A Former LA Cop and Infamous Murderer Released Early on Parole? A True Crime Nightmare

In a true crime nightmare in the making, former LA cop and infamous murderer Stephanie Lazarus was recommended for parole. Is there anyone besides the Manson Family members and the Menendez brothers that won’t be paroled in California? Apparently, being a police officer who should remain above the law, committing first-degree murder is not enough to keep someone behind bars.

Parole impacts more than just the person in prison. It affects victims, like the murdered individual’s family. Think about how they must feel with Stephanie Lazarus back on the loose. Lazarus earned her sentence fair and square, and she should have to serve more of it. Would I have the nerve to say that in front of the murderer’s intimidating eyes? Not a chance.

Stephanie Lazarus, the Murderer

https://gty.im/88374748

Stephanie Lazarus became a murderer in 1986. Why did she do it?

Good old-fashioned jealousy is a prime true crime motive, as we know. Lazarus was seeing green when her ex-boyfriend and apparent love of her life married another woman, Ms. Rasmussen.

Sherri Rasmussen was a beautiful young lady inside and out. She had a successful career as a nurse in a leadership position and was happily married. Rasmussen was plagued by Lazarus, who went as far as to verbally attack her at work. Lazarus’ ex and Rasmussen’s husband made things worse by sort of leading Stephanie on, like sleeping with her even when he and Sherri were in a serious relationship.

Stephanie refused to see her role as a side salad Sarah (that reference is for my LIB fan readers) and decided to take out her frustration with her man’s wife. She was between her and happiness, and she had to go. Eventually, Stephanie snapped and went to Rasmussen’s apartment. Lazarus knocked out her boyfriend’s wife with a vase to the head. Three bullet wounds to the chest later, with a makeshift silencer pillow, and Sherri passed away.

The case would be labeled a robbery and filed away in the cold case files. Crime was at an all-time high in the city in the 1980s and 1990s, and a young lady victimized by a robbery gone wrong was no one’s concern at the time. Who’s concerned about a murderer on the loose?

Lazarus Finally Goes to Jail

Stephanie Lazarus was finally convicted in 2012 of killing her ex-boyfriend’s wife, Sherri Rasmussen, in 1986. Lazarus pleaded not guilty to the crime during the trial and has largely stood by her innocence.

Unfortunately for the murderer, the police were hot on her trail. Lazarus’ name had been brought up countless times by the Rasmussen family, but they were ignored because the cops were sure it was a burglary and not a former partner off the sanity rails turned murderer. The cold-case detectives examined the evidence in the early 2000s. Oddly enough, a lot of the evidence was missing because another detective took it in 1993 for no obvious reason.

In 2004, the saliva was examined by cold-case investigators, who determined that the suspect was female. Upon investigation of the notes, the investigator noticed Lazarus’ name was present. The case was labeled a “robbery” despite the new findings and went back into the cold case files.

Once again, the case was evaluated by the cold case division in 2009. Detectives Nutall and Barba noticed the female DNA and decided a robbery was improbable. The team went as far as to identify that the case appeared to be a “fake” robbery intended to throw police off. The detectives spoke to the Rasmussen family, and they pointed out the murderer once again.

A covert DNA collection of Detective Stephanie’s coffee cup in 2009 was used to match her DNA against the bitemark found on Rasmussen’s arm. All true crime fanatics have seen JCS’s video on Stephanie Lazarus’s interview in 2009. If you haven’t seen it, you have to watch it here. Lazarus’ body language is so unique, she makes herself infamous.

Stephanie Lazarus Recommended For Parole?

If California were a person, they would be my grandma. Trusting, forgiving, and, at times, intentionally naive. California can see the good in anyone, except for the Manson Family members and the Menendez brothers, as previously discussed. There’s no good in those people, but Stephanie Lazarus has humanity to salvage. Whoever figures out that logic first gets the prize of being acknowledged as the smartest person in the comment section.

The parole board in Cali decided last November that the murderer should be recommended for parole. Why would a woman who has almost exclusively claimed she is innocent be recommended? Why would a murderer who killed someone and remained free for nearly 20 years with no obvious distress or remorse be recommended for parole?

November 2023 was Stephanie’s first time in front of the parole board. She wowed the easily pleased board with underwhelming answers, like indicating she didn’t turn herself in because she didn’t want to get caught. In the same vein, Lazarus did admit to killing Rasmussen for one of the first times ever. She kept her underwhelming performance going by downplaying the importance of the murder and her role as a murderer.

After all, if Stephanie didn’t mean to, it’s not that big of a deal, right? She went to Rasmussen’s residence with gloves, a gun, and a homemade pillow silencer for fun. Murder was never on Stephanie Lazarus’ mind; we can all see that. Right? Not quite.

At a parole hearing to decide if Stephanie would be released on May 20th, many attended on both sides. Her ex-boyfriend and Sherri Rasmussen’s husband cried and begged the parole board not to release the cold-blooded murderer. Two of Sherri’s sisters, two of her nieces, a prosecutor, a detective, and a lawyer representing the victim’s family all joined Rasmussen’s husband.

It was such an obviously bad choice that Governor Newsome asked the full board to review their decision. Lazarus is 64 and is serving her 27-year-to-life sentence for first-degree murder.

On the other hand, there were justice reform advocates, a nun, college professors, and formerly incarcerated individuals in Lazarus’ corner. They painted Lazarus as a saintly prisoner. She did things like buy books for inmates and comfort dying inmates in their last hours. Did she comfort Rasmussen in her final moments? We highly doubt it.

On Tuesday, May 21st, the parole board decided to prevent a true crime nightmare, and they denied Stephanie Lazarus parole. That was a close call! What other murderers are they trying to bring back out on the streets?

About the Author

Total Apex is an all-encompassing content producer. We provide heavily detailed articles every day on entertainment, gaming, sports, and so much more! Check out all our great sports content Total Apex Sports. Check us out on X @TotalApexEandG and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy Sports

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More stories from Total Apex Herald

Total Apex Gaming Sports Entertainment Fantasy Sports Sports Bets Herald is the only destination you'll need for all of your daily content.

Scroll to Top