Los Angeles, CA She’s being held at the L.A. County jail without bond at this hour. Her Name is Stephanie Lazarus, 49 and she’s a respected 26 year veteran officer. This morning at work shortly after 8:00 AM she was arrested at the LAPD Parker Center for the 1986 slaying of her former boyfriend’s wife.
Lazaruz has been investigating major art thefts since 2006 for the LAPD.
Recently police investigators surreptitiously collected DNA material from Lazarus and had it compared with DNA recovered from the dead woman, Sherri Rae Rasmussen,29 a nursing director who was beaten and shot to death in her Van Nuys condo in 1986.
Rasmussen’s body was discovered by the victim’s husband, John Ruetten who has not been arrested. Police say that Lazarus and Ruetten were involved in an affair at the time of the murder.
There were early theories that this crime was the product of a home invasion robbery gang working the area at the time.
The biggest question I’m waiting to see answered is where was the DNA material found and just how was it transferred? I guess we will have to wait and see what develops here.
Somehow I suspect that there is a lot more to be told about this case and the defense of the accused officer.
Update: June 7, 2009--The L.A. Times did an in depth follow up article that can be found here.
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