at the center of a “clear-cut case of self-defense,” his lawyers said Wednesday.

“He almost was killed and had to kill,” defense attorney Hammad Matin told the court.

Dayton Webber, whose success at cornhole has made him a national figure of inspiration, was arrested at a Virginia hospital last month and accused by police of shooting and killing Bradrick Michael Wells inside his car.

Struck in the head, Wells’ body was found in a front yard in southern Maryland, several miles from where two eyewitnesses said he was killed.

Prosecuting and defense lawyers told a judge that Webber and Wells, both 27, had a violent past, including a 2024 incident in which Webber allegedly shot a gun while Wells was on his La Plata property.

Deputy State’s Attorney Karen Piper Mitchell said the fatal March 22 shooting was spurred by an argument over stolen guns, and because Webber has more firearms at his home and knows both witnesses, he “remains a danger.”

After hearing from both sides, Charles District Judge Patrick Devine said while he is aware of Webber’s story and perseverance, he was concerned by both the allegations and Webber’s decision to leave the state.

He ordered the defendant, who appeared in court virtually, be held without bond.

For years, Webber has demonstrated his ability to overcome challenges and defy the odds.

According to an ESPN profile from 2023, Webber’s arms and legs were amputated when he was 10 months old, an emergency measure to stop a deadly infection from spreading. It was reported that Webber had a 3% chance to live.

Since then, he has gained national notoriety as a competitor in several sports.

Repeatedly on social media, he’s also shown how he can fire guns with “No Hands No Feet.” One YouTube video from January 2024 shows Webber load a handgun, cock it and fire several times on his own.

Describing Webber’s house as a “regular home,” the prosecutor repeatedly said Wednesday that the Charles County jail will be able to accommodate Webber’s needs in custody — countering an argument for home detention. If that proves to be difficult, the judge offered to meet with all the parties again.

Otherwise, a preliminary hearing is scheduled for the La Plata courthouse in early May.

Webber’s attorneys said that they expect the case to end in a “lengthy” trial. What Webber knew about the victim, they said, is just as much at the heart of the matter as the shooting itself.

“If he had not done what he did, this would be State v. Bradrick Wells,” Matin told the court.

The attorneys later declined to comment on why Wells was in Webber’s car with their history.

Last month, investigators said they learned about the shooting from two people who flagged down passing officers in La Plata. They reportedly told police they were passengers in Webber’s Tesla when the gun was fired.

According to a news release, the passengers said Webber pulled over and asked them to help pull the body out of the car. When they refused, they got out of the Tesla and Webber drove off, police said.

Webber, who wrestled and played other sports growing up, was arrested in Charlottesville, Virginia the next morning. Piper Mitchell said there was a firearm inside his Tesla that appeared “to be consistent” with the murder weapon, but that testing was still underway.

Referencing the gun and the car, defense attorney Andrew Jezic said that although Webber was panicking that night, he did not attempt to alter the evidence.

Together, the lawyers called the shooting a “spur of the moment, traumatic event.”

“He was in shock and he was terrified,” Jezic said. “And he did what a lot of people would do in his situation.”

Webber faces assault, firearm and both first- and second-degree murder charges.

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