Stephanie Lazarus, interrogation interview, right before her arrest
Since this will be a long weekend, I thought I would put up a Question & Answer entry. If you have any questions about the Stephanie Lazarus trial, please feel free to leave a comment and I will try to answer as best I can.
Question: Annette said:
I am wondering how the Rasmussen family is holding up? Is John attending the trial? I am keeping them in my prayers.
Keep up the good work. I look forward to getting home from work every evening to get caught up on the days events there in LA.
Thanks
Answer:
Sherri Rae Rasmussen's family does not speak to the press about the case and I have not asked them how they are doing. They do smile and say hello to me since I'm sitting right in front of them. John Ruetten has not been attending the trial. The only time I've seen him was at the last day of voir dire. I expect he is barred from the trial because it's a good bet he's on the prosecution or the defense witness list.
Question: Kathy said:
Is it normal for a judge to ask his own questions of the witness? I have never served jury duty, and I do not recall ever seeing this on any trial I have watched on TV.
Answer:
Judges sit as the "13th Juror" and can have their own questions. It's not unusual. This is Judge Perry's style. He does like to keep the trial moving along at a good pace and sometimes asks his own questions and then tells counsel, "Move along." He's an interesting judge to watch.
Question: Christina said:
Dear Sprocket,
John Ruetten interests me.
When did he remarry and with whom?
Do you know anything about his contacts to Stephanie Lazarus just before or just after Sherri Rasmussen´s death?
Thanks again for your excellent "written Video".
wkr Christina
Answer:
Thank you Christina.
John Ruetten is the big mystery. As far as I know, Ruetten has not spoken to the press since 1987, about a year after Rasmussen's murder.
In June or August 1985, an emotional Lazarus called Ruetten and asked to see him. While engaged to Rasmussen, he went to Lazarus' condo where Lazarus told John how she felt about him, that she loved him. What her emotional state at the time was, will depend on who you believe. They were sexually intimate during that meeting. I don't know if that was the last time he saw her but I believe it was the last time they were intimate before he got married.
We don't know at this point what his relationship with her was after his wife's murder.
From my notes on Overland's opening statement:
They met in Hawaii in July 1989. Ruetten had gone to visit friends and somehow found out Stephanie Lazarus was there with a male friend and John Ruetten called her. Years later he happened to be in Los Angeles. He called Stephanie when he was in LA.
I do not know when Ruetten married. If Ruetten is not on the prosecution's witness list, (I can't imagine he wouldn't be) he most certainly will be on the defense. Expect extensive cross of Ruetten if he is on the prosecution's list.
Question: Mark G:
Based on your observations of the jury -- and it may be early to tell -- but what is there demeanor, body language and/or attitude when Overland suggests that the DNA evidence has been compromised and/or contaminated?
Answer:
Unfortunately, I can't say. I have not noticed any obvious body language or facial expressions that would point one way or the other. When I'm in court and writing furiously, my focus is on my notepad or the witness. I occasionally glance to see if the jury is taking notes.
Question: Charlie N said:
Were you able to discern any reaction from jurors when Jennifer Francis revealed that it was 1 in 402.1 quadrillion that this was anyone else's DNA other than Lazarus'. Thanks for your great blog.
Charlie N.
Answer:
Not really. The jury heard this figure (and the higher one 1.7 sextillion) in opening statements.
Question: Ellwood said:
Do you think the prosecution will have a explanation on how Stephanie Lazarus knew that Sherrie Rasmussen would be home sick, when it was her last minute decision not to go to work that day?
Answer:
I believe this was answered during the last day of the preliminary hearing. The prosecution tried to add the charge "lying in wait" but were unsuccessful. This was due to the way the law covering "lying in wait" was interpreted to be applied back in 1986. From my understanding, according to statements made by Rasmussen's family, Sherri believed she was being followed, stalked. It is unknown at this time if we will hear any testimony about that. We will hear testimony that Lazarus had a lock-picking kit and (I believe) bragged she knew how to pick locks.
Question: Kathy said:
Yes, indeed John Ruetten is the big mystery.
Has any of your research uncovered his knowledge of Lazarus' stalking of his wife? As Rasmussen had told her father and friend(s) about the stalking, it is hard to believe that she would not have told her husband. And if she did mention it to him, why did he not confront Lazarus and report it to the police?
