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

[tangledweb]

http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080904/MNH0101/80904077/1731/MNH01

Associated Press • September 4, 2008

A reward is being offered in the case of a slain University of Wisconsin-Madison student.

Twenty-one-year-old Brittany Zimmermann was found dead in her off-campus apartment five blocks from the state Capitol on April 2. Investigators say the door had been forced open and it appeared to be a random crime.

Zimmermann was a junior from Marshfield majoring in medical microbiology and immunology. She had planned to become a doctor.

Police said Thursday that a $5,000 reward from the Carole Sund/Carrington Memorial Foundation is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

Zimmermann’s relatives say they hope the reward will grow with additional donations.

 

[crymezero]

 

[tangledweb]

Another similiar article which lists cause of death:

Zimmermann Reward Fund Launched

By Sandy Cullen
608-252-6137
scullen@madison.com

The family of slain UW Madison student Brittany Zimmermann launched a reward fund Wednesday with an emotional appeal for information that will bring her killer to justice.

"We have to believe that someone has additional information that has not been shared with the police," said Kim Heeg, Zimmermann's aunt, as she tearfully announced the fund, now at $5,000, for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

"The days since Brittany's death have been very dark," Heeg said. "We are desperate at this point to find some justice for her."

Zimmermann, 21, was killed April 2 in her West Doty Street apartment, where her body was found around 1 p.m. by her fiance, UW-Madison student Jordan Gonnering. A source familiar with the investigation said Zimmermann had been stabbed.

The rest of the article can be found at Wisconsin State Journal:

http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/303544

 

[tangledweb]

crymezero,

Was that the sketch of the guy doing the home invasions that was distributed in the neighborhood after the crime?

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.

WISC also reports that police have a sketch of the man who was invading homes in the area. Just a thought, it may help finding the guy if they released that sketch to the public.

http://www.dane101.com/current/2008/04/04/zimmerman_homicide_media_updates_april_4_12_30_p_m

 

[crymezero]

it's the police sketch posted by mssheila, here http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2177288&postcount=7

 

[tangledweb]

http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=23713
Jason Shepard on Friday 09/05/2008

The embattled director of Dane County’s 911 Center resigned today, following months of scrutiny about the center’s operations and management.

Joe Norwick, the retired chief deputy of the Dane County Sheriff’s Office who County Executive Kathleen Falk handpicked to lead the center in 2007, offered his resignation to Falk this morning.

“Frankly, I’m a little surprised this didn’t happen sooner,” says Scott McDonell, chairman of the Dane County Board. “ It’s been a rough year for Joe and for the 911 Center.”

On Thursday, Isthmus reported that Falk and the 911 Center Board have failed to conduct a performance evaluation of Norwick, despite widespread, publicly aired problems at the center. As chairman of the oversight board before Falk handpicked him as center director, Norwick had also failed to conduct annual evaluations of the center director.

The failure violated county law and the job contract between the director and the county.

The center has been under scrutiny since May, when Isthmus reported that a dispatcher received a call from UW-Madison Brittany Zimmermann’s cell phone before she was murdered, but never sent police to the call...

 

[tangledweb]

Brittany Zimmermann's Mother Speaks To Newschannel 7

Oct 13, 2008
Reporter: Julia Fello
Email Address: jfello@wsaw.com

The mother of 21-year old Brittany Zimmermann is finally speaking out, hoping she can find her daughter's killer. Brittany was found murdered in her off-campus apartment back in April.

Brittany Zimmermann's mother Jean Zimmermann says she hopes her plea will finally motivate someone who knows something about that day to come forward.

She was a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, majoring in medical microbiology and immunology, with plans to become a physician. That is, until someone cut her life short. Investigators say the door to her apartment had been forced open the day of her murder, and Brittany was discovered in her apartment after a fruitless 911 call.

Her mother says all she wants now is to find justice for her daughter, so no one else will have to go through a similar horrible circumstance.

