Winthrop Man Found Not Guilty of 1st-Degree Murder, Guilty of 2nd-Degree Murder

(Learfield News/Gaylord, MN) — A Winthrop man was found not guilty of first-degree murder but guilty of second-degree murder in Sibley County Court Friday.

Seventy-nine-year-old Dennis Weitzenkamp was found with a fatal gunshot to the back of the head in September 2022.

The criminal complaint says 48-year-old Travis Bauer was known to work on Weitzenkamp’s farm for years and would benefit financially from his death. Investigators confirmed gunshot residue on Bauer’s clothing, and he lied to police about his whereabouts.

A pre-sentence investigation has been ordered, and a sentencing date, around 60 days out, has yet to be set.