Former Los Angeles police detective Stephanie Lazarus has had her chance for parole rescinded by the state Board of Parole Hearings. Lazarus is serving a sentence of 27 years to life for the cold-case killing of her ex-boyfriend’s wife, Sherri Rasmussen, in 1986. She was convicted in 2012 for the murder, which occurred in the Van Nuys condo Rasmussen shared with her husband. Lazarus was not arrested until 2009, after evading law enforcement for 23 years.
At a hearing that lasted about 90 minutes, the parole board decided to rescind a previous grant of parole for Lazarus, much to the relief of Rasmussen’s family. They felt that it was unfair for Lazarus to potentially go free after showing no remorse for the crime.
The case against Lazarus in 2012 focused on her romantic relationship with Rasmussen’s husband and prosecutors claimed that jealousy led Lazarus to commit the murder. DNA evidence from a bite mark on Rasmussen’s arm was crucial in linking Lazarus to the crime.
Lazarus, who rose in the ranks of the Los Angeles Police Department, had not been considered a suspect in the initial investigation in 1986. However, undercover officers were able to obtain a sample of her saliva in 2009, which matched DNA left at the crime scene.
Overall, the decision to rescind Lazarus’ chance for parole has brought a sense of justice to Rasmussen’s family, who described Lazarus as a conniving criminal who used her police training to cover up the killing.
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