Man Serving Life Sentence for the Death of a College Student From Marshfield Dies in Prison

Friday, May 23rd, 2025 -- 4:00 PM

(Chris Conley, WSAU) A man serving a life prison sentence for the murder of a college student from Marshfield has died in prison.

According to Chris Conley with WSAU, the Wisconsin Department of Justice reports that David Kahl died inside the Dodge Correctional Institution on Tuesday. He was 59. A cause of death hasn’t been made public.

Kahl was convicted in 2022 as part of a plea deal in the death of Brittany Zimmerman of Marshfield. She was a UW-Madison student who was found dead in her off-campus apartment in 2008.

Police believe that Kahl broke into the apartment and killed Zimmerman when she returned home. She called 911 during the attack, but her killer was no longer there when police arrived.

Kahl was charged in the death in 2018 from DNA evidence that was found on his clothing.

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