Stephanie Lazarus, LAPD Detective, Charged with Murder

hold on just a minute...the mere fact that she is a police officer does not make her guilty of the murder.  a jury will determain that issue.  innocent until proved guilty even if you are a police officer. 

Aren't most police investigations developing leads and suspects for a murder begin with spouse ?, cheating spouse? cheating spouse's jealous lover ?, friends?, co-workers?, recent conflicts?, people with access to the home and finally way down the list of possibilities...a random act of violence. This poor victim had told her parents and friends that she was having unwanted confrontations with Lazarus. (I don't know if she had spoken to her husband's employer about the problem)  But the detective who retired in 1991 still claiming he "believed it was robbers" clearly used the now famous ABC THEORY:  Anybody But Cops should be investigated for crimes.   I am happy Sherri's father's asser-tions have finally come to roost, but profoundly sad for their suffering as well.

It is pretty incredible how long the whole thing took.  I agree, happy for the family that the case has finally been resolved and that they can feel at least some justice has been retributed, but sad for them that the entire ordeal had to be dragged out for such a long time.

The prosecution is going to allege Lazarus broke into Rassmusen's condo and was discovered by the victim when the victim came home unexpectedly.  A fight ensued wherein Lazarus shot and killed the victim.  In that case it would be first degree murder because the murder occurred during the commission of a felony, burglary.  However, there were only two people present when the murder occurred, Lazarus and the victim.  Therefore, the defense will challenge the homicide detectives on the stand to prove Lazarus broke into the condo.  The defense will contend that Lazarus when to the condo to speak to the victim.  The victim became enraged and a fight ensuded.  Lazarus used deadly force in self defense.  The defense will ask the jury to find Lazarus either not guilty of murder or guild of involuntary manslaughter.  In my opinion, she will be found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to three years in prison. She will retire from the police department, collect her pension and live happily ever after.

I don't think she has a chance in hell. She was on-duty, or so they say,and  the victim had bite marks on her neck.  They'll most likely dredge up the victim's friends and co-workers to testify she had been threatened. No matter what, Lazarus is going away for the rest of her life. The victim was married at the time she was killed and no matter what reason Lazarus may have had for going there she killed her. Even more importantly, Lazarus had teh opportunity to come clean on what happened 23 years ago and that isn't going to bode well with a jury. The fact she was a police officer and most likely abused her ability to violate almost every penal and civil law in existence will work against her as well. The LAPD didn't want to investigate one of their own and didn't. Luckily, the LAPD no longer operates the way they once did or the old DNA evidence would have been destroyed years ago.