A former LAPD detective was brought to justice 26 years after murdering the wife of a former lover, and has been sentenced to 27 years to life in prison, as reported by the Associated Press for Yahoo News and others.
Stephanie Lazarus, 52, killed Sherri Rasmussen in a jealous rage in 1986, after Rasmussen had been married three months to Lazarus' former lover, J.R., and the case had remained cold for nearly three decades.
Newlywed Rasmussen was bludgeoned and then shot to death in the condo she had shared with her husband.
J.R., along with Rasmussen's mother and sister, spoke at the sentencing. J.R. told Superior Court Judge Robert Perry, "The fact that Sherri's death occurred because she met and married me, brings me to my knees. I do not know ... how to cope with this appalling fact."
The judge handed down the sentence of 25 years to life for first-degree murder and two more years for the personal use of a firearm. As Lazarus has already served over 1,600 in jail days she will be credited that time.
Lazarus' defense attorney has already filed an appeal and members of the Lazarus family support the decision as they felt that the trial was unfair. S.L., Lazarus' brother, said, "There was never a presumption of innocence. The media got to listen to DNA and guilt for 2 1/2 years before Stephanie had her trial."
Lazarus and J.R. had a romantic relationship after graduating from college. When he later chose to marry Rasmussen, prosecutors argued, Lazarus was overwhelmed by her own jealousy.
DNA evidence, from a bite mark on Rasmussen's arm, pointed to Lazarus. However, according to defense attorneys, too many years had passed for the evidence to still be viable.
When the murder first occurred, detectives believed that robbers that had struck another woman in the same area killed Rasmussen. The former relationship between Lazarus and J.R. was noted. When the suspects were never apprehended, the case went cold until May 2009 – when a DNA sample, obtained by undercover officers, linked Lazarus to the crime scene.
In 1986 DNA was not used as a forensic tool as it is today, prosecutors argued, Lazarus only knew that she had to avoid leaving behind fingerprint evidence.
In asking the judge for the maximum sentence, prosecutors wrote, "Her efforts to mislead the initial homicide investigators permitted her to avoid justice for this crime for more than 20 years. It is bleakly ironic that the defendant's long-running deception now benefits her with respect to sentencing."
Mark Overland, Lazarus' defense attorney, argued that his client had an exemplary 26-year long career with the LAPD. He also argued that his client was unaware of where the newlyweds lived or their phone number.
In court documents Overland wrote, "How Ms. Lazarus could have known that Ms. Rasmussen decided on the morning (of the killing) not to go to work and stay home has never been explained. Additionally, after the killing, Ms. Lazarus never initiated any contact with (J.R.)."
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