GUILTY WI - Brittany Zimmermann, 21, Madison, 2 April 2008 *arrest in 2020*

[ladymemac]

My guess would be the Marino and Zimmerman murders are related, Nolan is not.

Staying tight-lipped got the MPD nowhere on the Nolan case. I don't know what their strategy is --- there's significant information one can release without jeopardizing an investigation or court case. The release of such information to the public often results in an arrest.

One of the most important questions for me is, were the Marino and Zimmerman murders attempted robberies gone wrong? Is this guy casing out houses to rob during the day and gets confronted, or is he purely a homicidal thrill kill type? There should be some evidence that reveals intent.

Here's a link to a sketch of the Marino suspect. They have a lot of good forensic evidence.

http://www.news.wisc.edu/14877

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Thanks, Ladymemac. I don't think we can rule out Kelly's murder being related until the DNA rules it out.

They never found the perp and they think Marino's killer lives near State St. putting him near to where Kelly went missing and lived. (They mishandled Kelly's case from the beginning and I expect Zimmermann's case will soon go cold, too.)

 

[sweetmop]

Watching Nancy G. right now.
It's being reported that this beautiful young woman was engaged to be married soon. She also was a pre med student.

Her fiance found her body. He has been 100% cooperative with LE, and has an airtight alibi. Poor young man, finding her, how terrible for him.
It's believed to be a random crime.

I just can't stand hearing about another young person with so much to offer this world, being murdered! It seems it happens more and more!

Prayers for this young woman's family and friends tonight and prayers that the person responsible for her death is caught soon!

 

[SeriouslySearching]

MY son is an almost 21 year old biochemistry major at Madison! This is so sad. Are they looking at the bf, anyone know? Or is it looking like a random thing, I wonder? I'll have to ask my ds what people are saying on campus.


Eve

I would love to know what they are saying on campus, Eve. Tell your son he needs to keep his eyes open and hang with his buddies. It is looking quite random and I think females are at more risk. I hope they are paying attention to the warnings.

 

[Indigator]

Just beginning to read this thread. This guy has some money-either a student with wealthy parents or something similiar.

 

[SteveHuff]

Brittany Zimmermann's boyfriend has been ruled out as a suspect.

Quote from the article linked above: "'We've not determined who a suspect might be at this time, and we cannot rule out that this was a random act,' Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain said. 'That is why we've placed additional resources in the neighborhood.'"

 

[Indigator]

Does anyone know the cause of death in the Marino murder? Multiple or single stab wound?

 

[nohwheregirl]

Just saw this on the local Madison news:

The WORT Radio Station is located just steps from where Brittany was murdered across Bedford street on Doty. Employees of the radio station said that a man walked into the station yesterday and asked for money to help fix his car (apparently this was shortly before Brittany was found). The employees refused. After he left, the employees went to the window to watch him leave and check to see if he actually had a car. They said he walked down Doty Street and disappeared between some of the buildings on that block. This could be a major lead. They did not give a description of this person. I will post a link to this story if I find it online.

I used to live a block over from Brittany's house. There was more crime in that neighborhood than my current one. It was mostly petty vandalism, but a man tried to break into an apartment next door to mine at night while someone was home. I found that very disturbing. In other words, this is a neighborhood that is generally safe, but crime is not unheard of there.

I can tell you that everyone on campus is shocked and saddened. Brittany was obviously a superb human being and didn't deserve this. I personally feel wearing of walking alone and I'm glad I have two guys living downstairs from me. My friend lives a couple doors down from Brittany and said he has never seen so many cops in his life. Some people think it's silly that people in Madison are freaking out over 2 or 3 murders, but the seeming randomness of the crimes is what's really getting to everyone. People seemed to think the Joel Marino murder was some kind of fluke, but this seems to push everyone over the line into wondering if it could happen to them.


ETA: This is a similar sounding, but separate incident from the WORT witnesses. VERY PROMISING LEAD!

MADISON, Wis. -- Madison police received a sketch of a man who illegally entered a West Washington Avenue apartment house shortly before the time that they were summoned to the scene of a woman's death two blocks away.

Holly Davis, a 21-year-old University of Wisconsin-Madison junior told WISC-TV reporter Linda Eggert that she has six roommates but all were gone just before 1 p.m. Wednesday when she said an intruder opened her front door, walked in and halfway up the stairs to her room.

Davis said that she didn't know she was home alone and said that she came out of her bedroom to find a "grungy" looking man. She said that intruder was white, appeared about 40 years old, about 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall, and was wearing a gray T-shirt and blue jeans.

She said that the man said he told her had a flat tire on East Washington Avenue with his wife and thought his friend lived on her block. Then, she said the man asked her for $40, then for her to go with him and then finally left after she told him to get out of her house.

Davis said that she was angry, not scared and doesn't want to dwell on the thought that the person could be tied to the homicide investigation of Brittany Sue Zimmermann, another 21-year-old UW student who was found dead just two blocks behind her house on West Doty Street.

Davis said that Madison police took information from her after a 911 dispatcher told her to lock her doors and wait for police. She said that she phoned in an intruder report about 1 p.m.

Davis said that she gave a detective more details later and she was told the intruder might "have information" about the homicide case.

Police created a sketch of the man.

"It could be potentially be completely an unrelated incident but they think that the person who was here at least has information. That's all they would tell me," Davis said.