Answer:
The only other individual who witnessed one confrontation at the hospital was a coworker of Sherri's, who has since died. That was at the preliminary hearing, but the information could not be presented. I do not know if any of this information will be allowed to come in at trial.
Question: Anonymous @12:58 PM said:
I am curious to know how is Lazarus' handsome husband, Scott Young appear to be holding up? I am sure, it must be awfully hard on him amongst his fellow detectives, knowing that is wife stands accused of a horrific murder. Also, how does Lazarus, herself appear to be holding up during trial?
Answer:
Stephanie has had several family members show up at court every day for the first week. They are supporting her. On Friday, I believe there were eight people there. Her husband, her mother, her brother Steven are the ones that I know. The others I do not know who they are. I could not tell you if Scott Young is doing well or not. I have seen him with a Holy Bible (I believe) every day he has been in court. Lazarus is much thinner than in her interrogation interview and the images of her in her orange jumpsuit at her arraignment. She is alert, and appears to be very involved in her defense. She appeared to be very involved in the vior dire process. From where I am sitting, it does not appear that she is wearing any makeup. (I don't know if she wore makeup on the job or not or like myself, wore very little.) She does have that pallor of someone who has not seen sunlight in a long time. When she is brought out of the jail area, she always has big smiles for her family in the gallery.
Question: Brad said:
In the autopsy report, it states under gunshot wound #2, that a "9mm silvery flattened nose gold (?) missle" (bullet)was recovered from the body, at time of autopsy. Now, the prosecution is talking about two .38 special bullets being recovered. Have you heard anything about this at trial?
Answer:
We have heard testimony from the coroner. Sherri Rae Rasmussen was shot three times. It was 38 caliber bullets. The metric vs imperial naming/sizing in the link should answer your question.
Question: Utah Chris said:
I'm unsure how her husband can't have doubts in spite of their years of marriage. I can't believe she didn't speak of anything to do with her former lover at any point. Everyone of us at some point in our lengthy relationships lets the guard down on the traumatic experiences of our past and I'd think it highly unusual if that were not the case here.
Answer:
The trial isn't over yet Chris. We have only heard from about twenty-three witness so far, out of about the sixty or seventy that are expected. We don't know the full extent of Lazarus' defense and who will testify for her. It is unknown what her relationship with her husband is really like. In the police interrogation video, she states she met her husband in 1992. He moved in with her in 1993 and they married in 1996.
Question: Nancy B said:
Utah Chris - I don't believe that she ever told her husband that she murdered Sherri. No way. I believe that she compartmentalized that event, walled it off and never spoke of it to anyone. That's my belief. Your comment references how "normal" functioning people respond in long term trusting marriages. We would not have murdered Sherri in a million years. Lazarus may have passed for "normal" all these years but I don't believe that she is. It was such a brutal, cold blooded, ruthless and up close murder. I think she is wired differently. I feel very sorry for their adopted daughter.
I keep wondering about the marriage license that went missing. Besides Sherri's sports car that was the only thing the police have stated was missing from the house. How did she find it? I think that I read somewhere that no drawers were thrown about and the reason they initially believed that it was a robbery gone bad was that the expensive stereo equipment was all stacked by the stairs to look like the robber(s) had to leave in a hurry without it. Hmmm. It makes me wonder if Lazarus forced Sherri to show her where it was kept. We will probably never know. The marriage license going missing was a VERY telling clue about who committed this murder.
Answer:
The marriage license. Police believe that Lazarus entered the condo through the front door and once she entered the attack happened rather quickly. The evidence photos I saw appear to support that. All the blood evidence is in the entrance area and the living room. We may hear from Ruetten where the marriage certificate was kept. When we learn that, that may shed some light as to why the attack was limited to the living room. We'll just have to wait and see.
For those of you who are interested in how people become violent, I recommend the research of maverick criminalist, Dr. Lonnie Athens. You can read all about his theories on "violentization" in a book about Athens' life by Richard Rhodes titled Why They Kill.
Note:
I have uploaded a complete copy of the interrogation video of Stephanie Lazarus by Robbery Homicide Division. The video was released by Judge Perry (I believe) in 2009. The link is also listed on my Stephanie Lazarus Quick Links page. I'm not aware of any other place where you can find the complete video. It is over an hour and 12 minutes long. Lazarus reveals some interesting information in this video about herself, most notably, that she doesn't know where her father lives and hasn't had contact with him for some time. My question would be, why? It should be noted that defense attorney Mark Overland has successfully argued to have portions of the video redacted, not shown to the jury. I don't know the specifics of what was redacted. Once the edited video and transcript have been released, we will know.
