LAPD arrest 1 of their own for 187

[Garbage Man]

LAPD female detective arrested in 1986 Van Nuys murder
Daily News wires
Posted: 06/05/2009 12:24:32 PM PDT
Updated: 06/05/2009 12:25:21 PM PDT



A Los Angeles Police Department detective was arrested Friday in connection with the 1986 killing of her ex-boyfriend's wife, police said.

LAPD officials provided few details about the arrest, but the Los Angeles Times identified the detective as Stephanie Ilene Lazarus, 49. She is accused of beating and fatally shooting Sherri Rae Rasmussen, whose body was found by her husband in the living room of their Van Nuys condominium on Feb. 24, 1986, The Times reported, quoting LAPD sources.

Details of the arrest, which was apparently made at about 8 a.m. at the department's Parker Center headquarters in downtown Los Angeles, were expected to be released at an afternoon news conference.

LAPD Deputy Chief Charlie Beck told the paper that detectives trailed Lazarus last week as she ran errands, waiting until she discarded something they could use to collect DNA. They eventually obtained a saliva sample, and the DNA conclusively linked her to the slaying, Beck told The Times.

WOW! Thats not someting you hear everyday

[pulicords]

WOW! Thats not someting you hear everyday

I hope not. Cops are usually known for having better impulse control than found among the general population. At least the department did the right thing by conducting a thorough follow-up and arrest.

[FJDave]

That must have been really tough to do for the detectives. Sorry to hear, but glad they caught the killer.

[Kieth M.]

I knew and worked with Stephanie Lazurus. If you were to ask me to line up every cop in Hollywood, with whom I worked over the 15 years I spent on patrol there, in order of their likelihood of being a murderer...she'd be at the very tail end of the line...or I'd ask why you even included her to begin with.

I'm sad about this, but I've done this job too long to say it's BS. I know the work that goes into something like this - it was probably tough for all involved. For sure, it was no rush-to-judgement.

[Copp'rPenny]

Was she even on the force in 1986?

[syphon157]

Goes to show the truth will come out eventually.

[VChopefull]

Too bad........the last thing any department needs is more bad press.....

Copp'r P - I heard from a friend/Co worker of hers that she was already a sworn Officer at the time of the crime.

[LAschoolCop]

Wonder if she shot her with her duty weapon??

[Copp'rPenny]

Too bad........the last thing any department needs is more bad press.....

Copp'r P - I heard from a friend/Co worker of hers that she was already a sworn Officer at the time of the crime.

Yeah, the article linked in the general discussion area said she joined the force in 1983. This is just sad, all the way around.

[hankido2000]

Wow. Very sad indeed.

[avalon42]

And California wants to cut this program from its budget (collecting DNA from cold-case crimes)? They are nuts...

[Ducatista]

What a way to live! To be a detective and having that in your head. Will this cause all of her cases to be re-opened? about 25 years worth.

[Retired96]

Reminds me of the LASD jail Deputy that murdered the Sgt. in his van and didn't get caught for many years only because of DNA.

[Kieth M.]

Reminds me of the LASD jail Deputy that murdered the Sgt. in his van and didn't get caught for many years only because of DNA.


Oh, God, what a tangled web that was...

[QRF]

I knew and worked with Stephanie Lazurus. If you were to ask me to line up every cop in Hollywood, with whom I worked over the 15 years I spent on patrol there, in order of their likelihood of being a murderer...she'd be at the very tail end of the line...or I'd ask why you even included her to begin with.

I'm sad about this, but I've done this job too long to say it's BS. I know the work that goes into something like this - it was probably tough for all involved. For sure, it was no rush-to-judgement.

I agree.... I knew Stephanie well, and most who knew her well will tell you she was one of the best you'd ever have the pleasure of working with. On the other hand, I always had T.M. at the top of the short list.

[Kieth M.]

Here's a longer story, with more details and a photo:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-detective-arrested6-2009jun06,0,2400854.story

[orlandofed5-0]

LAPD picked up a federal officer for a 1989 murder back in 2002.

[pulicords]

Don't you just love the press? The 2nd largest distributed newspaper in L.A. named her husband (also a police officer), mentioned their recently adopted child, and "outed" the exact location of their residence (city, street and address number). As if things aren't bad enough for the rest of the family, now they have to worry about this? :mad:

[SoCalFed]

LAPD picked up a federal officer for a 1989 murder back in 2002.

I remember reading that in the Los Angeles Times several years ago. When you read about the officer they arrested, it might make you wonder how he passed a BI considering his background (described by LAPD detectives as a one time member of the Rollin' 60s and previously arrested for murder), not to mention he was reportedly rejected from 15 other LE agencies:

http://articles.latimes.com/2003/dec/19/local/me-cold19