The student said that everyone at her house has now made locking the front door a priority.

Police are saying little about the intruder and whether it's related to the Zimmermann slaying, WISC-TV reported.

 

[sweetmop]

nohwheregirl,
I hope they find this murderer soon!
How very scarey.

And I am sickened by Brittany's senseless murder, she sounded like a wonderful person, so much to give!

All of you there are in my thoughts and prayers tonight.

Stay safe!

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Does anyone know the cause of death in the Marino murder? Multiple or single stab wound?

An anonymous donor has offered a reward of $30,000 in the homicide investigation of Joel Marino, a 31-year-old Madison man who was found with multiple stab wounds outside his house on West Shore Drive early Monday afternoon and taken to University Hospital where he died shortly thereafter.

http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=21212

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Welcome to WS, Nowheregirl! Thanks for the information. It does sound like it could be a viable lead. Keep us updated on that one, please.

I know people around the campus and in the neighborhoods must feel quite vulnerable at the moment. I am sorry for the loss of this beautiful and intelligent woman. No one deserves to die such a violent and horrid death. Bless her heart.

It isn't silly at all to be freaked about murders happening all around your campus. It is a situation which should be taken very seriously until this person is caught. I can't stress how important it is to use the buddy system and be aware of your surroundings. I am glad you have two guys living downstairs from you, too. Make sure you have their cell numbers as an added precaution.

 

[nohwheregirl]

Please see my above post. I've added new information about another incident. A man entered a house on W. Washington asking for money to fix a flat tire. There's a description. I have a feeling this is the guy. I just hope the historically inept MPD can catch him.

ETA: One other thing...This guy does not match the description of the man fleeing the scene of Joel Marino's death.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Great! That is the one we heard about early on and I was wondering if they got a sketch. Now we know they did and hopefully LE will have it out soon.

She is one lucky girl. Wow! Anger certainly would not have been my first reaction, but it seems to have gotten her out of a horrid situation at the time. I am glad she didn't freak out and she held her own with him. Sounds like she did the right thing.

By the way, we are only allowed to put part of a story here and not the entire article because of copyright laws. Please just put a paragraph or two and the link so others can read the whole thing.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

It makes me wonder if it is the same man tho. The call for Zimmermann came in about 1:00 pm from her fiance when he found her. I would have to assume the perp would have blood on him and her description of him wearing a white T-shirt with no stain doesn't seem to be consistent with the stabbing of Zimmermann. LE could be right that he may have information. It could have been someone with him.

 

[nohwheregirl]

That's a good point, SS. I am confused about the times too. We know Brittany was found at 1:00 but we don't know when she was killed. Since she lived with her boyfriend, we can probably assume it was sometime between yesterday morning and 1:00. The WORT witnesses say that they talked to the man 30 minutes before Brittany was found. It would be quite improbable to have two intruders working the same neighborhood on the same day, one harmless, the other a murderer. I could imagine a scenario in which the murderer washed up before leaving the scene, and possibly even changed his clothes (maybe using the boyfriend's clothes) to look less suspicious. But then this is all just speculation. You'd think he'd want to get the heck outta dodge!

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Zimmermann was taking a test in the morning on campus. They haven't said what time she finished and returned home.

 

[Indigator]

I'm stumped. Without inside info it is hard to follow any line of thought. Random murderx2. Random dude entering homes and businesses asking for cash-maybe no relation at all. Murders occuring around lunchtime...someone working in the area? Male/female victims. First victim stumbles outside, proves that perp doesn't stick around. Maybe needs to get back within the hour? No blood on clothes? Perp can leave without changing clothes. Puzzling. Not a sexual crime. Power. Crime leaves perp empowered. Maybe he works in a menial job at the university somewhere.

 

[Indigator]

Clothes found in the Marino case. Perhaps a mockery of the "typical" student. Initially it made me wonder if the murderer had money since he left a perfectly new, good quality backpack and hat. Now I wonder if it wasn't meant to show disdain for "academic types".

 

[SeriouslySearching]

I have always felt that Kelly Nolan was stabbed due to this statement from DeSpain after they found her body. If they could tell she was "slain" from such a distance, it is the only thing that made sense to me.:

Stanley said investigators had yet to get a "detailed, up-close" look at the body, which was covered up in a very densely wooded area, but preliminary evidence suggests it is Nolan.

Police spokesman Joel DeSpain declined to describe the condition of the body, but said it was obvious to detectives that the person had been slain.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,288727,00.html (Bolded by me)

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Clothes found in the Marino case. Perhaps a mockery of the "typical" student. Initially it made me wonder if the murderer had money since he left a perfectly new, good quality backpack and hat. Now I wonder if it wasn't meant to show disdain for "academic types".

It was reported he just bought the backpack. I would say he planned on disposing of the items ahead of time and perhaps you are correct that it was to make himself look like a student until after the murder. It could also mean that Marino's murder was premediated, but he could still have been a random target.

Police also say the killer left his DNA on the knife used in the stabbing and on a backpack they believe he bought on State Street and later dropped near the crime scene, a police spokesman said Monday.

Detectives working the Marino case have determined the recovered backpack was bought at a State Street business on the afternoon of Jan. 25. The killer is believed to be the person who made the purchase.

http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/276435