In 2012, Stephanie Lazarus was convicted of the 1986 murder of Sherri Rasmussen. Lazarus is a former Los Angeles police detective who was recently denied parole for murdering her ex-lover’s wife. She was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. After California enacted a law that provides special consideration for youthful offenders who committed their crimes before age 26, Lazarus became eligible for parole in 2023. She was only 25 years old at the time of the murder. However, during a 90-minute hearing, the decision to grant her parole was reversed and ultimately denied. Lazarus will remain in custody until a suitability hearing is held within the next 120 days.
Sherri Rasmussen Murder
Stephanie Lazarus met John Ruetten at UCLA in the 1970s, where they had a casual relationship that included sex. Ruetten testified against Lazarus in her 2012 trial, where he admitted to sleeping with Lazarus even after getting engaged to Rasmussen. However, he was clear that he never assumed Lazarus and him to be in a romantic relationship. On February 24, 1986, Ruetten found his wife shot three times in the chest, lying in a pool of blood. Ruetten reported it to authorities immediately and was questioned regarding the day of the murder. He denied killing his wife, disclosing that he was at work the entire day until arriving home after 6 p.m.
The Investigation
When the original investigation occurred in 1986, investigators assumed it was a home invasion that escalated. Rassmussen had marks on her wrist indicating she had been tied up and a bite mark on her arm. The investigators did not believe Ruetten had anything to do with his wife’s murder and pursued other suspects. Another burglary in the same area faired similar to what police thought happened in Ruetten’s home. A woman came home to two men, one armed, robbing her home. They fled, and witnesses gave the police a description of them. Investigators focused on those suspects and the burglary theory even though Rasmussen’s family urged them to look elsewhere.
Rasmussen’s family believed the murder was personal. Since investigators followed the burglary suspects, the case went cold until 2001. They had no evidence tying the burglaries together, and they did not have a murder weapon or any fingerprints. In 2001, the LAPD launched a cold case unit to reinvestigate more than 9,000 unsolved cases. Sherri Rasmussen’s murder case was one of them, and they decided to take another look at the bite mark on her arm. Detective Cliff Shepard became the new lead investigator in her case and found that a swab of the bite mark was never recorded. After further digging, they were able to find the original sample and sent it to be analyzed.
The DNA of the bite mark came back as an unidentified female. They had a profile at this point, but no other identifying information. Investigators continued the burglary theory, and in 2005, Sherri Rasmussen’s case ran cold again. In 2009, Detective Jim Nuttall became the new lead investigator and finally questioned the burglary theory. He formed a list of five suspects with Rasmussen’s family and Ruetten. The fifth suspect was Stephanie Lazarus. Investigators were able to obtain a current DNA sample and tested it in comparison to the bite mark. They received a positive match and were able to arrest Lazarus officially for the murder of Rasmussen.
Final Thoughts
Stephanie Lazarus was charged with first-degree murder; she pleaded not guilty. Twenty-six years after the murder of Sherri Rasmussen, Lazarus stood trial in February 2012. A jury convicted her of first-degree murder, and she received a sentence of 25 years to life plus an additional two years for using a firearm. Lazarus maintained her innocence throughout her time in prison until 2023, which is when she became eligible for parole. Rasmussen’s sister, Teresa Marie Lane, said, “The only reason she confessed is because she wants to get out on parole.” Rasmussen’s family does not believe Lazarus feels any remorse for her actions and that she should not be granted parole.
At the end of 2023, it was announced that Lazarus was eligible for parole. She appeared for a parole board hearing, where she was granted release after the full board and governor reviewed her case. A more recent hearing took place and reversed the earlier decision. Rasmussen’s family lawyer, John Taylor, stated, “Lazarus had her parole time up front, evading arrest for 23 years after the murder.” In the same statement, he said, “She has expressed no remorse for the cold-blooded execution of Sherri Rasmussen committed while she was an LAPD officer. It’s unfair to the family that she should now go free and enjoy her life while receiving her LAPD pension.”