Question: Robert said...
I think Ruetten is the key to Overland's defense. Unfortunately defense lawyers in murder cases are always trying to pin the crime on someone else, and Reutten had best have an ironclad work place alibi for the time of the crime or he will get chewed up on cross. Either way, his testimony will be personally devastating, particularly if he had any sort of a physical relationship with Lazarus after the engagement and/or after the marriage.
I was curious about a couple of things. When the forensics guy testified about swabbing the stolen BMW I understand that he found blood present, but were there any results from the swabs on the key that matched Lazarus' DNA, and/or did they analyze the fiber he found and come up with anything?
Also, did I read correctly that the .38 caliber slug removed from her matched LAPD issue ammunition at the time? If so, why didn't that set off alarms at the time?
Lastly, did the DA mention in his opening statement that Lazarus did not work on the day of the murder, made no journal entry and to my knowledge has no alibi for her whereabouts, and in the video interview lied repeatedly about her relationship with Ruetten?
You're doing a great job. Keep up the good work ! Robert
Answer:
First, thank you Robert, and everyone else who has posted questions. This unpaid hobby is a labor of love. Trials are a fascinating part of our legal process and I'm fortunate I have an understanding husband.
Ruetten. He was cleared by police. He was at work all day. He did have a post-incident relationship with Lazarus but we have yet to hear from Ruetten when and what the exact extent of that relationship was.
The Car.
We've heard about the collection of that evidence and we've heard from the DNA analyst who developed profiles from the evidence collected from the car. If I recall correctly, the biological material found on the keys came up with a partial DNA profile matching Rasmussen. I'd have to check my notes on the other two blood samples, but I think one other sample also came up as a partial profile to Rasmussen. The last came up, I believe, as a full profile to Rasmussen. We have yet to hear from an expert who did an analysis on the hair fiber found in the BMW.
The bullets.
The ammunition was that used by LAPD. We have not heard from the firearms expert yet. It's my belief (opinion) that this ammunition was not "exclusive" to the LAPD; that this particular ammo could be purchased by the general public.
Lazarus' whereabouts.
Mark Overland in his opening statement, did mention that Lazarus was on a pre-scheduled time off day. We have not heard any testimony as to her possible whereabouts on that day. I've recently uploaded the complete video tape interrogation. I've listened to most of it. I cannot definitively say that Lazarus lied in the interview. I believe that is open to interpretation. It's my opinion that at times she appears nervous but that might be how Lazarus normally is. In other words, I don't have an observational baseline for her to know one way or another. What I mean by that is, I don't know how Lazarus would act/project in normal, everyday situations compare the video to.
Question: Becky said...
First, thank you for your amazing contribution! Second, I have a question--why didn't the marriage certificate come up in the opening statement? the fact that it was the only thing stolen seems to me to make this a slamdunk case. A robber who didn't know the victim wouldn't care.... Thanks!!!
Answer:
Presby may have mentioned the marriage certificate in his opening statement and I missed writing it down. (I'm not invincible. I do miss quite a bit of dialog.) It wasn't the only thing stolen. The BMW was stolen. There is only "so much" you can say in opening. It's a good bet that we will hear about the marriage certificate in testimony.
We won't know the full extent of Lazarus' relationship with Ruetten until Ruetten takes the stand. All we've heard so far about it is in opening statements from both sides.
I really appreciate hearing that Sophie. I am working very hard at being a neutral information source and just reporting what I hear in court and observe.
- Question: Anonymous @ 10:48 AM said...
- Great coverage. I have watched the entire interrogation video and it's very interesting. Lazarus repeats "I don't know" over and over again in the video. Either she really doesn't know or she is in an extremely deep state of denial as to what really happened that day. The jury will have to make that decision. Thanks for posting!
The thing to keep in mind with the interrogation video is that some of it is redacted. I know that the redacted part is a small amount, (possibly 10-20%?) but I don't know the specific statements that were ruled excluded. I will be looking at the comparison between the initial video and what the jury gets to see/hear.
