Naman Shrestha
In 1986, a 29-year-old nursing director named Sherri Rasmussen met her tragic demise in what appeared to be a burglary gone wrong. However, a couple of decades later, the authorities made a shocking discovery, revealing the manner of her death to be something more sinister. The circumstances surrounding the murder and the decades-long investigation that ensued are explored in a detailed manner in NBC’s ‘Dateline: Detective Story’ and ABC’s ’20/20: The Killer Down the Hall.’ Both episodes also feature exclusive interviews with the loved ones of the victim and the officials connected to the investigation.
Sherri Rasmussen’s Body Was Discovered by Her Husband
Nels and Loretta Rasmussen welcomed a little bundle of joy into the world on February 7, 1957, in Walla Walla, Washington, in the form of Sherri Rae Rasmussen. Sister of two siblings, Teresa and Connie, she was known to be a compassionate, hardworking, and kind woman. At just 16 years of age, she got into Loma Linda University and pursued a career in critical care nursing. After graduating from college with flying colors, she started working as a nurse before taking up the position of a nurse supervisor. By the age of 27, she bagged a job as the director of nursing at Glendale Adventist Medical Center.
While she had gained success in her professional career, she was also lucky in matters of the heart as she met a young engineer named John Ruetten at a party. Not long after their first meet-up, the two fell head over heels in love with each other. After a year of dating, they decided it was time to take their relationship to the next stage. Thus, in November 1985, Sherri and John tied the knot in front of their loved ones. Unfortunately, only three months into the marriage, she was found dead in the apartment located in the Van Nuys neighborhood of LA by her husband on the night of February 24, 1986, after he returned home.
As the police rushed to the scene of the crime, they inspected the body and found that the 29-year-old nurse was bludgeoned and shot to death. She was also bitten on her inner left forearm, which possibly had the DNA of the perpetrator. During their inspection of the crime scene, the detectives found evidence that suggested it was a case of a burglary gone horribly wrong. For instance, Sherri’s purse and BMW were missing from the property.
The Killer Was Not Identified For More Than Two Decades
For several years, the police were under the impression that Sherri Rasmussen died during a robbery at her home. However, her loved ones always felt that there was something more complicated at play. Sherri’s father suspected her husband’s ex-girlfriend, Stephanie Ilene Lazarus, an LAPD officer, killed her due to jealousy. Despite his multiple requests, the police never looked into it and retained their burglary theory. For over a couple of decades, the investigation saw no developments whatsoever. Finally, in 2009, the cold case was reexamined with the help of advanced DNA technology in hopes of finally solving the decades-long case.
The investigators proceeded to catch the killer on the basis of the DNA found through the bite mark on Sherri’s forearm. They shortlisted the names of potential suspects with motives, including LAPD Detective Stephanie. When they dug deeper into Stephanie’s past, they learned that she was in a relationship with Sherri’s husband, John Ruetten, before their marriage. During their time at UCLA, Stephanie and John dated each other on and off. In order to get an idea about the dynamics of the relationship, they brought John into questioning. He claimed that he saw it as a “friends-with-benefits” situation while she had become more serious over time. Thus, according to him, she was devastated after his engagement to Sherri.
As per his claims, when he went to provide a shoulder for her to cry on, they ended up getting intimate. He claimed that he felt guilty about it and confessed the same to Sherri, who forgave him. Sherri’s father also claimed that she told him that Stephanie had even come over to her house uninvited once. In light of all these testimonies and statements, Stephanie became a prime suspect in the eyes of law enforcement despite her stellar reputation in the department. So, in May 2019, to turn their suspicion into confirmation, the investigators tailed Stephanie and obtained a sample of her DNA from a cup she used and discarded in the trash. Upon comparing her DNA with the DNA found on Sherri’s forearm, it was a match.
The Perpetrator Was Finally Brought to Justice
When the detectives brought her into questioning and asked her if she was involved in the 1986 murder of Sherri Rasmussen, she straight away denied any involvement. But since they had enough evidence to lock her away, they arrested and charged her with the murder right after she walked out of the interrogation room. According to the lead investigator, on the fateful night, Stephanie entered Sherri’s condo and killed her, before staging the scene to look like a robbery gone wrong.
More than two decades later, in February 2012, the trial of Stephanie Lazarus began. While the prosecution claimed that jealousy was her motive to commit murder, she and her defense maintained her innocence. After hearing both sides of the coin, the jury returned with a guilty verdict for the accused. Finally, in March 2012, Sherri Rasmussen received justice when Stephanie was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 27 years to life in prison.
Read More: Stephanie Lazarus: Where is the Killer Now?
