Two months after a Waupaca County jury acquitted Tony Haase of a 1992 double homicide cold case, Haase denied all allegations set forth in a wrongful death civil lawsuit filed by the family of one of the victims.
Haase, 54, of Weyauwega, was arrested in August 2024 and charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the 1992 stabbing deaths of Tanna Togstad, 23, and her boyfriend, Timothy Mumbrue, 35, in rural Waupaca County. On Aug. 11, after a nearly monthlong trial, a Waupaca County jury found Haase not guilty on both counts.
Togstad’s brother, Richard Togstad, and District Attorney Kat Turner said they were surprised by the verdict. Togstad pointed to evidence presented at trial including a DNA profile matching Haase’s at the scene of the crime and a confession to investigators.
However, Haase’s defense attorneys argued that the DNA evidence was flawed and that Haase’s confession to investigators was a result of deceptive interrogation tactics. They also suggested that three other men, including a relative of Haase’s, committed the murders.
On Aug. 6, while Haase’s criminal trial was still ongoing, Richard Togstad filed a civil lawsuit against Haase in Waupaca County Circuit Court. The lawsuit lists Richard Togstad in his capacity as special administrator for the estates of Tanna Togstad and Tanna’s and Richard’s mother, Helen Hoffman.
On behalf of the estate of Helen Hoffman, the lawsuit accuses Haase of causing Tanna’s wrongful death and intentionally inflicting emotional distress. The lawsuit also seeks damages for harm Tanna faced before she died, referred to as “survival actions,” including battery, sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The Togstad family is seeking compensatory damages of no less than $7 million and punitive damages of no less than $10 million, according to attorneys. The lawsuit complaint requests a jury trial.
In an 11-page response filed Oct. 2, Haase’s attorneys denied all of the allegations listed in the civil complaint. The response asks for the lawsuit to be dismissed, for Haase to be awarded statuatory costs and attorney’s fees and for a jury trial to be held.
As affirmative defenses, Haase’s response argued that the Togstad family’s damages were “caused by the actions or inactions” of people Haase is not responsible for and that Richard Togstad “may have failed to name the necessary parties to this action.” The defenses suggest that someone else was responsible for Tanna’s wrongful death, a similar position to what Haase’s attorneys argued in his criminal trial.
Haase’s attorneys also argued there were technical issues with Richard Togstad’s lawsuit, including the Waupauca County Circuit Court lacking jurisdiction, improper service of legal documents, expiration of statute of limitations and Togstad not being “a proper party” to bring the lawsuit forward.
No hearings have been scheduled in the case as of Oct. 6.
Vivian Barrett is the public safety reporter for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. You can reach her at vmbarrett@greenbay.gannett.com or (920) 431-8314.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Tony Haase denies all allegations in civil lawsuit filed by 1992 cold case victim’s family
Reporting by Vivian Barrett, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
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