Question: Nancy B said:
Sprocket, Thanks so much for the book title. I just read the introduction on line and ordered the book. It seems to be a fascinating book. I too do not believe in "crimes of passion" and really have no suitable/intelligent explanation how a murder such as this one could occur.
I had never read the book that the Scott Peterson jury wrote. I found the book at a neighborhood yard sale last week and it's a great read. The two journalists that helped write the book are the real deal. Frank Swertlow & Lyndon Stambler.
Truly amazing how dedicated they were in fulfilling their civic duty to the highest possible level. For a few of them it meant only receiving the $13/day stipend as their jobs did not cover payment of their salaries for such a long trial -(May-Dec) A handful of them worked nights several days a week and then stayed alert all day in court - how I don't know! A few worked nearly around the clock on the 3 day weekends to support themselves, as there was no court each Friday. Such a vast difference from the uppity jury in the Anthony trial. The Peterson jury really has restored my faith! They performed at an exemplary level.
I never realized till now that I had not listened to the FULL video of Lazarus' interrogation. Thanks for posting it and clarifying that.
I think I read somewhere that Ruetten made the statement that the detectives back in 1986 told him that they had cleared Lazarus and that was why he had further contact with her after Sherri's death. Do you remember this too or am I dreaming?
How is your car coming along?
Looks like you had another working weekend! Appreciate all your hard work & labor of love immensely. You rock!
Answer:
Nancy, I vacillate between understanding crimes of passion and not. Understand that the limbic system in the brain, is one of our most basic human response systems. It's activated automatically without thought or careful evaluation of choices. It helps us in fight or flight situations; live or die. And, it can be our undoing. After you get through Richard Rhodes' book, I recommend Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why. I've read both books many times. Once you've read them both, we can have a discussion about "crimes of passion".
- Question: Robert said...
- Re, the bullets. If it was standard LAPD issue for their personal sidearms at the time, then I’m certain it was not made exclusively for them and could have been purchased elsewhere. The point is not that was available elsewhere, the point is that it was standard LAPD issue and that should have been a red flag. When the detectives went over their evidence, wouldn’t such a fact have jumped off the page? They had .38 caliber ammunition of the type used by the LAPD and a snub-nosed .38 according to the burn marks and a father who wrote a letter to Darryl Gates asking that Lazarus be investigated. Plus, Lazarus was off duty and had no alibi, and had her personal weapon “stolen” ten days after the murder. And yet they did nothing to pursue that angle? That’s one of the things that bothers me most about this whole mess is even with the advantage of hindsight the evidence seems to overwhelmingly point at Lazarus, both then and now.
- Will post later on the interview. All the best, Robert
- Answer:
- You have to realize Robert, that during that time, many officer's off-duty/personal weapons were often .38 calliber weapons. (source: The Lazarus File) And if, as Overland contends in his opening statement, that the bullets were not special issue only to LAPD, and would have fit over 37 other weapons, there really isn't anything that significant in the fact that the bullets were the same that LAPD was issued at the time. Means the general public could and would have used that same type of bullet in their weapons. It could have been a good purchase negotiation deal that LAPD got with the manufacturer for those bullets. What is more significant, more of a coincidence as far as possible circumstantial evidence goes (in my mind) is the fact that five shots were fired at the scene and the personal weapon Lazarus had at the time held five rounds, and the bullets that killed Rasmussen could have been used in that weapon she reported stolen eleven days later.
Posts
26 comments:
I am wondering how the Rasmussen family is holding up? Is John attending the trial? I am keeping them in my prayers.
Keep up the good work. I look forward to getting home from work every evening to get caught up on the days events there in LA.
Thanks
Is it normal for a judge to ask his own questions of the witness? I have never served jury duty, and I do not recall ever seeing this on any trial I have watched on TV.
Dear Sprocket,
John Ruetten interests me.
When did he remarry and with whom?
Do you know anything about his contacts to Stephanie Lazarus just before or just after Sherri Rasmussen´s death?
Thanks again for your excellent "written Video".
wkr Christina
Based on your observations of the jury -- and it may be early to tell -- but what is there demeanor, body language and/or attitude when Overland suggests that the DNA evidence has been compromised and/or contaminated?
Mark G
Orange County
Were you able to discern any reaction from jurors when Jennifer Francis revealed that it was 1 in 402.1 quadrillion that this was anyone elses DNA other than Lazarus'. Thanks for your great blog.
