To review:

Tammy was last seen by reliable, multiple witnesses at
about 11:15 p.m. on Sept. 17th 1992, at the Stephenson farm
in northwest Nebraska.

At about this time, Tammy was getting ready to go back to
Yankton with Eric Stukel, who claims he took her home.

Nearly a week later, her body would be found within a
ravine  1 1/2 miles by road from this farmhouse.

Over the course of the evening of September 17th, about 80
people were in attendance at this party -- all potential
suspects, all subject to questioning by law enforcement.  

Though Stukel claims he took Tammy back to Yankton with
him, which was eight miles away, and also claims he was
with her until as late as 12:30 to 1:00 a.m., forensic evidence
revealed that her time of death was no later than 12:35 a.m.
-- and more likely much closer to 11:30 p.m. and midnight. If
Stukel claims he was the only one with Tammy at these
times, then he is the only person with opportunity to
commit the crime of her homicide.

Pathologist who studied the wounds on Tammy's body
determined that she didn't die accidentally, but was
deliberately killed at the hands of another.

Out of all the suspects who could have potentially killed
Tammy, only one would confess to this crime while Tammy
was still missing (courtroom testimony of this confession
will be revealed in later posts) and only one would fail a
polygraph administered by law enforcement (the results of
which will also be later revealed.)  

With these facts in hand, law enforcement quickly
impounded Eric Stukel's automobile. There they found
physical evidence indicating that Tammy's body had been
placed in Stukel's trunk.

Here they found body fluids on the steering wheel,
dashboard,and front seat. Two sources of urine would also
be found on Tammy's body, one matching Eric Stukel's blood
and secretor  type on the back of her underwear.  

In the end, the physical evidence would indicate that
Tammy was assaulted and killed, that she was placed in
Eric Stukel trunk, that she was dragged and dumped into a
ravine.  

Oddly, a witness came forward with information that a
friend of his had urinated in Stukel's car on the night of
Tammy's murder.

Stukel would be seen the next day cleaning out his vehicle.
All his doors would be open, including his trunk.

Did this have anything to do with Tammy's death...or is this
all just mere coincidence? Why when asked about all of this
did Stukel keep changing his story?   

Though the defense produced witnesses to back up Stukel's
alibis, all of these witnesses claimed to see Tammy after her
time of death.

Physical evidence indicated that somebody returned to
Tammy's body after the night of the murder...

Stukel's behavior, like his trip to the car wash, Friday,
September 18th, would become more and more peculiar
during the days Tammy was missing.


STOOD UP, SO THE STORY GOES….


Stukel’s testimony on the stand continued on Oct. 2nd, 1996,
as reported in Yankton’s Press and Dakotan, Oct. 3rd
edition.*

Haas and Stukel had plans for dinner at the Black Steer in Yankton the
next night, Sept. 18, 1992, to celebrate Stukel’s upcoming 18th birthday
on Sept. 24th.

Stukel went to school on Friday, Sept. 18th, 1992, getting out early for
homecoming celebrations. He then went to a car wash to clean his
Chevrolet Beretta and went home.

“Around 5 p.m., I began calling Tammy’s aunt’s house,” Stukel said. “I
called her a few times and no one ever answered. My friends showed
up and we watched the (Yankton High School) football game from my
back yard. We ate at my house and I figured Tammy would cruise by
with somebody else. She never stood me up for a date before.”


So—let me strap myself in for this ride—a person has
birthday plans with his supposed girlfriend to eat at a fancy
restaurant, but gets…stood up?

Wasn’t Stukel the one with the car, not Tammy?

Wouldn’t he have gone to check up on Tammy at her aunt’s
house if nobody was answering the phone, considering she
had never before stood him up?

Maybe Tammy was just in the shower when he was trying to
call. There could have been any number of reasons the phone
wasn’t answered. Wouldn’t it have made sense, on a big
night like this, that Eric would be a little more concerned
that he couldn’t get a hold of Tammy?

If it was so unlike Tammy to stand him up, wouldn’t he have
driven over to the Larsen house and knocked on the door?

Tammy had introduced him to her aunt the night before, so
this shouldn't have been much of a problem.

Instead, his friends arrive at his house (did he invite them
short notice?) and he cooks them chili.        

According to Eric Stukel, he first learned Tammy was
missing late the next morning, Saturday, when Tammy’s
aunt phoned him looking for Tammy.

According to Stukel, she told him she hadn’t seen Tammy
since Thursday and asked if he knew her whereabouts.

According to his own testimony, Stukel drove out to the
party spot north of Yankton by the airport.

But why on earth would he look for Tammy there?

According to his own testimony, Tammy left his house
Thursday night/Friday morning between 12:30-1:00 a.m. to
walk southward from his house toward her aunt’s.




m.c. merrill


TOMORROW --  WHY ON EARTH WOULD ERIC STUKEL WANT
TO KILL TAMMY HAAS AND OTHER PRESSING QUESTIONS?


* SOURCE: Rothanzl, Lorna. “Stukel Takes
Stand.” Yankton Press and Dakotan.  Oct. 3rd,
1996.