On February 24, 1986, Sherrie Rae Rassmussen, 29, a nursing director, came to her Van Nuys, California home after a day at the gym. She encountered an invader as she went in the door. That invader beat and shot Ms. Rassmussen to death. Her husband, John Ruetten found her body when he came home from work that evening. Two nights later, another woman was robbed, and police thought that the two suspects in that case had killed Sherrie Rassmussen. Her parents offered a $10,000 reward for the capture of her killers.
Now 23 years later, Los Angeles Police have an arrest- only the suspect turns out to one of their own.
Stephanie Lazarus was just coming into work Friday. As a highly decorated detective in the art detail division, she had solved cases involving art forgeries and thefts from museums and galleries, but now police say that she also had a romantic involvement with John Ruetten. Ruetten and Lazarus dated for a lengthy period of time. But then Ruetten met Stephanie Rassmussen, and broke off the relationship with Lazarus. Some time later, Rassmussen and Ruetten married.
Hell hath no wrath like a woman scorned. And apparently, Lazarus- who was two years into a career with the LAPD- did not take the end of a white hot love affair very well. So she allegedly killed the bitch who tore them apart. Now Detective Lazarus is held for this murder. DNA evidence linked her to a coffee cup the killer used on the day of the killing.
The widower, John Ruetten is apparently not a suspect at this time.
Click on the title for the KCBS/CBS 2 coverage. You can also read the details at: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-detective-arrested6-2009jun06,0,2400854.story .
(C) 2009, by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.
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