Charlie N.
Do you think the prosecution will have a explanation on how Stephanie Lazarus knew that Sherrie Rasmussen would be home sick, when it was her last minute decision not to go to work that day?
I knew John and Stephanie when I lived on the 9th floor of Dykstra Hall (April 79-June 80). Lost touch after I moved out of state. Whole thing is a shock.
I grew up with John Ruetten, have known him since 4th grade. He is quiet, serious and very smart. He was NOT a rowdy kid, like me. When I got married in 1990 he came to our wedding and his Father was his plus one. He was still unmarried at that time. He is a really nice guy and this murder just devastated him.
Thank you so much, those of you who have taken the time to share your knowledge and experiences of Lazarus, Rasmussen and Ruetten.
Yes, indeed John Ruetten is the big mystery.
Has any of your research uncovered his knowledge of Lazarus' stalking of his wife? As Rasmussen had told her father and friend(s) about the stalking, it is hard to believe that she would not have told her husband. And if she did mention it to him, why did he not confront Lazarus and report it to the police?
I am curious to know how is Lazarus' handsome husband, Scott Young appear to be holding up? I am sure, it must be awfully hard on him amongst his fellow detectives, knowing that is wife stands accused of a horrific murder. Also, how does Lazarus, herself appear to be holding up during trial?
In the autopsy report, it states under gunshot wound #2, that a "9mm silvery flattened nose gold (?) missle" (bullet)was recovered from the body, at time of autopsy. Now, the prosecution is talking about two .38 special bullets being recovered. Have you heard anything about this at trial?
I'm unsure how her husband can't have doubts in spite of their years of marriage. I can't believe she didn't speak of anything to do with her former lover at any point. Everyone of us at some point in our lengthy relationships lets the guard down on the traumatic experiences of our past and I'd think it highly unusual if that were not the case here.
Utah Chris - I don't believe that she ever told her husband that she murdered Sherri. No way. I believe that she compartmentalized that event, walled it off and never spoke of it to anyone. That's my belief. Your comment references how "normal" functioning people respond in long term trusting marriages. We would not have murdered Sherri in a million years. Lazarus may have passed for "normal" all these years but I don't believe that she is. It was such a brutal, cold blooded, ruthless and up close murder. I think she is wired differently. I feel very sorry for their adopted daughter.
I keep wondering about the marriage license that went missing. Besides Sherri's sports car that was the only thing the police have stated was missing from the house. How did she find it? I think that I read somewhere that no drawers were thrown about and the reason they initially believed that it was a robbery gone bad was that the expensive stereo equipment was all stacked by the stairs to look like the robber(s) had to leave in a hurry without it. Hmmm. It makes me wonder if Lazarus forced Sherri to show her where it was kept. We will probably never know. The marriage license going missing was a VERY telling clue about who committed this murder.
I think Ruetten is the key to Overland's defense. Unfortunately defense lawyers in murder cases are always trying to pin the crime on someone else, and Reutten had best have an ironclad work place alibi for the time of the crime or he will get chewed up on cross. Either way, his testimony will be personally devastating, particularly if he had any sort of a physical relationship with Lazarus after the engagement and/or after the marriage.
I was curious about a couple of things. When the forensics guy testified about swabbing the stolen BMW I understand that he found blood present, but were there any results from the swabs on the key that matched Lazarus' DNA, and/or did they analyze the fiber he found and come up with anything?
Also, did I read correctly that the .38 caliber slug removed from her matched LAPD issue ammunition at the time? If so, why didn't that set off alarms at the time?
Lastly, did the DA mention in his opening statement that Lazarus did not work on the day of the murder, made no journal entry and to my knowledge has no alibi for her whereabouts, and in the video interview lied repeatedly about her relationship with Ruetten?
You're doing a great job. Keep up the good work !
Robert
Great coverage. I have watched the entire interrogation video and it's very interesting.
Lazarus repeats "I don't know" over and over again in the video.
Either she really doesn't know or she is in an extremely deep state of denial as to what really happened that day.
The jury will have to make that decision.
Thanks for posting!
Sprocket,
Thanks so much for the book title. I just read the introduction on line and ordered the book. It seems to be a fascinating book. I too do not believe in "crimes of passion" and really have no suitable/intelligent explanation how a murder such as this one could occur.
