that's the look of REALITY setting in...
Posted on 03/08/2012 5:25:35 PM PST by dragnet2
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A jury found former LAPD detective Stephanie Lazarus guilty of first-degree murder in the death of her ex-boyfriend's wife 26 years ago.
The trial lasted more than 3 weeks, but it took the jury less than eight hours to return with a guilty verdict on Thursday. The jury also found the allegation that she personally used the firearm to be true.
The 51-year-old showed no reaction when the verdict was read. Her husband left the courtroom immediately, and her mother left in tears about a minute later.
"I am very disappointed. I think the speed of the verdict showed that we never had a chance in this case," said defense attorney Mark Overland.
Sherri Rasmussen was found dead in her Van Nuys apartment in 1986. The prosecution contended Lazarus murdered her ex-boyfriend's wife in a jealous rage.
The key piece of evidence in this case was DNA from a bite mark on the victim's arm. Investigators say that DNA came from Lazarus, who was an LAPD officer at the time. Lazarus went on to become a detective.
The case had originally gone cold, and detectives had believed at the time that the murder was the result of a burglary that had been interrupted. In 2004, detectives reopened the case after discovering the DNA evidence, but it wasn't until 2009 that the evidence brought investigators to Lazarus.
The defense argued that the DNA was improperly stored and could have been contaminated or planted, but the jury didn't buy it.
(Excerpt) Read more at abclocal.go.com ...
I’m hoping that Southland will use this case as a story on a future episode. I just want to see what wild-eyed actress they come up.
The face of innocence if I’ve ever seen one.
Kuh Ray Zee Eyes¡
GUILTY¡¡¡
She got them crazy eyes.
Whoa!
I’d be more interested to see if they’d reveal how LAPD totally blew it in their investigation 26 years ago.
Maybe she wasn’t a suspect back then. Especially if the husband of the deceased was trying to protect her from coming under scrutiny? And DNA testing has only been around a little over 20 years and being able to test smaller DNA samples is a more recent development. However, I’d hate to think that the cops were protecting her back then.
That's the whole problem. She should have been #1 suspect. If she had been, they would have found out a few weeks after the murder, she alleged her, "service weapon" had been stolen out of her vehicle.
The parents of the victim told investigators an LAPD cop had been stalking their daughter, right after the murder. In fact, the victim had even told co-workers the same. The co-workers were not even interviewed.
This was no burglary, and those at the time should have known this. Since when do burglars bite their victims, and beat them so severely, as if they were jealous lovers?
Come on.
Looks like a bunny boiler...
I didn’t know all that. Yes, the severity of her injuries should have told the detectives that the victim and perp most likely knew each other. As I mentioned, I hope the cops weren’t protecting her. There was a similar case in Wisconsin with Lawrencia “Bambi” Bambenek.
“. There was a similar case in Wisconsin with Lawrencia “Bambi” Bambenek”’
I remember “Run,Bambi,run” was all over the place.
IMO, this was one of the worst LAPD homicide investigations ever.
that's the look of REALITY setting in...
The problem was it was the LAPD investigating a homicide that had as its prime suspect — a fellow LAPD officer.
"She's got Charlie Manson eyes..."
GUILTY. And Batshyte crazy too by the look in her eyes.
Yeah, very strange. Even stranger, Bambi died on opening day of 2010 gun deer season.
Her pension will help in prison.
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