GUILTY CA - Sherri Rasmussen, 29, murdered in her Los Angeles home, 24 Feb 1986

[reen]

My favorite part of the interview: At the end, when she's in handcuffs trying to get her wedding ring off and someone tells her, "Saliva works wonders!" Classic.

So glad this family is finally going to get justice!

 

[Laidbacksal]

From the LA Times in the OP's link:

The dramatic break in the decades-old case sent shock waves through the tight-knit LAPD community, marking one of the few times in the department's history that one of its own officers has been accused of murder.

This is so not true.

Read this:

http://www.truecrimereport.com/2009/12/lapd_detective_stephanie_lazar.php

1986 wasn't a particularly good year for the LAPD's image. In 1983, two police officers were arrested for the attempted murder of an exotic dancer. Officers Richard Ford and Robert Von Villas became known as the "killer cops," notorious for taking on murder-for-hire work when they weren't busy working their beats. In the case of the exotic dancer, the two men hoped to cash in on a $100,000 life insurance policy. They were the first LA cops to ever be convicted of first-degree murder and they weren't the only ones.


Three years later, William Leasure, another LAPD cop, was picked up for stealing luxury yachts. Apparently, he was also moonlighting as a well-paid hit man. In 1991, he was convicted of collecting on at least two murder-for-hire contracts.

 

[LadyL]

I find it really creepy that for 20 years the public thought she was there to protect them ...

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

Thanks for the update JoefromLB.

It's obvious that she was caught off-guard, which is a good thing....her reactions and overall demeanor on that interrogation video literally screamed "guilty" to me.

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

Here's an article from ABC News....I'm glad to see that Sherri's family has filed a lawsuit against the police dept, the city and the defendant. Hopefully they will get the answers they've been seeking along with justice.


http://abcnews.go.com/US/transcript...hanie-lazarus-busted/story?id=12239026&page=1

 

[JBean]

Trials and Tribulations- Good reading on this case here

 

[joe jones]

I am fascinated by this case, so many unanswered questions that may not even be answered by a trial,

it seems at the moment the state has some pretty solid evidence the DNA being the most crucial, and I can't see the defence making much headway with the idea if contamination if the tube that the swab was stored in was sealed until the analyst opened it in 2005 to do the analysis, even if the evidence envelope was torn and a bit tatty the sealed tube will still hold the swab in the state it was when placed there,

another good thing the state has going for them is that when the analysis was done in 05 the presumption that it was a burglary gone bad was still the only theory that was ever considered (I presume once they cleared the husband - although I have questions about what he may have known prior to the murder and post the murder, I just hope his alibi ia as sound as LE thinks it is) and they were looking for 1 or more male burglars, it was only upon analysis that the DNA was found to be female, but this still appeared to raise no red flags and the evidence went back into the murder books as there was no DNA hit on CODIS, so if the defence is also going to be they are trying to pin this on her and thus they planted evidence it just does not stack up, the sample was tested in 05 and nobody did any further serious investigation till 09, it was then that they realised the original male burglar theory did not stack up as the DNA was female, they then went through all 4 murder books and began investigating the 5 most likely female suspects, Lazarus was ranked 5 out of the 5, once all 4 others were eliminated she was left and her DNA matched,

I have read Judge Perry does not like cameras in his court which is a shame as this will be a very interesting trial to watch,

 

[joe jones]

http://articles.sfgate.com/2011-09-...al-jury-selection-detective-stephanie-lazarus

trial now in January 2012, murder happened in 1986 so 26 years post murder

 

[Vhead]

Hello,

New to WS ..My newest true crime obsession is the Stephanie Lazarus case; awaiting trial for the murder of Sherri Rasmussen. SL, an LAPD cop at the time of the 1986 homicide, was obsessed with her ex-boyfriend (John Rasmussen) who became engaged to Sherri not long after he ended his relationship with SL. It has been reported that SL stalked SR for months showing up at her work to let her know if she can't have John no one will. 3 mos after being married to SL's ex lover - SR was brutally attacked and murdered in her Van Nuys condo. The victim was beaten, bound at one point, BITTEN, then shot 3 times .. At point blank range. The detectives in 1986 figured it was a botched robbery as expensive stereo equipment was left by the front door along with a vehicle and marriage license being stolen. The Case was never solved .. Until a cold case unit reopened it. They were able to run DNA from the swab that was taken from SR's bitten arm. DNA came back that it was female.. And eventually that led to the match of SL. There's much more to this story. I found a blog covering the case, which should be starting jury selection soon. You can read more in depth synopsis on the case there

http://sprocket-trials.blogspot.com/2011/01/stephanie-lazarus-quick-links.html


Just wanted to see if anyone is following this and if it might be covered here ... Like I said I'm new.. So still figuring things out... Can certainly do any work needed to start that forum.

Thanks,

V



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[all4justice]

I hope this case is covered on WS too. It's such an interesting case. Thanks for the link to the blog.

