On a Tuesday afternoon at a Winthrop, Minnesota farm, 79-year-old Dennis Weitzenkamp was found dead on September 20, 2022. The Winthrop Police Chief discovered him slumped in a chair inside a machine shed with a wound to the back of his head; he had been shucking an ear of corn just before he died. An autopsy determined the death was a homicide caused by a gunshot wound to the back of the head from a small caliber bullet.

Investigators soon focused on long-time farmhand Travis Joel Bauer after he called 911 to report finding Weitzenkamp unresponsive. Authorities say Bauer’s timeline conflicted with cell phone data and surveillance footage, he later admitted to lying about his whereabouts, and gunshot residue was found on his clothing. Records cited a financial motive: Bauer allegedly faced home-payment problems on the day of the killing and stood to benefit from trust documents tied to Weitzenkamp. There was no sign of theft or burglary at the scene.

Does anyone have additional details about Weitzenkamp’s life on the farm or Bauer’s relationship with the family that could shed light on what happened?