"We're just pleading with people to please come forward, pleas help us in finding justice for Brittany, anything they may know, any help they may have for us," says Zimmermann.

The Zimmermann Family set up a fund at the Marshfield Medical Center Credit Union. So far, they've raised about $10,000. The money will be given to anyone with information leading to an arrest in her case.

Rest of article at:

http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/30871614.html

 

[mssheila]

http://www.nbc15.com/home/headlines/17230569.html


UPDATED Tuesday, December 2, 2008 --- 4:30 p.m.
Report from NBC15's Zac Schultz and Dana Brueck:

At 11:30 in the morning on April 2nd, Brittany Zimmermann spoke to her fiance on her cell phone.
Less than an hour later she was dead.
Newly unsealed search warrants show that Zimmermann made her desperate call to 911 at 12:20 p.m.
According to a search warrant, "The disconnect started with the sound of a woman screaming and the line remains active and open, picking up the background sound of a struggle for a short period of time."
Last spring we learned the 911 operator who took the call failed by not dispatching police... and failed again by calling back the wrong number.
Police weren't notified about Brittany's murder until 1:08 p.m., when her fiance Jordan Gonnering came home and found her body.
He told detectives, "She was cold, her fingers were stiff," and there was blood on her face.
Gonnering originally thought Zimmermann had been shot, but the search warrants reveal she was actually beaten, strangled and stabbed multiple times-with half of the stabs penetrating her heart.
A coroner's report indicates the knife used to kill Brittany was between 2 and 5 inches long.
Detectives believe the killer kicked in the security door on the apartment, but did not have to force entry into Zimmermann's apartment.
In a wrongful death lawsuit filed in Dane County Court, Zimmerman's parents said Brittany was killed in her bedroom.
Police recovered bloody slippers and computer paper with blood drops. They also took hair, 18 blood samples, 9 partial footwear prints, 10 fingerprints and 23 swabs for DNA.
The only mention of Zimmermann's cell phone is that police found cell phone parts.
The State Crime Lab did isolate unknown DNA on Zimmermann's body.
<SNIP>

Bolded part is mine. I remember reading (somewhere...) that the dispatcher said that he/she could not hear anything on the line. How did the dispatcher miss the "sound of a woman screaming and the line remains active and open, picking up the background sound of a struggle for a short period of time."
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

'

Anyway, it sounds like the District Attorney didn't do some legal prodedure that would keep the search warrants sealed. Due to that, we now have a ton of info on this STILL unsolved murder. On the news report at 6 PM tonight, the anchor said that a homeless man actually tried to confess! But his confession didn't match up with the elements of the crime. I think he said he had shot her, but she was stabbed- or something along those lines.

Here are more links that all have good info about Brittany's murder.

http://www.channel3000.com/news/18185231/detail.html
Warrants Disclose More Details In Zimmermann Death

**************************************************

http://www.madison.com/tct/mad/topstories/316883
Zimmermann 911 tapes could be made public sooner

**********************************************

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Thanks, MsSheila!!

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

At 11:30 in the morning on April 2nd, Brittany Zimmermann spoke to her fiance on her cell phone.
Less than an hour later she was dead.
Newly unsealed search warrants show that Zimmermann made her desperate call to 911 at 12:20 p.m.

Police weren't notified about Brittany's murder until 1:08 p.m., when her fiance Jordan Gonnering came home and found her body.
He told detectives, "She was cold, her fingers were stiff...

Is 48 minutes enough time for that to happen?

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

Never mind, here's what I found regarding my above question:

Rigor Mortis and Other Postmortem Changes - Putrefaction

Rigor mortis begins within two to six hours of death, starting with the eyelids, neck, and jaw. This sequence may be due to the difference in lactic acid levels among different muscles, which corresponds to the difference in glycogen levels and to the different types of muscle fibers. Over the next four to six hours, rigor mortis spreads to the other muscles, including those in the internal organs such as the heart. The onset of rigor mortis is more rapid if the environment is cold and if the decedent had performed hard physical work just before death. Its onset also varies with the individual's age, sex, physical condition, and muscular build.

