Latest Legal News from the Criminal Courts of Los Angeles, California and the U.S.

June 10, 2009

LAPD Detective Charged with Decades-Old Murder

LOS ANGELES – A veteran LAPD detective was charged today with capital murder in the 1986 death of her ex-boyfriend’s wife, whose body was found badly beaten and shot.

Stephanie Ilene Lazarus, 49 (dob 5-4-60), is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday after 8:30 a.m. at the Criminal Justice Center, Department 30. She is being held without bail.

Lazarus, a detective with the Art Theft Unit, was arrested Friday at work by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide unit. She is suspected of attacking and killing Sherri Rasmussen, a hospital nursing director whose body was discovered on Feb. 24, 1986 at the Van Nuys condominium she shared with her husband, John.

Lazarus was identified as a suspect after a DNA sample left at the scene came back recently as a match, police said.

Deputy District Attorney’s Shannon Presby and Shelly Torrealba with the District Attorney’s Justice System Integrity Division filed case BA357423 willful, premeditated murder with the special circumstance of murder in commission of a burglary, making it a potential death penalty case. A decision will be made later on whether to seek the death penalty. She also was charged with personal use of a handgun.

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CALIFORNIA CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER

JOSEPH SHEMARIA

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Latest Legal News from the Criminal Courts of Los Angeles, California and the U.S.