Brittany Zimmermann: The 12:20 p.m. 911 Call That Got No Callback
- Strange Case Files
- Mar 9
- 4 min read
On April 2, 2008, Brittany Zimmermann’s phone reached 911 from her Madison apartment. No callback came. No officers were sent. It took 12 years for DNA to put a name to what happened next.
Brittany’s Life in Madison
Brittany Sue Zimmermann was 21 years old and a University of Wisconsin student living downtown in Madison. She was from Marshfield, Wisconsin, and by early April 2008, she was living the kind of routine that feels stable until it suddenly is not.
She lived on West Doty Street, a location that made the timing of what happened next feel even more unreal. This did not happen in the middle of the night. It happened in the middle of the day.
April 2, 2008
At about 12:20 p.m., a 911 call came in from Brittany’s phone.
Later, Madison police confirmed what would become one of the most painful facts in the case timeline: after that call, the 911 center did not call back, Madison police were not notified, and no officer was dispatched based on that 12:20 p.m. call.
What the 911 Recording Was Reported to Capture
When the existence of the call became public, the recording became a point of intense focus.
Reporting at the time identified the dispatcher as Rita Gahagan, and described her as saying she did not hear anything that signaled an emergency. That call was ended, and no callback was made.
Later reporting, citing court related records and search warrant material, described the call as containing screams and sounds consistent with a struggle.
1:08 p.m. The Call That Brought Police
At 1:08 p.m., Brittany’s boyfriend, Jordan Gonnering called 911 after finding Brittany in the apartment.
The timeline became fixed in public memory because those two times sat so close together, and yet the outcome was final.
What Investigators Described
Coverage from the investigation described Brittany’s death as a homicide involving violent injuries, including multiple stab wounds, with additional injury details discussed in later reporting.
The Dispatcher Discipline and Public Fallout
After the 12:20 p.m. call became known, the dispatcher was disciplined. Reporting described a short suspension connected to mishandling the call.
For many people, the discipline was not the point. The point was the missing step that is supposed to be automatic, the callback that never happened.
Why Was He In Her Home
When the case finally moved forward years later, prosecutors described a context that did not involve a personal connection to Brittany.
Reporting on the criminal complaint described David Kahl in the area that day approaching people for money and using a “flat tire” type story, with the stated goal of getting money for drugs, and that he admitted he was high.
That is why this case is so often described as an intrusion, not a personal dispute.
The Missing Piece Most People Do Not Realize
Here is the important part that cannot be left out.
Investigators actually heard Kahl’s name years earlier, long before the arrest, because of an inmate tip.
In 2008, detectives were told by an inmate at Fox Lake Correctional Institution that Kahl had talked about Brittany’s case. According to reporting on the criminal complaint, the inmate said Kahl described breaking in and choking her, and said his fingerprints might be on her throat, while not fully admitting to killing her.
This matters because it explains why his name did not appear out of nowhere in 2020. It was in the file. What investigators needed was proof strong enough to charge.
How Investigators Linked the Killer
That proof came from DNA.
Years later, advancing DNA testing and analysis linked Kahl to biological evidence associated with Brittany’s clothing. Reporting and forensic coverage described DNA results tied to her clothing, including her shirt and jeans, being analyzed with newer methods that were not available or not as effective in 2008.
This is the clean, factual takeaway: The inmate tip raised Kahl as a person of interest early, but the DNA evidence is what ultimately gave prosecutors a chargeable case.
Charges Filed in 2020
In March 2020, prosecutors filed a charge of first degree intentional homicide against David A. Kahl in Brittany Zimmermann’s death.
After 12 years, the case finally had a defendant.
The Guilty Plea in 2022
In October 2022, Kahl pleaded guilty to first degree intentional homicide.
The Sentence in 2023
In January 2023, he was sentenced to life in prison without eligibility for parole, according to reporting on the sentencing.
A Final Update in 2025
In May 2025, reporting stated that Kahl died in prison at Dodge Correctional Institution.
Case Facts
Location: Madison, Wisconsin (West Doty Street apartment)
Year: 2008Victim: Brittany Sue Zimmermann (21)Responsible person: David A. Kahl
Outcome: 12:20 p.m. 911 call from her phone with no callback and no dispatch, charges filed March 2020, guilty plea October 2022, life sentence January 2023, later reported deceased in prison May 2025
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