 

[tangledweb]

http://marshfieldhighschool.net/marshfield-wi/alumni-list.html

The above link shows that Ryan M. Peacock went to high school with Brittany Zimmmerman. Ryan also moved to Madison, WI.

I wonder if Brittany Zimmerman and Ryan M. Peacock knew each other since they were classmates together at Marshfield Sr. High School? I also wonder, if she did know him, whether she had any contact with him while they were both living in Madison?

Ryan lived with his uncles, David E. and Steven Peacock in Madison, who I wrote about earlier in this thread. They are suspects in the disappearance of Crystal Arensdorf in Dubuque, IA in 2001. She was never found.

David Peacock was supposed to go to court on another charge in Madison, WI, but disappeared about the time of Brittany's murder. Peacock currently has warrants out for his arrest in Madison and in Jefferson City, MO. He gave his last address as 4202 Robertson Road, Madison, WI, which is a commercial property, Maly Roofing. He, Steven & Ryan are roofers. Is there anyone familiar with the case that might know if there were any roofing projects going on in Brittany's neighborhood at the time of her murder?

Below is a photo of Ryan Peacock (on left) in case anyone can make any connections. Ryan has also been convicted of burglary.

Considering David Peacock's violent background and the fact that both his girlfriend and Brittany were strangled (she was also stabbed), David's relationship to one of Brittany's classmates (Ryan) and other coincidences, I think he needs to be checked out.

ARRESTED MAN `OF INTEREST' IN DISAPPEARANCE
By By Mike Miller The Capital Times — Friday, February 11, 2005

A Mount Horeb man who is still considered a "person of interest" in the 2001 disappearance of a young Iowa woman has been arrested in Madison and charged with viciously beating and threatening to kill his girlfriend.

David E. Peacock, 37, will face a preliminary hearing next week on one count of false imprisonment and three charges of battery for the attack on his girlfriend of six weeks, which came on the night of Jan. 28 in a parking lot on the east side of Madison.

According to the criminal complaint filed against Peacock, he accused the victim of cheating on him when he saw her sitting in a car with another man. He allegedly threatened to kill them both, then pulled the woman from the car, forced her into her truck, and beat her badly before dumping her in a parking lot on Atlas Avenue.

The victim told police that at one point during the attack Peacock grabbed her around the neck and was strangling her.

Peacock is out on $2,000 bail pending further proceedings in the case and that bail was posted by his brother, Stephen, who now resides in Darlington, court records show.

The brothers were labeled "persons of interest" by Dubuque police after the 2001 disappearance of Crystal Arensdorf, who was last seen on July 4...

 

[Jesikah1]

Tangled Web,
This is a very compelling connection. Have you shared this with authorities? Good Work.

 

[tangledweb]

They're aware. Whether they're following up on it is another matter. They don't even acknowledge they've received your emails, so one doesn't know whether they tossed your tip into the nearest garbage can or are actually pursuing it.

I notified LE in Saint Ann, MO the name of the roofing company where David was working, his company-supplied phone number, when he answers the phone, the address where he lives with his sister and I've heard nothing since May. MissouriCasenet shows no arrest as of yet. It's like, why bother contacting them? Maybe they're working on it, who knows.

That's why I post my information here. At least it's getting out to the public and it will probably be the public that will solve the case, before LE does.

What I'd like to do is obtain a photograph of David Peacock and post it here. Neither the Madison, WI LE webpage or the Jefferson City, MO LE webpage has his photo up. How is anyone going to recognize him to turn him in if they don't even know what he looks like?

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

Tangledweb, great info! Thanks for posting it here!

 

[ShowerSinger]

www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/444919

 

[Bobbisangel]

I hope that Brittany's family win their civil suit against this police department.
If that dispatcher had been on the ball this girl might still be alive. Maybe the equipment did need replaced but if others could hear Brittany screaming for help why couldn't the dispatcher? Doesn't make sense. Killer still not caught. I wonder if all of the tips were really checked out like the one that was talked about right here on this thread.

