“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,” according to the Kentucky Attorney General

Kylie Weitz; Damien Hebbeler.Credit : Kentucky Attorney General’s Office

A Kentucky man has been convicted of the murder of his girlfriend — for which he used a “special bullet” that he carried with him at all times, authorities said.

On Tuesday, March 24, a jury in Lewis County found 23-year-old Damien Hebbeler guilty of murdering Kylie Weitz, 20, at a home in Garrison, Ky., on August 9, 2023, according to Attorney General Russell Coleman.

WSAZ and the Ledger Independent reported at the time of Hebbeler’s arrest that when Kentucky State Police (KSP) officers were first called to the scene of the shooting, the initial 911 caller had said that Weitz had accidentally shot herself — but Hebbeler was arrested just hours later.

Damien Hebbeler.Kentucky Attorney General’s Office

Coleman said in a press release after Hebbeler’s verdict was read that the 23-year-old was found to have “intentionally shot and killed his girlfriend at close range.”

During an interview with investigators, Hebbeler said he pointed a loaded pistol at Weitz’s face and pulled the trigger, discharging the firearm in her face.

“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,” the Attorney General said, noting that KSP investigators found that less than a year before the shooting, the defendant made statements saying he wanted to kill Weitz.

Kylie Weitz.globefamilyfc

Weitz, a lifeguard and waitress, was remembered in her obituary as a loving sister, daughter and grandchild who had a passion for sports, particularly cheerleading.

“You had a heart bigger than anyone,” one comment on her obituary read. “I’m so proud of all of your accomplishments and the beautiful young lady you grew into that was taken way too soon.”

Hebbeler is set to be sentenced on June 5. The jury recommended a 50-year jail term, the Attorney General’s office said.

“Today’s jury verdict delivers hard-won justice and affirms that Kylie Marie Weitz’s life mattered,” Coleman said in the press release. “In Kentucky, we take domestic violence crimes seriously, and we will continue to hold offenders accountable.”

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.