I had never read the book that the Scott Peterson jury wrote. I found the book at a neighborhood yard sale last week and it's a great read. The two journalists that helped write the book are the real deal. Frank Swertlow & Lyndon Stambler.
Truly amazing how dedicated they were in fulfilling their civic duty to the highest possible level. For a few of them it meant only receiving the $13/day stipend as their jobs did not cover payment of their salaries for such a long trial -(May-Dec) A handful of them worked nights several days a week and then stayed alert all day in court - how I don't know! A few worked nearly around the clock on the 3 day weekends to support themselves, as there was no court each Friday. Such a vast difference from the uppity jury in the Anthony trial.The Peterson jury really has restored my faith! They performed at an exemplary level.
I never realized till now that I had not listened to the FULL video of Lazarus' interrogation. Thanks for posting it and clarifying that.
I think I read somewhere that Ruetten made the statement that the detectives back in 1986 told him that they had cleared Lazarus and that was why he had further contact with her after Sherri's death. Do you remember this too or am I dreaming?
How is your car coming along?
Looks like you had another working weekend! Appreciate all your hard work & labor of love immensely. You rock!
You are doing a great job, keep it up.
I hope they put her away for a long time.
Re, the bullets. If it was standard LAPD issue for their personal sidearms at the time, then I’m certain it was not made exclusively for them and could have been purchased elsewhere. The point is not that was available elsewhere, the point is that it was standard LAPD issue and that should have been a red flag. When the detectives went over their evidence, wouldn’t such a fact have jumped off the page? They had .38 caliber ammunition of the type used by the LAPD and a snub-nosed .38 according to the burn marks and a father who wrote a letter to Darryl Gates asking that Lazarus be investigated. Plus, Lazarus was off duty and had no alibi, and had her personal weapon “stolen” ten days after the murder. And yet they did nothing to pursue that angle? That’s one of the things that bothers me most about this whole mess is even with the advantage of hindsight the evidence seems to overwhelmingly point at Lazarus, both then and now.
Will post later on the interview. All the best, Robert
Re, the video. According to her attorney, Lazarus had a significant and ongoing sexual relationship with Ruetten. She wrote a heartbroken letter to his mother when Ruetten got engaged to Rassmussen and woke up her roommate and wept when he followed through with the engagement. It sounds like this was her first real “love” and losing Ruetten devastated her. If so, memory of every detail of that relationship would stay with a person the rest of their lives.
When asked about Ruetten on the video she does not know whom they are speaking about… but then corrects the pronunciation of his name and agrees they were ‘good friends’ and dated. I wouldn’t describe someone I’d had sex with three dozen times, cried over and wrote a pleading letter to his mother as a ‘good friend.’ A lover maybe, but more accurately the man who broke my heart.
As soon as the conversation goes to Sherri, she wants to know “what’s this about?” and that was a key for me. The interviewer hit a nerve and it’s obvious on the tape. Of course, they want to keep her talking so they assure her it’s just because her name came up in the chrono, and privacy is the reason she’s in an interview room and she takes the bait and keeps talking, albeit warily.
When asked about her relationship with Ruetten she avoids labeling it a ‘love’ relationship by bringing up all sorts of extraneous details, which is classic avoidance of the question. Instead of answering the question she launches into what years she went to UCLA, what years Ruetten went there, when he graduated, her date of birth and Ruetten’s date of birth, the fact that she dated him while they were at UCLA and “might have dated him” after UCLA, she knew his parents, knew his sister, his sister spent the night at her house, she spent the night at Ruetten’s house, Ruetten spent the night at her house, when she met her husband while teaching DARE.
The interviewer tries to get her back on track and asks if Lazarus has talked with Ruetten since she met her husband and she indicates he might have called her once or twice before she married her husband. Then she again steers the conversation away from her relationship with Ruetten and tells the interviewer she lost her house in the earthquake and moved to Simi…but she still stays in contact with people from her dorm at UCLA. But all girls…
The interviewer stubbornly and rightly goes back to the relationship and asks what ended it. She doesn’t tell him what ended it, instead, she describes it as a ‘weird’ relationship and again claims they just dated. She uses the term, “I can’t say he was my boyfriend,” which is another classic avoidance phrase. “I can’t say… or “I would imagine” are substitutes for “I won’t say,” or “I am not about to admit” to whatever was just asked. Then she throws up more smoke screens and launches into Ruetten’s affinity for basketball, etc etc. She remembers a lot of detail, but not about her relationship with Ruetten.
