WAUPACA COUNTY (WTAQ-WLUK) – A police interview with Tony Haase about a 1992 double murder was played in court Friday, as he was ordered Friday to stand trial in the case.
Haase was charged in August with two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Tanna Togstad and Timothy Mumbrue 30 years before. Haase’s father was killed in a snowmobile crash in 1977, and one of those drivers was Togstad’s father.
Jay Yerges, a special agent for the state Dept. of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation, testified at the preliminary hearing.
As part of his testimony, a 19-minute excerpt of the investigators’ interview with Haase played, over the objection of his lawyer, who called it a “show.” But Judge Raymond Huber said he wasn’t going to tell prosecutors how to present their case.
“I don’t know that I hurt those people. I must have. I’m not denying that” Haase said.
But Haase told investigators he didn’t remember many parts of what happened or even specifically why he went to the home that night.
During cross examination, defense attorney John Birdsall questioned Yerges about the strategies used in the interviews with Haase, with Birdsall suggesting they may have a false confession.
Haase was not read his Miranda rights but voluntarily talked with investigators, Yerges said.
Haase told police when he left the house, he vomited before leaving the scene. Yerges said he was not aware of any report stating vomit, but that could have been due to the falling snow at the time.
Judge Huber ruled there was enough evidence and ordered Haase to stand trial. Haase, 52, returns to court March 29 for an arraignment.
Togstad, 23, and her boyfriend, Mumbrue, 35, were found stabbed to death in their Royalton farmhouse. Togstad died of one stab wound to the chest, while Mumbrue was stabbed multiple times, according to the autopsy report cited in the criminal complaint. The couple’s pet dog was also stabbed and killed.
Police identified Haase as a suspect, and a DNA sample was taken from him during a traffic stop. Test results showed him to be a “major male contributor” to the fluids recovered from Togstad’s body, the complaint states.
Haase initially denied any involvement, but during questioning, he eventually admitted to the murders.
Eventually, Haase disclosed to investigators that his father had been killed in a snowmobile accident when he was 5 or 8 years old. Investigators had discovered Haase’s father died on Dec. 31, 1977 when Haase was 7 years old.
Haase continued and described that his father was operating a snowmobile in a group of three that was racing. The second snowmobile hit his father’s, and his father was killed. The third snowmobile then ran over the driver of the second. He described it as a horrible accident. One of the other snowmobile drivers was Tanna Togstad’s father.
Haase explained that on the evening of March 20, 1992, he became very drunk as he went from one bar to another by himself. For some reason, he started to think about the accident that killed his father. Those thoughts led to him going to the home of Tanna Togstad.
Haase could not articulate why he went there but insisted it was not to hurt anyone. He described himself as being in a drunken stupor that night. Haase describes getting into a “scuffle” with Mumbrue. He could not remember if he had brought a knife or if the knife was at the house. During the “scuffle,” he and Mumbrue were wrestling while standing up, and he moved his arm in a stabbing motion toward Mumbrue’s chest. He described Mumbrue falling to the floor near the foot of the bed.
Haase remembered Togstad yelling, “What the f—,” and that is when he punched her in the face. It is believed he would have knocked her out at this time. At some point, Togstad started to stir, and that is when he stabbed her in the chest.
When asked why he didn’t tell investigators right away, Haase replied, “I didn’t want it to sound like I had it planned.” Haase told investigators he did not know why he did it. At this point, Haase told investigators when he saw the news report he thought, “Holy f—, what did I do?” the complaint states.
