The person who killed UW-Madison student Brittany Zimmermann last Wednesday used force to enter her apartment at 517 W. Doty St., the Madison Police Department said Thursday.

“There was forced entry on a door to the building in which Zimmermann resided,” MPD public information officer Joel DeSpain confirmed in an e-mail.

DeSpain said Police Chief Noble Wray was cautious about deciding what specific information to reveal to the public.

“It is not unusual that some contacted during an investigation––who because of things like mental illness, or alcohol/drug abuse––will provide bogus confessions or information,” DeSpain said.

Withholding details allows detectives to determine if these people are telling the truth, police said. Despite the case update, DeSpain urged residents to continue to practice standard safety measures.

“It doesn’t change at all what we would recommend … lock your doors, keep a cell phone with you, do all the things that have been out there in the past,” DeSpain said.