Originally published January 30, 2020

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Rochester's forgotten serial killer. That has a LOT of weight to it. First, we had a serial killer? And second, this serial killer just slipped into the past, forgotten until now? Yes to both.

In the late '50s, a 16-yer-old boy tried to kill Carol Haack. The 10-year-old girl was walking home just outside Austin when he attacked her, dragged her to a nearby creek, and left her for dead.

But she didn't die, and as she got older, she realized she'd been one of the first people David Torgerson tried to kill. Before he was finally sent away for good, he'd attack and kill many more, including his wife, two children, and their babysitter in their Rochester, MN, home on July 4th, 1973.

Author Carol Haack
Author Carol Haack
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Andy Brownell says,

Carol Haack's book, "What Was Taken" is best described as a historical dramatization. Haack did extensive research to document the murderous acts of David Torgerson after his release from the Rochester State Hospital. Carol describes how he managed to "outwit" criminal justice and mental health professionals to continue killing until he took his own life in the Olmsted County jail."

This past Wednesday it all came flooding back on Rochester's Newstalk 1340 KROC AM and 96.9 FM during Rochester Today when Andy and James interviewed the author. Just click play to hear the interview.

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