Thief Rivers Falls Police Department ignored house of horrors

Source: Vulnerable adult locked in basement while Sally Mumm went out for supper

February 3, 2015

by Timothy Charles Holmseth

More disturbing details are emerging in the fraud and abuse scandal involving Pennington County Prosecutor Alan Rogalla, and former caregiver Sally Mumm.

Rogalla is under fire for allowing Mumm to go un-prosecuted for a litany of offenses that clearly violate Minnesota criminal statute.

As details of fraud, abuse, and neglect, continue to seep out, the Thief River Falls Police Department has also come under fire.

According to a whistleblower with inside information regarding Mumm’s treatment of one particular vulnerable adult client, the abuse was horrendous and had gone on for years.

‘The police department received a full report on Mumm,’ the source said.

The whistleblower, who said she/he once filed a formal complaint against Mumm, described seeing one of Mumm’s client’s under the bleachers at a ball game, feverishly eating candy that she had managed to obtain from the concessions stand by begging children to get money from their parents. “I asked her what she was doing. She said ‘I’m so hungry. Sally says I’m too fat and only lets me eat yogurt,’” the source said.

Mumm also allegedly locked the same client in the basement while she went out for supper. The client was locked in the basement so she wouldn’t play with the “stove”.

‘[Redacted] used to tell scary stories to the kids about witches and really bad people and the bad person was always named Sally,’ the source said.  

According to the whistleblower, Tammy Sparby, the wife of Attorney Delray Sparby, openly expressed she suspected Mumm of pilfering money from the vulnerable adult client, and frequently witnessed the abuse against the vulnerable adult.

Tammy Sparby said she was afraid of Sally Mumm, because if you cross her, she will ruin your life, the source said.  

“This has gone on for years. Everybody knows about it,” the source said.

A wealth of documents, including reports from the Minnesota Department of Human Services clearly shows there was a serious problem surrounding Mumm, which included making a client stand in the freezing cold until frostbitten.

The fact that vulnerable adults were viciously abused for so long has now led to questions about the Thief River Falls Police Department.

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