Hanska woman's death ruled an accident

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Ramsey County medical examiners have determined the death of Tammy Lynn Olson, 29, of Hanska, was caused by a fall down some stairs.

Olson was found on the stairs inside her apartment building in Hanska on Wednesday afternoon. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Because authorities were uncertain of the cause of death, it was investigated as a possible crime.

Agents from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and Brown County sheriff's deputies conducted the investigation Wednesday and Thursday, talking with neighbors, friends and relatives about Olson's whereabouts and activities.

Olson's body was sent to St. Paul for an autopsy.

The autopsy report, issued by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner, concluded that Olson's death was caused by a lack of an airway because of a fall down the stairs. The report listed the manner of the death as accidental.

Brown County Chief Deputy Tim Brennan said the investigation into Olson's demise should be closed by next week, pending any further information.

"We've still got a couple of loose ends," he said, adding later that investigators were satisfied with the results of the autopsy, as were members of Olson's family.

Brennan, who in 29 years of law enforcement was involved with a few murder investigations, said the Olson case wasn't the same kind of thing.

"You get a feeling something's wrong," he said. "With this case, it wasn't so much that as the number of question marks and knowing what those are about."

Investigators earlier had called the BCA team to help in processing the scene in the event that Olson's death was ruled a homicide, but nothing was certain until the autopsy was completed and the results were released.