$2 million cash bond set for suspect in 1992 Togstad, Mumbrue double murder

WAUPACA, Wis. (WBAY) - A Weyauwega man was charged Friday with two counts of First Degree Murder for the double stabbings of Tanna Togstad and Tim Mumbrue in 1992.

A Waupaca County court set Tony Haase’s bond at $2 million cash -- $1 million for each victim.

Investigators looked at dozens of people, both locally and across the country. Now authorities say they found the man responsible. The arrest came as a surprise to the victims’ families.

“Happy. Anger. Frustration. Upset. But mostly happy,” Richard Togstad, Tanna’s brother, said. “I’m just thankful we finally have a person in custody, and it’s been a long time coming for our family so our family is really happy.”

The courtroom was full of family members from both the Togstad and Mumbrue families as Haase made his initial appearance in court via video conference Friday.

Prosecutors say Haase murdered Togstad and Mumbrue because he blamed Togstad’s father for his father’s death 15 years earlier.

Togstad and Mumbrue were found stabbed to death in the bedroom of a home on a fire road in Royalton on March 22, 1992. Togstad’s dog was also stabbed to death. An autopsy showed Togstad, 23, was stabbed once in the chest. Mumbrue, 34, was stabbed multiple times in the head, neck and chest. They were dead for at least a day. Detectives found evidence of a struggle but no signs of a robbery or theft -- there were money and coins in sight atop the furniture.

The criminal complaint says Haase was recently identified as a suspect but does not say why. A DNA sample was collected from a pen during a traffic stop and analyzed by the Wisconsin State Crime Lab. The DNA was consistent with bodily fluids recovered from Togstad’s body three decades ago. Haase was 21 years old.

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When investigators questioned Haase, he denied murdering them but then said when he saw reports of the murders in 1992 “he was afraid he was involved.” He said he had “snippets” of memories through the years.

Haase said when he was young, his father was racing with two other snowmobilers. One of them hit Haase’s father’s snowmobile, then the other snowmobile ran over him. Togstad’s father was one of the snowmobilers. His father died on New Year’s Eve, 1977. Investigators say Haase was 7 years old.

Haase went on to say on the night of March 20, 1992, he was going from bar to bar, getting into a drunken stupor, and started thinking about his father’s death. He went to Togstad’s house. He couldn’t say why, but he said he didn’t go to hurt anyone. He got into a fight with Mumbrue. Haase had a knife -- he couldn’t remember if he’d brought it or it was in the house -- and stabbed Mumbrue.

Togstad yelled and Haase punched her in the face, knocking her out. When she stirred, he stabbed her in the chest.

Because the crimes were committed 30 years ago, Haase, now 51, is charged under the laws in effect at the time. The murder charges still carry life in prison if he’s convicted.

Online court records show Haase doesn’t have a prior adult criminal history in Wisconsin. He is scheduled to return to court next Tuesday afternoon.

The state Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is leading the investigation with assistance from the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin State Crime Lab, FBI, Wisconsin State Patrol, and the Waupaca County District Attorney’s Office.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice asks anyone who has information that can further help the investigation call DCI at 1-855-237-3262.

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