Hanska woman's death probed

Autopsy results expected today

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Autopsy results are expected this morning for a woman found dead in her apartment Wednesday afternoon.

The 29-year old woman was found on the steps inside her apartment building, at 103 1/2 Broadway Street in Hanska, around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Authorities have not officially released the woman's name, saying they will do so when the results come back.

A death notice sent to The Journal from Firle Funeral Home in New Ulm confirmed the woman as Tammy Olson, 29, of Hanska.

The autopsy was called for by Brown County Coroner Dr. Terry Knowles after he pronounced the woman dead at the scene, saying it was necessary in order to determine the cause of her death.

The woman's body was taken to Ramsey County Medical Center in St. Paul, where the autopsy was performed Thursday afternoon.

The results are expected to show the cause of the woman's death and provide investigators with clues on how it happened.

The woman was found on the steps inside her apartment building. Hanska First Responders, a Madelia ambulance crew and Brown County Sheriff's deputies, who were responding to a 911 call, found her in an "unresponsive condition," officials said. No apparent injuries were found on the body.

A Bureau of Criminal Apprehension crime lab team, which was called to the scene from St. Paul, helped with evidence gathering. Brown County Chief Deputy Tim Brennan said BCA agents were called as a precaution in case the woman's death was ruled a homicide.

"We've got a 29-year old with no known medical problems," said Brennan. "We wanted to make sure that things were done properly."

He was quick to add, however, that there wasn't information as of Thursday to make a determination on whether the woman's death was accidental, natural or a homicide.

"We can't really say it's a crime until after the autopsy," Brennan said Thursday afternoon. "We're still waiting on the cause of death."

While doctors in St. Paul worked to determine that cause, law enforcement investigators worked to reconstruct the events leading up to the discovery of the body.

The body was removed from the residence at about 2 a.m. Thursday, officials said.

The Brown County Sheriff's Department interviewed about a dozen people Wednesday afternoon, Brennan said, many of which were friends, relatives and neighbors of the dead woman.

Brennan said Thursday evening that the BCSD has recalled some witnesses and has checked some new stories in hopes to trace the woman's whereabouts and the circumstances leading up to her death.

He said the investigation has "been clicking along pretty well," but he added later that the number of people involved has made the investigation time-consuming, in addition to the regular duties of the department.

Three people -- two BCA agents and Brown County Investigator Bob Christensen -- are working on the case.

"We want to take the time to do it right," Brennan said.

Although the woman's name was not officially released Thursday, sources said she was a Hanska native and single mother who worked at the municipal liquor store.

Brennan expects to have autopsy results late this morning.