51-year-old Stephanie Lazarus was a respected 26-year veteran of the L.A.P.D. who had worked her way up from an ordinary police officer to a specialist in high-profile art theft. On June 5, 2009, she was taken aside by two colleagues and led downstairs into an interrogation room, where she was told she was needed to interrogate a suspect. But once in the room, the tables turned, and it was Stephanie Lazarus who was interrogated – about her part in a long-ago murder. Unbeknownst to her, Lazarus had been identified from a bite mark as the murderer of nurse Sherrie Rae Rasmussen 23 years ago. Rasmussen had been married for only three months to John Ruetten, an old boyfriend of Stephanie’s with whom she was very much in love. Listen to the way the interrogator eases Lazarus gradually along towards discussing the case. In March 2012, Stephanie Lazarus was convicted of the murder of Sherri Rasmussen. She was sentenced to 27 years.
Listen to the interrogation here (1 hour 12 minutes)
Stephanie Lazarus Appeal Opening Brief
Court’s Response to Stephanie Lazarus Appeal
Watch the interrogation on Youtube
