A former Los Angeles police detective, Stephanie Lazarus, who killed her romantic rival, Sherri Rasmussen, and concealed the murder for over two decades, will not be paroled after a reversal of an earlier decision granting her release. The decision to rescind Lazarus’ grant of parole came after a 90-minute hearing before three commissioners from the California Parole Board. Rasmussen’s family lawyer, John Taylor, stated that Lazarus had served her parole time upfront by evading arrest for 23 years after the murder. The family was pleased with the decision to deny Lazarus parole as she had shown no remorse for the cold-blooded execution she committed while working as an LAPD officer.
The panel reviewing the earlier decision to grant Lazarus parole found “good cause” to rescind it. As a result, Lazarus will have a new parole hearing scheduled in 18 months. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the board’s parent agency, confirmed the decision to deny parole for Lazarus. Despite this outcome, a lawyer for Lazarus did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Rasmussen, a 29-year-old nurse, was killed in her Los Angeles-area apartment on February 24, 1986. Lazarus, an LAPD art theft detective at the time, had previously dated a man whom Rasmussen later married.
The lead investigator in the case, Greg Stearns, revealed that Lazarus entered Rasmussen’s condo, struck her in the head with a vase, and shot her three times in the chest using a pillow as a makeshift silencer. She then staged the crime scene to make it appear like a robbery. Lazarus was arrested in 2009 when DNA evidence linked her to the murder. She was convicted of first-degree murder in 2012 after maintaining her innocence at trial. Despite being found suitable for parole in a hearing last November, Rasmussen’s family challenged the decision by pointing out that Lazarus showed no remorse and questioning the board’s reliance on the state’s youthful offender law.
During the parole hearing, Lazarus claimed she had no intention of killing Rasmussen when she visited her home and only went there to speak with her former partner, who was not present during the attack. Lazarus said she did not turn herself in after the murder because she was ashamed. California Governor Gavin Newsom acknowledged Lazarus’ excellent disciplinary record and efforts to better herself while incarcerated, but noted that she had not taken full responsibility for the murder until she was apprehended. A separate panel that considered the governor’s letter raised concerns about the decision to release Lazarus, suggesting it may have been “improvident” and warranted further examination.
