Wisconsin Man Acquitted After Confessing to 1992 Double Murder, Decades-Old Case Still Divides Community
WISCONSIN — More than 30 years after two people were brutally stabbed to death inside a rural Wisconsin farmhouse, the man who confessed to the killings was acquitted, leaving behind a stunned community and questions that may never be answered.
Cold Case Began in 1992 With the Murders of Tanna Togstad and Timothy Mumbrue
On March 20, 1992, 23-year-old Tanna Togstad and her boyfriend, 35-year-old Timothy Mumbrue, returned to her Royalton farmhouse after a night out dancing. They were last seen alive around midnight.
Two days later, both were discovered stabbed to death inside the home. Togstad suffered a fatal stab wound to the chest, while Mumbrue’s injuries suggested he fought desperately to defend himself. Even Togstad’s dog, Scruffy, was killed.
For decades, the case went cold despite numerous interviews, tips, and investigative leads.
DNA and a Staged Traffic Stop Pointed Investigators to Tony Haase
In 2022, investigators identified Tony Haase, who was 21 at the time of the murders, as a potential suspect.
Police staged a traffic stop and collected a DNA sample from a pen Haase used during questioning. That DNA matched samples taken from Togstad’s body in 1992. Authorities also tied Haase to a handprint found on the farmhouse door.
Haase soon confessed, telling police he remembered only “snippets” of entering the house and getting into a “scuffle” with Mumbrue. He also said he had long feared he was involved after seeing news reports back in the ’90s.
He was charged with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide.
Investigators Learned Haase’s Father Died in Accident Involving Togstad’s Father
During interrogation, Haase revealed a childhood trauma: his father died in a 1977 snowmobile accident involving Togstad’s father. The families once knew each other; Haase was just 7 years old at the time.
Prosecutors argued the decades-old grief and resentment may have surfaced when Haase, intoxicated and emotional, went to Togstad’s home that night. They theorized he expected her to be alone — but instead encountered Mumbrue, who “died trying” to protect her.
Defense Argues Confession Was Coerced — and Points Finger at Haase’s Uncle
Haase’s defense attorneys painted a very different picture.
They argued the interrogation used coercive tactics that produced a false confession, noting Haase repeatedly said he remembered little and was heavily influenced by investigators’ theories.
The defense also claimed the real killer was Haase’s uncle, Jeff Thiel, who died in 1995. According to testimony:
- Thiel allegedly had a history of killing animals
- He reportedly threatened multiple women
- Several individuals had told police over the years that Thiel should be considered a suspect
Defense attorneys further suggested the crime might have involved more than one assailant, citing past statements from Glendon Gouker, a convicted murderer who once claimed responsibility — though investigators later dismissed his confession as unreliable.
They also questioned the chain of custody of the DNA collected in 1992, arguing contamination was possible.
Jury Finds Haase Not Guilty, Despite DNA and Confession
On August 11, 2025, a jury acquitted Haase of both homicide charges.
The verdict shocked the victim’s family, who had waited more than three decades to see someone held accountable.
“They had all the evidence,” Tanna’s brother, Richard Togstad, told WBAY. “For some unknown reason, it went the wrong way.”
Family Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit — and Haase Seeks Dismissal
Just days after the acquittal, Richard Togstad filed a $17 million wrongful death lawsuit, accusing Haase of killing his sister out of misplaced anger stemming from their fathers’ snowmobiling accident.
Haase denied all allegations in October 2025 and asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit entirely.
The civil case remains unresolved.
A Community Left Without Answers
Three decades after the murders of Togstad and Mumbrue, the families are still searching for closure. Haase has returned to private life following his acquittal, and investigators have not named any new suspects.
Whether the case will ever be solved remains unknown.
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