A decades-old murder in Los Angeles was eventually cracked after DNA evidence pointed investigators towards an LAPD officer who had once been romantically involved with the victim's husband. More than 20 years after Sherri Rasmussen was killed, Stephanie Lazarus was convicted of her murder.
Meanwhile, in Massachusetts, jurors in Lindsay Clancy's murder trial are facing a very different question as they struggle to reach a unanimous verdict over the deaths of her three children. Her defence says she was suffering from postpartum psychosis, while prosecutors argue that she understood her actions were wrong.
Sherri Rasmussen murder case began in 1986
On February 24, 1986, Sherri Rasmussen was found dead inside the condominium she shared with her husband, John Ruetten, in Van Nuys, Los Angeles.
Rasmussen, who was 29, had been beaten and shot three times. The Los Angeles Police Department initially treated the killing as a possible botched burglary, but investigators were unable to identify the person responsible.
The investigation stalled after several months, and the case remained unsolved for more than two decades.
Sherri Rasmussen's father pointed to an LAPD officer
Rasmussen's father, Nels Rasmussen, was convinced that the burglary theory was wrong. He suspected Stephanie Lazarus, an LAPD officer who had previously been in a relationship with Ruetten.
Lazarus had reportedly remained interested in Ruetten and had confronted Rasmussen over their relationship. Despite the family's suspicions, investigators did not identify Lazarus as the killer at the time. The case eventually went cold.
DNA match cracked the decades-old murder case
In 2008, detectives revisiting the cold case began focusing on Lazarus, who had by then become an LAPD detective.
Investigators secretly obtained a DNA sample from Lazarus. Testing showed that it matched biological evidence recovered from a bite mark on Rasmussen's body.
The DNA discovery gave detectives the breakthrough they had been missing for more than 20 years.
Lazarus was subsequently arrested and convicted of first-degree murder in 2012. She received a sentence of 27 years to life in prison.
Stephanie Lazarus challenged her conviction
Lazarus appealed her conviction, arguing that the age of the case and the evidence had affected her right to due process. She also challenged the search warrant and aspects of an interview conducted before her arrest.
Her conviction was upheld in 2015, and the California Supreme Court declined to hear a further appeal.
During a parole hearing in 2023, Lazarus confessed to the murder. A parole panel initially granted her release, but the decision was later rescinded by the full board in late 2024.
Questions were raised over the original investigation
The Rasmussen case also generated questions about the handling of evidence during the original LAPD investigation.
Some police files appeared to suggest that evidence that could have implicated Lazarus earlier may have been removed or tampered with. Lazarus had access to LAPD files during parts of her career, while questions were also raised about whether other officers could have played a role.
Rasmussen's parents later sued the LAPD over the investigation, but their legal action was unsuccessful.
The criminalist who identified key DNA evidence from the bite mark also sued, alleging that police had pressured her to favour certain suspects and that she faced retaliation after raising concerns. Her lawsuit was unsuccessful.
