Police Chief Charlie Beck called the case “a tragedy on every level.” “At least we brought them some justice, albeit at a very late date.” “Our hearts go out to (Rasmussen’s family),” he added. “If it had not been for DNA, discovered on a swab taken from a bite mark on the victim, this case might never have been solved.” “The verdict today illustrates the importance of DNA as an investigative tool in unsolved cases,” District Attorney Steve Cooley said. Those questions, however, did not convince the eight-woman, four-man jury. He described his client as “definitely disappointed.”ĭuring trial he had also raised questions about the DNA evidence, saying it was poorly packaged and stored for decades. He promised to appeal, saying he had not been allowed to present an alternative theory of the crime – that robbers had committed the murder. Her defense attorney, Mark Overland, said he felt the quick decision by the jury indicated they did not fully examine all the evidence. They did not speak to reporters afterward. Rasmussen’s family held hands in the courtroom and several broke down in tears as the guilty verdict was announced. After they re-opened the case, DNA testing from a bite mark swabbed from the victim led them in 2009 to Lazarus, who was working as a detective in LAPD’s downtown-based art-theft unit. Police initially believed that robbers had committed the crime. Rasmussen had been married for three months to Lazarus’ ex-college sweetheart, John Ruetten, who found her body at their Van Nuys condominium on Feb. Prosecutors alleged Lazarus was obsessed with her romantic rival, Sherri Rasmussen, and ruthlessly attacked and shot the 29-year-old nurse, then staged the scene to look like a botched robbery. Superior Court jury, with sentencing scheduled for May 4. Lazarus faces 27 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole for the murder plus a gun enhancement imposed by the L.A. RELATED: NBC’s ‘Dateline’ to air special on the murder of Sherri Rasmussen by LAPD officer After deliberating less than eight hours, a jury on Thursday found former LAPD detective Stephanie Lazarus guilty of first degree murder for killing her ex-boyfriend’s wife in 1986.
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