On April 2, 2008 University of Wisconsin student Brittany Zimmermann was murdered in her Madison apartment. Her body was discovered two hours later by her boyfriend Jordan Gonnering, who was ruled out as a suspect. Gonnering said he found the front door of the apartment bashed in.
Immediately after the incident the Dane County 911 Center told police that someone had dialed 911 from the apartment using a cellular phone in the hours before Zimmermann’s body was discovered. The call was short and the caller hung up. They also said that a dispatcher called back the number and spoke to a man who said there was no problem.
By May 1st Officials declined to release the hang-up 911 call from the apartment, and would not describe its contents, saying it was crucial to the investigation. However, Madison police chief Noble Ray did say, “It would be accurate to state that there is evidence contained in the call which should have resulted in a Madison Police Officer being dispatched.” 911 director Joseph Norwick told a press conference, “The dispatcher answered this call and inquired several times to determine whether an emergency existed on the other end of the phone, and received no answer to the inquiries.” He said the dispatcher hung up on Zimmermann because there were two other 911 calls waiting, but should have called back. “Under current policy, if dispatchers a 911 call and either don’t hear a voice on the other end of the call or unable to determine if there is an emergency the dispatcher calls the number back.”
Norwick retired in 2006 after 28 years with the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, reaching the rank of Chief Deputy.
On May 2nd county executive Kathleen Falk said the 911 call had been mishandled, but praised Norwick.
On May 3rd newspapers reported that the calltaker had been transferred to another county job. Subsequently, county officials confirmed the move, but said the dispatcher had requested the transfer before the incident.
By May 5th county commissioners and the public were becoming anxious to see the results of the investigation. They held a press conference to express official regret over handling of the 911 call and the murder. Falk also revealed that the comm center had given Madison police inaccurate information about the 911 call–the calltaker who answered the call did not call the number back. Instead, she called back the person who dialed another 911 hang-up call. Further, the mistake wasn’t realized for 13 days. County officials said the 911 call pinpointed the call as next to Zimmermann’s apartment building, but that dispatchers could have obtained her specific address from the cellular carrier. Falk continued to support Norwick and his performance.
By May 14th the county scheduled a series of public meetings to air the circumstances of the incident and obtain public comment. Officials from the 911 center were invited but did not attend. Public sentiment over the incident continues to simmer. The next day county officials said they had been in contact with APCO to perform a comm center review under the group’s Member Assistance Advisory Program.
On June 13th the Zimmermann family filed a lawsuit (pdf) against the county and dispatcher Rita Gahagan for mishandling the call. However, within three weeks the family withdrew the lawsuit (later re-filed).
On Sept. 5, 2008 Norwick resigned. The county hired The Mercer Group for $21,500 to find a replacement. Download (pdf) the job description.
On Dec. 2, 2008 the Wisconsin State Journal broke news that screaming and the sounds of a struggle could easily be heard on the logging tape of the 911 call, and that Zimmermann had been stabbed to death–repeatedly–and strangled. Valuables were left behind at the scene and police found no weapon. The newspaper obtained the information from search warrant documents that the county district attorney had inadvertently not requested be sealed.
Over the next two weeks there was a court battle over release of the original 911 call from Zimmermann’s apartment–newspapers and the family wanted to hear the tape, but Madison police said the tape was evidence and should not be released. In the end, a county judge declined to release the tape, but did allow Gonnering’s call to be releaesed.
On Dec. 6, 2008 a comm center investigation found that dispatcher Rita Gahagan fielded the 911 call from Zimmermann’s phone, the call lasted 57 seconds, and that no further action was ever taken on the call. County officials said she would be suspended for three days without pay for mishandling the call. Gahagan told an investigator that that noises on the 911 call did not register as screams. The union representing Gahagan files a grievance in connection with the discipline.
On Jan. 9, 2009 Madison police released a logging tape of the 911 call made by Gonnering, Zimmermann’s boyfriend. Some sections of the tape were edited to delete information that police believe are critical to the murder investigation.
By Jan. 14, 2009 Zimmermann’s parents had filed a lawsuit against the county and its officials saying they were negligent in staffing and training the comm center staff. They asked for $50 million in damages.
In Feb. 2009 Falk appeared at political debates to defend her record, as she is up for re-election in May. On Feb. 12th the Matrix Consulting Group released its audit of the comm center, saying the CAD system should be updated and staffing should be increased.
- List of stories about the incident, and citizen comments on the incident
- Gonnering 911 call (mp3)
- Video from city of Madison on “Questions About the 911 Center,” part of the city’s public television programming, Jan. 2009 (RealVideo)
- Minutes (pdf) of June 18, 2008 county commissioner meeting, with long list of questions raised by citizens at earlier public meeting about the murder
- Read an editorial reply from the Badger-Herald newspaper (Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison) after Falk visited their editorial board.
- May 6, 2008 statement (pdf) by the county commission and various documents related to the early investigation
- May 6, 2008 press release (pdf) by the county commissioners
- May 8, 2008 report on (pdf) the results of a preliminary investigation into the 911 call
- Dec. 17, 2008 collection (pdf) of e-mails related to the investigation of the 911 call
- February, 2009 review (pdf) of the comm center by The Matrix Group consulting firm
- In Aug. 2009 an outside attorney for the city recommended the city not settle the lawsuit for $150,000. The county council is expected to agree. The case could go to trial next year.
- In Sept. 2009 a judge consolidated the family’s lawsuit against the county, and one they have filed against the property manager of the apartment where Ms. Zimmermann lived.
- List of stories about Zimmermann from the Wisconsin State Journal and The Capital Times newspapers
- In July 2010 a judge ordered the Zimmermann family’s civil lawsuit against Dane County delayed until criminal case evidence is released
- In July 2010 the family dropped the “wrongful death” portion of the lawsuit against Dane County and dispatcher Rita Gahagan, but continue to pursue emotional distress claims, and a liability claim against the apartment house owners where Zimmermann lived. A state appeals court ruled Jordan Gonnering does not have standing to sue the county.
- In Oct. 2010 the county settled a lawsuit filed by several news outlets, agreeing to pay their $118,000 legal fees. The lawsuit was filed to force release of phone calls and documents related to the case.
- In Nov. 2010 the family reached a settlement with Dane County over the family’s lawsuit. Under the settlement, the county will contribute $5,000 towards a murder reward fund and pay $2,500 towards the family’s legal expenses.