Ottawa County man acquitted of assault charges
Travis Wilbur's trial on two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon ended with a not guilty verdict in Ottawa County District Court on June 3.
The charges stem from an encounter with Jeffrey Littlefield and Michael Wiser at Sycamore Valley Creek in July of 2022. According to court testimony, the two men said they were packing up to leave the area and were searching for Wiser's cell phone, when they said Wilbur attacked them.
Wilbur reportedly came after the pair with a bat-like object, hitting Littlefield in the ribs and Wiser in the head, according to testimony. Littlefield said that after the attack, he drove Wiser to Grove INTEGRIS Hospital.
Prosecutor Chris Garner said one of the state's witnesses was uncooperative, which affected the jury's verdict.
In an unrelated case, Wilbur is due back in court on Oct. 5, where he is charged with first degree murder for the fatal shooting of Matthew Vincent Locastro, 27, of Miami, in January 2024. Locastro died from a gunshot wound to the head.
In October, the court will either set a date for a plea hearing or for a trial.
Court records show Wilbur and Locastro were arguing and then struggled over a gun. He claimed the gun discharged during the struggle. His attorney argued Wilbur should be immune from prosecution due to the Castle Doctrine.
Court records say there was a total of five gunshots heard on the ring camera recording. When the last gunshot is heard, Locastro is seen falling to the ground, according to the affidavit.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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