FBI, Yankton Police offering reward for information on 1992 cold case murder of Tammy Haas

"Thank you for being here on her birthday."

Nearly 30 years after her murder, FBI and local authorities are still trying to find out who killed 19-year-old Tammy Haas in September of 1992.

Her mother, Nancy, joined authorities from South Dakota and the FBI Tuesday on her daughter's birthday, hoping someone will come forward with answers.

"Law enforcement has been trying to unravel the mystery since then. Theories have come and gone. Tips and leads that seem promising, have turned hopeless," Yankton Police Commander Todd Brandt said.

FBI Minneapolis and the Yankton Police Department have announced a $15,000 reward for information that will help uncover exactly how she died and who killed her. Today, April 13th, would have been her 48th birthday.

The FBI and Yankton Police Department continue to investigate and believe the reward may cause people to come forward with information.

Leads and tips that have seemed promising have not led to new information.

“We know there has been uncertainty since that September of 1992, but we do have some certainty, that is, that someone, someone out there knows, has information about what happened to Tammy,” said Michael Paul, the FBI special agent in charge of the Minneapolis field office which serves Minnesota, South Dakota and other states.

Tammy Haas was from Yankton and attended a homecoming party with her boyfriend on Sept. 18th, 1992 at a farmhouse across the river in Cedar County, Nebraska. Her body was found five days later in a ravine not far from the farmhouse where the party was at. Her boyfriend was eventually arrested and tried on Manslaughter 3rd degree in Cedar County but was found not guilty.

In March 2020, her gravesite was vandalized, leading authorities to believe that someone in the area may have knowledge about the case.

"What's changed is that nothing has changed, we're still fighting for the answers of what happened to Tammy," Brandt said. "Graciously the FBI has put up some money to hopefully jog some memories that have been held for many years but nothing has changed, we're still steadfast in the investigation."
Brandt and Paul credit Tammy's mother Nancy with her strength and determination, working with them for nearly 30 years to bring her daughter justice.

"That's the unknown question and again, it all goes back to Nancy as a parent and grieving this for this many years without having all of the facts and the truth," Brandt said. "We have known the mannerism in which she died, but we don't know at whose hands that was."

For now, Tammy's loved ones continue on, honoring the young woman they lost too soon.

"It's been pretty emotional. As a mother myself, I can't imagine not having answers or knowing what happened," Arnette Heimen said. She was the Haas' neighbor as Tammy was growing up. "She was just so sparkly, you know. Always wanting to have fun. I don't have daughters of my own but she was so full of life. But it's to see that she, all these years, has been gone. It's hard."

Anyone with information about this event is asked to contact the FBI’s Sioux Falls office at 605-334-6881, the Yankton Police Department at 605-668-5210 or online at tips.fbi.gov.

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