"On the surface yes.(but there) are there things that explain why it didn't happen as quickly."īlankstein said the murder trial of Stephanie Lazarus left a powerful imprint about the family of victim Sherri Rasmussen, who had to relive their loss yet again, after 25 years. Lazarus, of Simi Valley, was arrested at LAPD headquarters where she worked and booked on suspicion of beating and fatally shooting Rasmussen, 29, a hospital nursing director. "Should it have happened faster?," said Blankstein, regarding the arrest of Lazarus. The DNA testing helped the investigators to confirm that the murderer was Stephanie. The case was reopened in 2009 which led to a better investigation and led her to jail. She was soon promoted to a higher position. To underscore his point, Blankstein noted that in the early days of the case, the LAPD wasn't even using cell phones, let alone high-tech forensics. Where is Stephanie Lazarus now The appeal for having Stephanie Lazarus was quickly dismissed as she held power as a part of LAPD. He says aspects of the original LAPD investigation may be "problematic," and there are still unanswered questions as to why Lazarus wasn't looked at more closely to begin with.īut the LA Times reporter says the dramatic developments that took decades later hinge mainly on a revolution in DNA technology, which enabled investigators to zero in on the source of a bite mark on the arm of the murder victim, Rasmussen. The case raised tough questions about whether the LAPD intentionally looked the other way, and ultimately, covered up Lazarus' involvement in the killing.īlankstein sees a case of "tunnel vision" by the police, in their long-held belief that Rasmussen was killed in a robbery. Back in 1986, Sherri Rasmussen was a newlywed, and Lazarus, already a cop, was an ex-girlfriend of Rasmussen's husband, John Ruetten.
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