WAUPACA — The decades-old murder trial of a Waupaca County couple is now in the hands of a jury, after closing arguments finished Wednesday afternoon.
- Tony Haase faces two counts of first-degree intentional homicide in connection with the stabbing deaths of Tanna Togstad and Timothy Mumbrue in March 1992.
- In closing arguments, the prosecution says DNA evidence found at the scene of the crime and a taped confession from Haase prove he was guilty.
- In closing arguments, the defense says the DNA evidence is unreliable, the confession was coerced, and the more likely suspect is Haase's uncle, Jeff Thiel.
On Wednesday morning, Circuit Court Judge Raymond Huber read final jury instructions.
"You are the sole judges of the fact," he said.
Then the prosecution and defense made closing arguments.
"We're here today and we know exactly who did this crime," District Attorney Kat Turner said.
The state says Tony Haase is guilty of murdering Tanna Hogstad and Timothy Mumbrue in March 1992 at their Royalton home, and they say DNA evidence proves he was there.
"Those swabs knew, the science knew, it was just waiting for technology to catch up," Turner said during closing arguments.
They also played clips of Haase's taped confession to the murders.
"There are only three people that know whether Tony's confession were truthful, and two of them are dead," Turner said.
The defense argues the confession was coerced.
"They were just desperate to arrest somebody for this notorious crime," John Birdsall, defense attorney, said during closing arguments.
The defense also says the crime scene and the DNA evidence were mishandled and therefore unreliable.
"Your testing is only as good as your collection and your storage," Birdsall said.
The defense argues that the more likely suspect for the murders is Haase's uncle, Jeff Thiel.
"Those injuries are only done by someone who is deeply, deeply unstable, like a Jeff Thiel," Birdsall said during closing arguments.
The prosecution then had a rebuttal, before the judge sent the jury to deliberate.
The jury did not reach a verdict on Wednesday, so they're set to resume deliberations Thursday morning.