 

[Vhead]

Sure thing. I am totally enthralled with many aspects of the case. First, I'm an LA native .. From The Valley specifically... She looks like one of the female officers who used to teach D.A.R.E to my elementary school (that's what she did at one time) the jealous lover .. Jealous does't even describe the half of it. I'm wondering what a psych evaluation on SL would hold.. Yikes! She makes Glenn Close's character from fatal attraction look like a school girl. Almost. Also the severe violent nature of this crime seems rather masculine to me.. It's got it all this case and I do hope it's covered. The trial I'm sure will be rather fascinating!! Her eyes are craaaaaazy... Have you seen 48hrs and/or dateline by chance ??.. I watched them this weekend. I just wonder why the victim's husband refuses to show his face or comment on the case. He has only said publicly that SR was an amazing person and wife (I'm paraphrasing). He had to know deep down that SL was the killer. Only the marriage license was stolen and the BMW (briefly) that HE gave her as a wedding present ... So many questions that need answers.


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[all4justice]

Her eyes are craaaaaazy... Have you seen 48hrs and/or dateline by chance ??..

respectfully snipped by me.

I did see the 48 Hours episode, and you're right her eyes were scary. Yet, amazingly, she had a very successful career as a police officer for 23 years! How was she able to escape detection all that time, crazy eyes and all? It reminds me of a picture I saw of Casey Anthony. I wish I could find it to link to it here. She didn't appear to know that she was on camera at the time and her eyes in that picture are terrifying! *shudder* I guess some folks are just very good at hiding their true selves and perhaps, Stephanie Lazarus was so good at it that she was able to even fool her police officer colleagues. LAPD could have cleared this case years ago when Sherri Rasmussen's parents first told them that John Ruetten's ex-girlfriend may have been the killer but they didn't even entertain the thought.

 

[JenniferTx]

Her eyes are craaaaaazy... Have you seen 48hrs and/or dateline by chance ??..

respectfully snipped by me.

I did see the 48 Hours episode, and you're right her eyes were scary. Yet, amazingly, she had a very successful career as a police officer for 23 years! How was she able to escape detection all that time, crazy eyes and all? It reminds me of a picture I saw of Casey Anthony. I wish I could find it to link to it here. She didn't appear to know that she was on camera at the time and her eyes in that picture are terrifying! *shudder* I guess some folks are just very good at hiding their true selves and perhaps, Stephanie Lazarus was so good at it that she was able to even fool her police officer colleagues. LAPD could have cleared this case years ago when Sherri Rasmussen's parents first told them that John Ruetten's ex-girlfriend may have been the killer but they didn't even entertain the thought.

Didn't LE tell her poor father that he was watching too much television back when he first said to check Lazarus out? Bet they wish they would have listened to her dad in the first place.

She has the strangest looking eyes I have ever seen. She looks like she is wired on something. She thought she got away with murder but she screwed up when she bit her victim and left her dna on the body. Seems like if she were with LE she would know better but then again DNA wasn't around in the 80's when this crime happened. I bet she will end up getting the DP.

 

[Vhead]

Yes, they did tell him he was watching too much TV. SAD!!

Think of how many people's lives she ruined? Her husband.. Who had absolutely no idea.. Found out when they went to search their house in Simi Valley, CA .. Her adopted daughter .. Who I think is about 4 (give or take) most of all, the victims family.. It breaks my heart every time I see her parents talking about the case. Her father Nels is so dear that he cries through out each interview I've seen... He has terrible guilt feeling as tho he could've protected her more... She ruined her Ex lovers life for .. A portion of.. Although I hear Sherri's family and Friends are very upset with him for distancing himself from all of them soon after the murder .. Still think on some level he had to know it was SL who killed her.

I thought of this too. Obviously she didn't love this John guy because who could inflict that much pain onto someone they love.. Letting them come home to find his wife like that? She had to know that John would find her. I wonder what she did for the remainder of her "day off" after killing SR? Could she sleep that night. I hope she's haunted daily by Sherri's spirit. Sorry for the off the wall thoughts about the case.., those are the things I usually think of.,. Little nuances of a case.



V


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[Vhead]

Her husband is also an LAPD detective (Scott Young)


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[Vhead]

This is by far the most in depth article on case; interrogation video included.

http://m.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/06/the-lazarus-file/8499/2/?single_page=true

V


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[joe jones]

the trials and tribulations blog is blogging all about the case, with blogs from all the hearings pre the trial

seems to finally be moving along with a trial due to start early next year

 

[JoeFromLB]

Jury selection to start this week. Opening arguments are scheduled for the following Monday. The trial is expected to last about a month.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lapd-trial-20120130,0,6923699.story

 

[joe jones]

http://old.news.yahoo.com/s/ap/2012...ing?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

jury selection has begun, this will be a very interesting trial to follow, as the DNA evidence is crucial for state and the defence will be attacking it from many angles, I am looking forward to what the defence will present

 

[Turtles]

Tip, I would like to introduce you to iceburg.

Reminds me of Louisiana-I remember a Vanity Fair article many years ago about a female cop who was popping people....

here is a link to Antoinette Frank:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoinette_Frank

I don't think she is who I was thinking of however...

I read the book about Antoinette and am still shocked at how cold blooded she is.