Because they are shorthanded employees were made to work overtime. Wouldn't it make more sense to hire the needed dispatchers so they won't be shorthanded then they wouldn't have to pay overtime. I swear some of these bigwigs who make the decisions are dumber then bricks.

It's the same story as the mother who was abducted and a woman saw her in a car and it was the car described in the news...she called LE and the dispatcher didn't send the message on. Not enough dispatchers and not wanting to pay overtime for this LE.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Maybe the Peacock brothers do need to be looked at further in this case. (I admit I was very wrong about them and the violent factor!) I am also haunted by Kelly Nolan's case.

MPD have been less than effective in any of those cases and it makes me wonder why? It didn't begin with Kelly...as they have so many unsolved female murders in and around Madison dating back years. They are either worthless as a department as a whole or they are covering for someone, something, or have another reason as to their perceived incompetence, imo.

 

[gaia227]

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/unsolved/madison_wi/1.html


I agree the Peacock Brothers are compelling suspects. They have also been mentioned in the 3 missing women from Springfield, MO too by TW.

There was a rash of serial killings in Madison starting in the late 60's and lasting through the mid-80's. He was dubbed the Capital City Killer. There is speculation he never really stopped - he just changed his M.O. and/or went dormant for a long time.

Between Brittany, Kelly and the other unsolved homicides you have to wonder if there is not a serial killer at work in Madison.

 

[tangledweb]

gaia227,

Thanks for the True Crime Diary website lead showing a construction company just 500 feet from Brittany's apartment. I had speculated previously that maybe a construction or roofing company was working in Brittany's neighborhood.

That would be CG Schmidt Capital Region Office – Madison and is located at 10 E. Doty St., Suite 615, Madison, WI 53703.

It would be interesting to see if Madison LE went to that construction company office to see if either of the Peacock brothers were working there (or through them on a bid job) at the time of Brittany's murder or if one of them applied there for a job that day. It's not inconceivable that they crossed paths with Brittany that morning. It would be interesting to see if Brittany passed that office on her way to or from classes.

Brittany was killed April 2, 2008. David Peacock was supposed to make a court appearance April 9, 2008, but never showed up. A warrant was issued the same day. According to WCCA records, he was recently served the warrant and is scheduled to appear in court in Madison for that charge, DUI #3, & others on September 9, 2009.

He updated his address from Maly Roofing, 2402 Robertson Rd, Madison, WI to 2444 Chalet Gardens # 4, Madison, WI, May 4, 2009. That's Ryan Peacock's address, which is 12 miles north of where Kelly Nolan was found dead. He (Ryan) lived in Wisconsin Rapids, WI when Deidre Harm was murdered and had also lived in Marshfield, WI, the town where Brittany had lived before going to college in Madison, WI.

Ryan, I believe, is the son of Kathy Peacock, David's sister, who lived north of Springfield, MO at one time. They've all lived with each other off and on in Missouri, Wisconsin and Dubuque, Iowa, where the Peacock's are suspects in the death of Crystal Arensdorf. I got the obit for Stephen Peacock's father though interlibrary loan and can check the relationships of the Peacock's with each other to see how they are related. I'm not certain, but I think Kelly Nolan had lived in the same town outside Madison, WI where the father had resided.

The guy (his name escapes me at the moment, I have it somewhere) who lived with Crystal Arensdorf's mother at the time Crystal disappeared was paroled from KSP to Iowa sometime before. KSP is where the GJ3 were incarcerated, one for certain at the same time Crystal's mother's boyfriend was there. Did he know any of the GJ3? Don't know. He was a roofer though and may have known the Peacock's in Dubuque. They are also roofers. Sometime after Crystal disappeared, the boyfriend got into a fight about Crystal with Crystal's mother at the bar she went missing at and was arrested for assaulting her.

I don't know about you but there are just too many coincidences and possible relationships amongst all these people.