tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post3820692731424985243..comments2024-02-24T18:44:39.324-08:00Comments on Trials & Tribulations: Stephanie Lazarus Trial: Q & ASprockethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837416113512618694noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-23385899128410616992012-02-14T22:13:08.652-08:002012-02-14T22:13:08.652-08:00Thanks for the coverage. This is a story that nee...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.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-74454372808158894692012-02-14T14:08:12.713-08:002012-02-14T14:08:12.713-08:00John Ruetten should have contacted Stephanie immed...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.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-46758584065345134292012-02-13T20:45:54.240-08:002012-02-13T20:45:54.240-08:00I re-read this article that's in the Quick Lin...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.<br /><br />"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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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."<br /><br />http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jun/10/local/me-stephanie-lazarus10NancyBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03356062566096810280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-48514159599200790632012-02-13T17:43:11.924-08:002012-02-13T17:43:11.924-08:00NancyB... I will state the obvious and add that I ...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.<br /> <br />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.<br />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.<br />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. <br />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.Robertnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-26653954663533272152012-02-13T15:13:05.533-08:002012-02-13T15:13:05.533-08:00Robert @ 2:17 - You nailed it! Ruetten immediately...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!NancyBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03356062566096810280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-86834920785439132142012-02-13T14:20:55.923-08:002012-02-13T14:20:55.923-08:00Re, the video. According to her attorney, Lazarus...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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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…<br />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.<br />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. <br />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.Robertnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-91321597513914113672012-02-13T14:17:37.895-08:002012-02-13T14:17:37.895-08:00Re, the bullets. If it was standard LAPD issue for...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. <br /><br />Will post later on the interview. All the best, RobertRobertnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-20287759908714874862012-02-13T12:14:40.551-08:002012-02-13T12:14:40.551-08:00I hope they put her away for a long time.I hope they put her away for a long time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-63617056136981243522012-02-13T12:13:26.257-08:002012-02-13T12:13:26.257-08:00You are doing a great job, keep it up.You are doing a great job, keep it up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-3622366601382384902012-02-13T11:44:55.007-08:002012-02-13T11:44:55.007-08:00Sprocket,
Thanks so much for the book title. I j...Sprocket, <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />I never realized till now that I had not listened to the FULL video of Lazarus' interrogation. Thanks for posting it and clarifying that.<br /><br />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?<br /><br />How is your car coming along?<br /><br />Looks like you had another working weekend! Appreciate all your hard work & labor of love immensely. You rock!NancyBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03356062566096810280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-91636910084922584672012-02-13T10:48:13.442-08:002012-02-13T10:48:13.442-08:00Great coverage. I have watched the entire interrog...Great coverage. I have watched the entire interrogation video and it's very interesting. <br /><br />Lazarus repeats "I don't know" over and over again in the video. <br />Either she really doesn't know or she is in an extremely deep state of denial as to what really happened that day. <br /><br />The jury will have to make that decision. <br /><br />Thanks for posting!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-81650151566344901602012-02-13T07:47:07.149-08:002012-02-13T07:47:07.149-08:00I think Ruetten is the key to Overland's defen...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. <br />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? <br />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?<br />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?<br />You're doing a great job. Keep up the good work !<br />RobertRobertnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-57450321388744658872012-02-13T01:01:34.452-08:002012-02-13T01:01:34.452-08:00Utah Chris - I don't believe that she ever tol...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.<br /><br />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.NancyBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03356062566096810280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-70532974933378947062012-02-12T19:43:10.130-08:002012-02-12T19:43:10.130-08:00I'm unsure how her husband can't have doub...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 Chrisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-23036054114902046192012-02-12T19:30:43.912-08:002012-02-12T19:30:43.912-08:00In the autopsy report, it states under gunshot wou...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?Bradhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16625957468381121604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-61990239484408179742012-02-12T12:58:52.389-08:002012-02-12T12:58:52.389-08:00I am curious to know how is Lazarus' handsome ...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?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-15067356239396024182012-02-11T16:58:31.812-08:002012-02-11T16:58:31.812-08:00Yes, indeed John Ruetten is the big mystery.
Has ...Yes, indeed John Ruetten is the big mystery.<br /><br />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?Kathynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-34107538145407047292012-02-11T16:43:48.161-08:002012-02-11T16:43:48.161-08:00Thank you so much, those of you who have taken the...Thank you so much, those of you who have taken the time to share your knowledge and experiences of Lazarus, Rasmussen and Ruetten.Sprockethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03837416113512618694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-35411702400871929312012-02-11T16:32:59.406-08:002012-02-11T16:32:59.406-08:00I grew up with John Ruetten, have known him since ...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.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-70789334165914106502012-02-11T15:48:20.780-08:002012-02-11T15:48:20.780-08:00I knew John and Stephanie when I lived on the 9th ...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.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-73335500751410543792012-02-11T15:19:16.876-08:002012-02-11T15:19:16.876-08:00Do you think the prosecution will have a explanati...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?Ellwood P.Dowdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18325166670472283226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-77382044564282532642012-02-11T13:53:45.391-08:002012-02-11T13:53:45.391-08:00Were you able to discern any reaction from jurors ...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. <br /> Charlie N.Charlie N.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-68006100230675351762012-02-11T13:36:37.880-08:002012-02-11T13:36:37.880-08:00Based on your observations of the jury -- and it m...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?<br /><br />Mark G<br />Orange CountyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-89966895782545976702012-02-11T13:35:59.290-08:002012-02-11T13:35:59.290-08:00Dear Sprocket,
John Ruetten interests me.
When d...Dear Sprocket,<br /><br />John Ruetten interests me.<br /><br />When did he remarry and with whom?<br /><br />Do you know anything about his contacts to Stephanie Lazarus just before or just after Sherri Rasmussen´s death?<br /><br />Thanks again for your excellent "written Video".<br /><br />wkr ChristinaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757696342634699253.post-23562515068373344212012-02-11T12:53:32.160-08:002012-02-11T12:53:32.160-08:00Is it normal for a judge to ask his own questions ...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.Kathynoreply@blogger.com