SIBLEY COUNTY — The Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed the second-degree murder conviction of Travis Joel Bauer earlier this month.

Bauer, 49, of Winthrop, was found guilty by a Sibley County jury Oct. 22, 2024 in the September 2022 shooting death of Dennis Weitzenkamp, 79, of Winthrop. The jury acquitted him of first-degree murder.

According to court documents, The Sibley County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from Bauer that Weitzenkamp was unresponsive at a rural Winthrop farm at 2:35 p.m. Sept. 20, 2022. Bauer told dispatch he met Weitzenkamp on County Road 57 as he was driving to Winthrop 10-15 minutes earlier.

Winthrop Police Chief Logan Anderson arrived at the scene first and saw Weitzenkamp slumped over a chair in a machine shed. A wound in the back of his head was bleeding.

In an interview with law enforcement later that day, Bauer said he went to the farm at about 1:30 pm. And noticed he needed anti-freeze and other items and drove to a vehicle parts store, returned to the farm, saw Weitzenkamp, yelled at him several times, turned to his vehicle and called 911.

Cell phone data showed Bauer’s statement to law enforcement was not accurate, that he took a different route to Winthrop earlier in the day. Surveillance video showed he was westbound on State Highway 19, not CR 57, where he said he saw Weitzenkmap traveling.

An autopsy performed on Weitzenkamp showed he was shot in the back of the head with a small-caliber bullet. Bauer later admitted to law enforcement he lied in earlier interviews with them.

Law enforcement collected Bauer’s clothing after his first interview. Bauer said the last time he fired a gun was three weeks earlier. His clothing was sent to a lab to be examined for gun shot residue (GSR).

The lab confirmed GSR on Bauer’s cap and pants and elements of GSR were found on his shirt and belt. GSR confirmation is generally not expected to be found on clothing that was washed, exposed to elements or subject to physical activity, according to the complaint.

Examining Bauer’s finances, law enforcement discovered he had significant debt and was behind on bills. About an hour prior to Weitzenkamp being found dead, Bauer received phone calls informing him he was late on his home payments and if payments were not made, he could lose his home.

Trust documents were found indicating Bauer would receive a significant financial benefit from Weitzenkamp’s death.

Bauer’s attorney, Zachary C. Graham appealed the conviction to the Minnesota Court of Appeals, after the Sibley County jury found him guilty of second-degree intentional murder.

A three-judge appeals court panel concluded that evidence was sufficient to sustain the conviction, the challenged trial issues lacked merit or do not require correction in a new trial. The panel opined that cumulative error does not warrant a new trial and the district court did not abuse its discretion when it imposed a sentence that followed Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines.

Graham contended that circumstantial evidence was insufficient to sustain the jury’s guilty verdict, requiring conviction reversal. He argued that the district court abused its discretion during jury selection, by admitting evidence in error and that the prosecuting attorney committed prejudicial misconduct during closing arguments.

Graham argued that cumulative trial errors denied Bauer his right to a fair trial.

Bauer was sentenced in January to more than 30 years in prison for second-degree murder with intent-not premeditated. He was credited with 117 days served and fined $45,115.22 including $45,030.22 in restitution, due Jan. 8, 2026.