The interviewer goes back to the relationship a third time and asks if it ended on friendly terms. Her answer was, “No, I don’t think it was not friendly.” That is about as twisted and convoluted an answer as you’ll ever hear. There are three negatives in that sentence and no attempt to answer the question.
Jump ahead a bit, and the interviewer asks if Lazarus knows what happened to Ruetten’s wife, and suddenly her memory clears, she stops avoiding the questions and she answers firmly, “Yeah, I know she got killed.” Without hesitation, without the kind of brow-wrinkling and obfuscating she had been exhibiting to this point, she rises in her chair and becomes animated. She answers, “Yeah, I know she got killed.” Why? Because she knows why she’s in that interview room, and she’s been waiting for them to get to “the” question for ten minutes.
Robert @ 2:17 - You nailed it! Ruetten immediately notified the detectives about Lazarus. Sherri's father repeatedly requested that she be investigated. He wrote the letter to Gates about 8 months later! I have to agree with you that it's bizarro that Lazarus was ignored/protected from even a cursory investigation. And then Gates ignored her parents too. Just unbelievable. How deeply her parents/family suffered and for so long. They have a strong civil suit that I heard they were pursuing at one point, don't know if they still are. The detectives had complete tunnel vision. It got to the point where they not so nicely told the parents that they "needed to move on" if you can believe that!
NancyB... I will state the obvious and add that I know from experience that police officers are only human. They sometimes miss things that are obvious after the fact and do so because they were too busy, distracted, or taken off an investigation and assigned somewhere else in the middle of it... so one never knows. That said, I have rarely come across an investigation that troubled me more than this one.
The investigators were not from Backwater, USA, they were professionals in one of the best police departments in the country, backed at that time by almost unlimited resources. They appear to have ignored or missed physical evidence and contextual evidence that pointed to Lazarus and we have yet to hear their explanation. The unfortunate explanation might be found in the department's culture at that time...but then again it might have been a couple of detectives who were terribly overworked, had other priorities and missed what is now obvious to the world. We'll never know.
What we do know is the same department that dropped the ball, picked it up 25 years later and took it to its righteous conclusion. I'm still not satisfied with the initial investigation, but I have to thank the men and women who handled the second investigation and handled the arrest like professionals.
My hope is that the DA's office follows suit and is handling the prosecution like professionals and does not repeat their mistakes in the OJ Simpson trial in this one. I hope they have invested their best prosecutors and are committing adequate resources toward a just disposition.
To conclude, I commend Sprockets for staying stubbornly in the middle and reporting... not passing judgment like we do...and then waiting for the jury to figure it out.
I re-read this article that's in the Quick Links section and I was incorrect. The parents wrote to Gates 2 yrs after the murder. They had been very patient.
"Rasmussen had further conversations with the detectives over the next several months. But they rebuffed the father's claims, once telling him, "You've been watching too much TV," Taylor said.
Rasmussen grew so frustrated that about two years after the killing, he wrote a letter to then-Chief Daryl F. Gates, asking him to intervene. Police familiar with the case have acknowledged the existence of the letter. When the plea to Gates went nowhere, Rasmussen and his wife kept trying, making calls to the Van Nuys police station, their attorneys said.
Often the parents were put on hold for up to 20 minutes or were hung up on, and at one point were told by a detective, "you should do yourselves a favor and move on with your lives," Taylor said. Eventually, about five years after the killing, they gave up and stopped calling.
Detectives knew that Lazarus was the ex-girlfriend Rasmussen had spoken of. Mayer said in an interview last week that Ruetten identified her as an "acquaintance." And police sources say there is a passing reference to Lazarus in the case file."
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jun/10/local/me-stephanie-lazarus10
John Ruetten should have contacted Stephanie immediately and confronted her about what she did. He must have known she was behind this murder. The only thing missing is a marriage license and the car he gave his wife. All evidence right there points to Stephanie, I heard he is married and has two boys, I wonder if the boys are proud of their Dad, the coward.
Thanks for the coverage. This is a story that needs to be told and you are doing a fantastic job. My condolences to the victim's family. I hope they get closure with this trial.
Post a Comment