😱 Killer Cop Realizes Police Just Connected Her DNA to a 1986 Murder 😱
For 23 years, Stephanie Lazarus worked as an LAPD detective.
She questioned suspects. Investigated crimes. And built a career on the other side of the interrogation table.
But there was one thing her own department didn’t know.
DNA from a murder committed decades earlier was about to point directly at her.
And when detectives invited Stephanie into an interview room…
She had no idea they already knew.
Here’s the chilling case of Sherri Rasmussen.
💀 A Murder Staged as a Burglary
On February 24, 1986, 29-year-old Sherri Rasmussen was found dead inside her Van Nuys home.
She had been shot 3 times after a violent struggle.
The house appeared disturbed.
Electronics looked like they had been targeted.
And Sherri’s BMW was missing.
At first, investigators believed a burglary had gone horribly wrong.
🧬 One Bite Mark Changed Everything
During the struggle, Sherri had suffered a deep human bite wound on her arm.
Investigators collected a swab.
But DNA technology in 1986 couldn’t reveal what detectives needed.
So the evidence sat untouched for decades.
Until science finally caught up.
😨 The DNA Pointed to a Police Officer
In 2009, investigators tested the old bite-mark evidence.
The profile indicated something shocking.
The killer was a woman.
And detectives soon focused on one of their own:
LAPD detective Stephanie Lazarus.
💔 A Relationship From the Past
Stephanie had previously been involved with Sherri’s husband, John Ruetten.
Witnesses described tension after John became engaged to Sherri.
Investigators also discovered Stephanie had owned a .38-caliber revolver — the same caliber used to kill Sherri.
Just 13 days after the murder, Stephanie reported the gun stolen.
🚔 Her Own Department Secretly Followed Her
Detectives couldn’t simply ask a fellow officer for DNA.
So they placed Stephanie under surveillance.
They waited until she discarded a cup and straw…
Then secretly tested them.
The result matched DNA from Sherri’s bite wound and evidence beneath her fingernails.
Detectives already had their answer before Stephanie ever entered the interrogation room.
🧠 She Thought It Was Just a Conversation
Detectives slowly tightened the questions while pretending they were still trying to understand what happened.
⛓️ She Never Walked Out
The interview appeared to end normally.
Stephanie stood up and left the room.
But officers were waiting in the hallway.
She was arrested before she could leave the building.
⚖️ Justice After 23 Years
In 3/2012, Stephanie Lazarus was convicted of 1st-degree murder. She was sentenced to 27 years to life.
More than a decade later, during a 2023 parole hearing, she finally admitted killing Sherri.
One tiny DNA sample that had been sitting in evidence while the killer worked inside the same police department.