Latest / Five-Minute Crime / Episode 9- The Detective Did It: The Murder of Sherri Rasmussen
Transcript
- Ronan Wolfe: Welcome to Five-Minute Crime, the podcast that delivers real crime in tight, gripping doses. I’m Ronan Wolfe, your narrator through the shadows of justice, and today we’re unraveling a case that stunned a nation—not because of who committed the murder, but because of how it happened. This is the story of Sherri Rasmussen, a brilliant nurse, a devoted wife, and the victim of a murder that lay unsolved for over two decades, buried beneath lies, assumptions, and a detective’s badge. Ronan Wolfe: It was February 24, 1986. Sherri Rasmussen, just 29 years old, was found bludgeoned and shot to death in the Van Nuys townhouse she shared with her husband, John Ruetten. The living room was in disarray. A struggle had clearly occurred. Sherri’s body was discovered by her husband when he returned home from work. She had been beaten savagely and shot three times in the chest. At first glance, it looked like a botched burglary. Police found signs of forced entry, and some electronics were seemingly missing. Ronan Wolfe: But even from the beginning, the details didn’t quite add up. The house hadn’t been thoroughly ransacked. Jewelry and other valuables were untouched. And there was something else—Sherri had expressed fear in the months before her death. She’d reportedly told friends and family that she felt threatened by a woman from her husband’s past. That woman? Stephanie Lazarus, an ex-girlfriend of John Ruetten—and a young LAPD officer. Ronan Wolfe: Despite this chilling lead, detectives dismissed the idea early. They focused on the burglary theory. The investigation went cold. Years passed. Sherri’s family grieved, but her parents never stopped believing that the answer lay closer than anyone realized. They suspected Lazarus and said so repeatedly, but the LAPD closed ranks. No further progress was made. Ronan Wolfe: Fast forward to 2009—twenty-three years after the murder. A cold case unit reopened the file. Advances in DNA technology allowed investigators to re-examine the bite mark found on Sherri’s arm. It was one of the few pieces of physical evidence that had been preserved. They ran the DNA through law enforcement databases and were stunned by the match: it came back as Stephanie Lazarus. Ronan Wolfe: Lazarus had stayed with the LAPD all these years, rising through the ranks to become a respected detective. She investigated art thefts and gave lectures to rookies. All the while, the woman she murdered decades earlier had been written off as a victim of a random break-in. Investigators now had the truth in their grasp—but they had to act carefully. Ronan Wolfe: In a masterstroke of undercover planning, detectives invited Lazarus to a meeting under the pretense of discussing a case. Once isolated in an interview room, they sprung the trap. As they revealed the evidence piece by piece—especially the DNA match—Lazarus’s responses turned evasive, inconsistent, and defensive. Within days, she was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Ronan Wolfe: The trial gripped the public. Prosecutors laid out a chilling motive: Lazarus had never gotten over John Ruetten. She was enraged by his marriage to Sherri, and on that February day in 1986, she used her police training to execute the perfect crime—or so she thought. The defense tried to argue contamination and procedural errors, but the jury didn’t buy it. In 2012, Lazarus was convicted and sentenced to 27 years to life in prison. Ronan Wolfe: The murder of Sherri Rasmussen isn’t just a story of jealousy and rage. It’s a lesson in institutional blind spots—how bias, internal loyalty, and assumptions can derail justice. The LAPD, whether intentionally or not, failed to pursue one of their own. And in doing so, they allowed a murderer to walk free for more than two decades. Ronan Wolfe: That’s the end of this extended episode of Five-Minute Crime. If today’s case left you reeling, make sure to follow, leave a review, and share it with others who can’t get enough of these gripping tales. Got a case you think deserves the spotlight? Let me know. Until next time—stay curious, stay sharp, and watch your back.