That's how much time passed between the mishandled 911 call from Brittany Zimmermann's phone and when Madison police were sent to her West Doty Street apartment to find her brutally murdered on April 2, investigators reveal in previously sealed court documents obtained by the Wisconsin State Journal.

The length of the delay wasn't publicly known before because officials have refused to provide specifics.

The new details focus the spotlight once again on the questions Dane County officials haven't answered, despite months of controversy over errors at the 911 center.

Why didn't the 911 operator hear the screams and struggle on the other end of the phone call, and what has been done to prevent a repeat?

Content withheld

County officials have apologized for center errors that delayed the police response and later sent them chasing a false lead.

But they have withheld the time and content of the call, saying that disclosures could make it more difficult for police to catch the killer.

In their public statements, county officials haven't explained why the operator didn't react as though an emergency was in progress. They said there were no "outside distractions" at the operator's desk then, yet the 20-year veteran "reacted visibly" when a supervisor played her the tape later.

"It is not useful to armchair quarterback after a tragedy, but knowing what we know now about that call, the dispatcher made a mistake," Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk concluded in May.

Comments on call

The document obtained Monday is the first sworn statement describing the call made public.

In May, after it was revealed the center had mishandled the Zimmermann call, Police Chief Noble Wray said there was "evidence contained in the call." Former 911 director Joe Norwick maintained the dispatcher heard nothing.

On May 6, Falk said a review of the call found "sounds that would have significance to a (911) communicator, but were not heard by the communicator." A union spokeswoman who listened to the tape later said all she could hear was a faint background noise like a soft rustling.

County and union officials wouldn't respond Monday evening to questions about the police description of the call's content that was revealed in the new court documents.

According to the county's internal investigation, the operator moved on to a second call, which was a hang-up from the caller's end, and later called back that number. A supervisor reviewing calls at the request of Madison police mistakenly thought that callback was related to the Zimmermann call.

Call audio

It remains unclear whether the audio of the 911 call will be released in the near future.

The Wisconsin State Journal and other media organizations have sued Dane County to release the audio and other documents related to the internal investigation.

Last week, Dane County Circuit Court Judge Richard Niess said during a hearing on the lawsuit that he thought the time and contents of the 911 call probably shouldn't be released, in accordance with an exception to the state's open records law. He agreed to allow the news organizations' attorney to listen to the audio so he can make informed arguments for releasing the audio.

District Attorney Brian Blanchard said Monday he is consulting with the 911 center, as he has in the past, about whether there is reason to continue withholding the 911 call from Zimmermann's cell phone.

He said he would be speculating to say that the release of any specific details would have a negative impact on the case.

Madison Police Central District Capt. Mary Schauf said she believes that from an investigative standpoint, there is still cause to withhold the 911 call.

"It provides us with an avenue of investigation when we are able to confront a potential suspect," Schauf said. A potential suspect should be the only person who knows what information police have from the 911 call, she added.