Parole Again Denied for Former LAPD Detective Who Killed Ex-Lover’s New Wife
LOS ANGELES — A state parole board panel on Wednesday denied parole for former Los Angeles Police Department detective Stephanie Lazarus, who admitted to killing her ex-lover's new wife, Sherri Rasmussen, nearly 39 years ago in her Van Nuys condominium.
Lazarus, who was convicted of first-degree murder in 2012, was initially recommended for parole by a board panel in November 2023. However, this recommendation was rescinded after concerns were raised by Governor Gavin Newsom.
At the hearing, Commissioner Kevin Chappell stated that the panel found Lazarus “unsuitable for parole at this time.” He pointed out that Lazarus’ testimony about the attack did not align with the evidence used to convict her. Lazarus had described the incident as a "fight," but Chappell noted that such a claim would have resulted in more of her DNA being found at the crime scene if it had been true. He emphasized that Lazarus was the only one engaging in the violent act.
Deputy Commissioner Vijai Desai echoed this, noting that Lazarus' apparent minimization of her actions demonstrated that the mindset behind the crime seemed to be "pretty entrenched." Desai added that the victim’s family deserved the truth about the events that transpired.
Lazarus, now 64, acknowledged during the hearing that she had killed Rasmussen and expressed remorse for her actions, stating that no apology could fully convey the gravity of what she had done. She admitted that it had taken 23 years for her to be arrested and regretted not pleading guilty at her trial. She apologized to Rasmussen’s family and vowed that she would never become the "monster" she was the day of the killing.
During the hearing, Lazarus, who worked as an art theft investigator for the LAPD, agreed with her first-degree murder conviction. She stated that if she could go back in time, she would have turned herself in immediately. Her attorney, Tracy Lum, noted that Lazarus had made "horrible choices" in 1986 but had since shown "genuine remorse" and made efforts toward rehabilitation.
Rasmussen’s husband, John Ruetten, and other family members spoke out against Lazarus' parole bid. Ruetten, who had married Rasmussen just three months before her death, criticized Lazarus for using her police training to cover up the crime and expressed doubt about the sincerity of her remorse. He said, “I cannot accept that anything she says is genuine.”
The 1986 killing, which went unsolved for years, involved Lazarus using her LAPD position to cover up the murder of Sherri Rasmussen, who had married Lazarus’ former boyfriend, John Ruetten. Lazarus confronted Rasmussen at the Glendale Adventist Medical Center where Rasmussen worked as a nursing supervisor, and later shot her three times in her home.
Lazarus' DNA, which was found on a bite mark on Rasmussen’s arm, led to her eventual arrest in 2009 after DNA evidence was tested by LAPD’s Cold Case Unit. The case had gone cold after Rasmussen’s father had called attention to Lazarus early in the investigation. Lazarus had maintained her innocence for years, but DNA evidence ultimately connected her to the crime.
Lazarus, a 25-year LAPD veteran, was sentenced to 27 years to life in state prison following her conviction in 2012. Despite her expression of remorse and her years of good behavior in prison, the parole board panel determined that Lazarus should serve more time before being considered for parole. Lazarus will be eligible for parole again in three years, though she may file for an earlier hearing if circumstances change.
Rasmussen’s family, including Ruetten, continues to fight for justice, with Ruetten emphasizing that his wife lost her life because she married him. The parole board’s decision to deny Lazarus’ release marks another chapter in the long saga of this tragic case, one that took decades to solve and still resonates with the victims' family.
