A Kentucky man has been convicted of murdering his girlfriend by fatally shooting her in the face with what he described as a ‘special bullet’ that he routinely carried.
Damien Hebbeler was found guilty this week for the murder of 20-year-old lifeguard Kylie Weitz. The tragic incident occurred on August 9, 2023, at a residence in the rural town of Garrison, located just south of the Ohio-Kentucky border.
According to arrest records obtained by the Ledger Independent, Kentucky State Police were alerted around 6 p.m. that day about an unresponsive woman.
Upon arrival at the Garrison home, officers discovered Weitz lying on the floor near the entrance. She was declared dead at the scene.
Hebbeler, who is now 23 years old, was arrested and charged with murder roughly three hours after the 911 call was made. He was later formally indicted in September 2023.
Authorities reported that Hebbeler admitted to aiming a loaded gun at Weitz’s face and pulling the trigger, leading to the fatal shooting.
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’.
