YANKTON, S.D. — April 13th would have been Tammy Haas’s 48th birthday. Instead, the then-19-year-old disappeared the night of September 17th, 1992. Several days later, her body was discovered in a ditch by someone looking for golf balls.
Now nearly 29 years later, authorities and Haas’s family are still seeking information on how and why she disappeared and later died.
On the night of her disappearance, Haas was in various locations in northeast Nebraska, including Cedar and Knox Counties, and southeast South Dakota. Authories say Haas was last seen attending a party in Crofton. Her body was eventually discovered near the location of the party, having died as a result of hyperflexation of her neck, according to autopsy reports.
Last year, according to Yankton Police, Haas’s gravesite was targeted by vandals. Since then, her friends, family, peers and law enforcement officials have grown increasingly determined to understand why Haas is no longer around to celebrate her birthdays.
Yankton Police and the FBI Field Office in Minneapolis announced on Tuesday a new reward of $15,000 for information on Haas’s disappearance and death.
“Tammy’s mom and her family are still without very key answers, without very long-awaited answers to very basic questions,” said Special Agent Michael Paul of the FBI.
“We know there are a lot of uncertainties surrounding what happened on the night of September 17th, 1992,” Paul said. “But we do have some certainties, and that includes that someone out there knows what happened to Tammy.”
Anyone with information concerning Haas’ unexplained death, please contact the FBI’s Sioux Falls Resident Agency at (605) 334-6881, the Yankton Police Department at (605) 668-5210, or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov.