The 911 dispatcher who mishandled the call from a homicide victim's phone has transferred to another Dane County job, officials confirmed Friday.

Contrary to what he said Thursday, the director of the 911 center, Joe Norwick, now acknowledges that the transfer took place soon after April 2, the day a UW-Madison student was found dead in her home.

Norwick denied misleading reporters at a Thursday press conference, but a tape recording of his statements makes clear that in his responses he indicated that the dispatcher remained on the job at the center.

Norwick has also denied trying to cover up the mistake, which was made at about the time Zimmermann was killed.

The incident came to light in Thursday editions of the Madison weekly newspaper Isthmus.

The dispatcher, whose identity has not been released, transferred to another county office at her own request, Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk's chief of staff Topf Wells confirmed Friday.

The employee hasn't been placed on administrative leave, Wells said.

"In this case it hasn't been necessary because the employee is incredibly concerned over this and almost immediately requested a transfer out of 911 and that was granted immediately."

Officials maintain that an internal investigation has been going on for a month, and no discipline has been ordered.

Norwick has also said there have been no changes in policy, training or procedure at the center, except to remind dispatchers that they must call back when they receive a cell phone call that is disconnected for any reason.

The dispatcher who took the call from Zimmermann's phone said she heard nothing on the line, then got busy with other calls and failed to call back.

Madison Police Chief Noble Wray has said he called for the investigation into the mistake, and that there was evidence in the call that should have prompted the dispatch of a police officer.

Wray said he doesn't know if a police response to the call would have saved Zimmermann's life. Wray hasn't addressed whether sending police might have helped catch the killer.

Norwick has said calling back probably wouldn't have made any difference.

Is former deputy

A former sheriff's deputy hired as 911 director last year, Norwick has called the incident a mistake but said he sees no need for an apology.

Norwick's boss, Dane County Executive Falk, remained tight-lipped Friday, saying police requested that officials not discuss the call.

Madison police investigators have told the public little about Zimmermann's death, and the secrecy has been extended to the foul-up at the 911 center.

County and city officials refuse to describe the content or time of the call, except to say that it happened at about the time Zimmermann died.

Norwick's answers

During Thursday's press conference, a reporter asked Norwick if the dispatcher had "currently been working as usual."

"That dispatcher has worked after this event, yes," Norwick said.

"On the usual shift?" another reporter asked.

"Yes," Norwick said.

In a later phone conversation Norwick again indicated that the dispatcher was still on the job and that nothing had changed.

Norwick said Friday that he was asked direct questions and gave direct answers. "I answered the questions truthfully," he said.

When asked to explain why he said the dispatcher worked on the usual shift, he said that she had worked as a dispatcher for an unspecified period of time after the incident. He said he didn't explain that she had been moved to a different department because it was a personnel issue and a personal decision by the individual.