A Kentucky man has been found guilty of killing his girlfriend by shooting her in the face with what he referred to as a ‘special bullet’ that he always carried around.
Damien Hebbeler was convicted this week of murdering lifeguard Kylie Weitz, 20, at a home in rural Garrison, just south of the Ohio border, on August 9, 2023.
Kentucky State Police responded to a call about an unresponsive female at around 6pm that day, according to arrest documents seen by the Ledger Independent.
Officers arrived at the house in Garrison where Weitz was found lying on the floor near the front door. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hebbeler, now 23, was taken into custody and charged with murder three hours after the initial 911 call, and he was formally indicted in September 2023.
Investigators said he confessed to pointing a loaded pistol at Weitz’s face and squeezing the trigger.
Hebbeler did not disclose his motive, but said he had wanted to kill Weitz several months before the shooting, according to Attorney General Russell Coleman.
‘At trial, Hebbeler said he carried a special bullet with him, which was the same round used to shoot the victim in the face and kill her,’ Coleman’s office said in a press release.
Kylie Weitz, 20, was shot dead by her boyfriend at a home in rural Garrison, just south of the Ohio border, on August 9, 2023. Her obituary said she worked as a waitress and lifeguard
Hebbeler, 23, was found guilty on March 24 for killing Weitz with a bullet he called ‘special’ during his trial
Weitz worked as a waitress at Buffalo Wild Wings in Kentucky, and also as a lifeguard, according to her obituary.
Her remembrance page said she had a long list of hobbies, including cheerleading, running track, volleyball, and traveling.
She is survived by her parents, Gary Willis and Mary Weitz, her sister, Kierstin Swafford, along with her extended family.
Hebbeler is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5. The jury recommended a 50-year jail term, Coleman’s office said.
‘Today’s jury verdict delivers hard-won justice and affirms that Kylie Marie Weitz’s life mattered,’ Coleman said in a statement published Wednesday.
‘In Kentucky, we take domestic violence crimes seriously, and we will continue to hold offenders accountable.’
Weitz was a waitress and was found dead by the Kentucky State Police at a home in Garrison. She was found by the front door of the house
Weitz’s sister, Kierstin, shared a post on social media following the killer boyfriend’s conviction.
‘Just want to show some gratitude and shout out the prosecutor Tony and the whole prosecuting team, plus every witness on that stand for getting Justice for Kylie and her whole family,’ she wrote.
‘We definitely couldn’t have done it without every single one of them! I’m forever grateful, and I know Kylie Weitz would be too! WE DID THAT!!’
Kierstin’s upload finished with the hashtags ‘Long live my sister’ and ‘Long live Kylie’.
