Heather Thiel's search for answers about the 1992 double murder of Tim Mumbrue and Tanna Togstad has led her down a rabbit hole of investigation and heart-wrenching truth. Her father, Jeff Thiel, had long been her prime suspect in the case – but three years ago, police concluded that her cousin Tony Haase was actually responsible for the brutal killings.
The reversal sent shockwaves through the family and left Heather feeling lost and uncertain about what really happened on that fateful day. As she delved deeper into the case, she began to uncover more evidence that pointed towards Jeff Thiel – including a chilling comment he made days before the murders: "It's funny how you can get away with murder these days."
Yet despite her father's increasingly suspicious behavior and the mounting DNA evidence pointing to Tony Haase, Heather still harbored doubts about his guilt. When she finally found herself speaking to law enforcement again in 2022, she shared her concerns about Jeff Thiel – only to be told by investigators that they had already excluded him as a suspect years earlier.
The case's twists and turns took a dramatic turn when Tony Haase was arrested on August 11th, just days before his trial. The defense argued that Haase's confession had been coerced through an hours-long interrogation, but prosecutors countered that the DNA evidence strongly linked Haase to the crime scene.
At the trial, Haase's lawyers attempted to weave a narrative of coercion and degraded DNA evidence – while the prosecution painted Jeff Thiel as the prime suspect due to his motives and modus operandi. However, in the end it was not enough to sway the jury, which delivered a guilty verdict for Haase on the fourth day of deliberations.
For Heather Thiel, the outcome has brought both closure and renewed uncertainty about who really committed the heinous crimes. Despite her cousin's acquittal, she remains steadfast in her conviction that Jeff Thiel is responsible – and that justice was served by the jury's decision.
The reversal sent shockwaves through the family and left Heather feeling lost and uncertain about what really happened on that fateful day. As she delved deeper into the case, she began to uncover more evidence that pointed towards Jeff Thiel – including a chilling comment he made days before the murders: "It's funny how you can get away with murder these days."
Yet despite her father's increasingly suspicious behavior and the mounting DNA evidence pointing to Tony Haase, Heather still harbored doubts about his guilt. When she finally found herself speaking to law enforcement again in 2022, she shared her concerns about Jeff Thiel – only to be told by investigators that they had already excluded him as a suspect years earlier.
The case's twists and turns took a dramatic turn when Tony Haase was arrested on August 11th, just days before his trial. The defense argued that Haase's confession had been coerced through an hours-long interrogation, but prosecutors countered that the DNA evidence strongly linked Haase to the crime scene.
At the trial, Haase's lawyers attempted to weave a narrative of coercion and degraded DNA evidence – while the prosecution painted Jeff Thiel as the prime suspect due to his motives and modus operandi. However, in the end it was not enough to sway the jury, which delivered a guilty verdict for Haase on the fourth day of deliberations.
For Heather Thiel, the outcome has brought both closure and renewed uncertainty about who really committed the heinous crimes. Despite her cousin's acquittal, she remains steadfast in her conviction that Jeff Thiel is responsible – and that justice was served by the jury's decision.