In dramatic video, LAPD officials accuse fellow detective of being a killer

In a video obtained by The Times, a Los Angeles police detective charged with the 1986 murder of an ex-boyfriend's wife admitted to investigators the morning of her arrest that she had confronted the victim on multiple occasions.

But she denied having a role in the killing.

"You're accusing me of this? Is that what you're — is that what you're saying?" Stephanie Lazarus asked near the end of the roughly hourlong interview, after one of the detectives alluded to evidence that implicated her in the killing.

"Am I on 'Candid Camera' or something? This is insane. This is absolutely crazy. This is insane," Lazarus said minutes later after she walked out of the interview, only to be stopped, handcuffed and told she was under arrest for the murder of Sherri Rae Rasmussen.

The interview transcript, which became public during a hearing in Los Angeles County Superior Court, offers a detailed account of how LAPD homicide detectives duped their unsuspecting colleague into talking about the case and Lazarus' disbelief and panic as she realized she was the target of the investigation.

Read the full story here.

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-- Joel Rubin and Andrew Blankstein

Comments

[Frank]

How cool is that??? A dirty cop get a taste of her own medicine. I've served on many different juries and seen cops try to get prosecutions with crap "evidence". As a juror, I would refuse to to let them get away with their lies just because they were cops, despite personally knowing prosecutors, judges and many cops in my county.

[greeper]

you so called police officers criticizing this video are nuts and must be horrible cops. Any cop worth a lick knows this type of technique is used all the time and is 100% legal. Know wonder so many cases are thrown out it's idiots like you working the streets. I know I've never lost a case and many times tape recorded or videoed suspects without their knowledge.

[greeper]

you so called police officers criticizing this video are nuts and must be horrible cops. Any cop worth a lick knows this type of technique is used all the time and is 100% legal. Know wonder so many cases are thrown out it's idiots like you working the streets. I know I've never lost a case and many times tape recorded or videoed suspects without their knowledge.

[Bob]

Great job, LAPD. All her stuttering and "you're saying I did SOMETHING" speaks volumes. She never once says "whoa, I didn't kill anyone!"

Can't wait to see what the DNA uncovers.

[Warren]

Tom Kenner

That's exactly what all cops do to citizens every second of every day. Its time the cops are given the same treatment as citizens. You are a public servant and should not be given any special treatment. As a matter of fact because of the badge and gun you should be treated with an extra level of scrutiny.

[clavote]

"I'm a police officer, and I feel like this was a dirty scheme to gather evidence..."

See, this is what you can expect if you are not a cop. The fact that a cop thinks the same tactics used on a cop is "dirty" ought to tell you something about the double standard the cops use. It's US and THEM and the cops feel they are better than US.

Cops kill you with impunity and keep sucking off the public tit and fattening their pensions, but they complain when other cops use the same interrogation methods on them.

These cops are CORRUPT, OVERPAID and HAVE FAT PENSIONS and WE CAN NOT AFFORD THESE COPS ANYMORE. There are many people out there that would make better cops and would do it for half the price, because they care more about society and their city than they care about their fat pensions and power mongering.

[jason]

Outstanding example of another citizen not knowing their Constitutional rights. She was told many times she was free to go. What idiot! People we have the right to stfu! The officers were doing their jobs and not violating her rights.

[Tim]

Tell me how releasing this video isn' going to screw up a jury pool. So her fellow detectives just handed her a mistrial.

[China Dyke]

Yum. I want her to be my cell mate.

[Cowardly_Prez]

I wish she had clarified what she meant by "I know how things work". I think it would have blown the lid on police procedures if she meant she knows how police do things to fix blame on a person they've decided to go after.

I have no idea if she's guilty or not, but she said many times that she knew how things works as far as police procedures.

[James]

"..she walked out of the interview, only to be stopped, handcuffed and told she was under arrest for the murder of Sherri Rae Rasmussen."

Sounds like she is going to be charged with something other than littering.

"The interview transcript, which became public during a hearing in Los Angeles County Superior Court, offers a detailed account.."

The video is from court transcripts, in which it is evidence.

Try reading a bit more thoroughly next time Billy.

[guilty]

When they ask her for a sample and she said ..MAYBE , that was game.. set match , If you did nothing and they ask you for a sample , she should say "where is the SWAB lets do this".

[Kane]

@ Billy. If you actually read the words under the video it tells you that she has been charged and that this has become part of the public record as a process in the trial that is now taking place. The video isn't important as an admission of guilt but as a piece of evidence that corroborates a fight between her and the victim.

[Huck Pituey]

Wow, did you hear that confession?!?!?!? Me either.

[Dan V.]

Posted by: Rob "Wow, innocent until proven guilty is out the window for you guys"

@Rob - get a clue. Innocent until proven guilty applies in courts of law - not courts of public opinion. She definitely did it. Anyone who is a veteran detective would understand why these detectives needed a DNA sample from her. If she didn't do it she'd give over the DNA immediately. There is no "pinning" it on someone when DNA is involved - it's either you or it isn't.

[Dale]

Guilty. Nest.

[MemyselfandI]

"The voice of thy Brother's Blood crieth unto me from the ground."
Irregardless if you did it or not if they are going to corner you and interrogate you like that make them go through all the proper channels.

[MemyselfandI]

"The voice of thy Brother's Blood crieth unto me from the ground."
Irregardless if you did it or not if they are going to corner you and interrogate you like that make them go through all the proper channels.

[Kathy]

Looks like if it comes down to a "jury of her peers" , the verdict will depend on whether the jurors like her or not or whether they think she has crazy eyes or not etc. I'm with Bob, there are far too many idiots in this country that are fully incapable of dealing out true justice and they're probably the same group clamoring for terrorists to be tried in civil courts.

[Tom]

Poor woman! Hope to God that she gets some competent legal counsel to defend her; looks as if she's being accused of something that she didn't do. It looks to be a setup. Must be real hard to find the real perp, so why not use her as a patsy. Just odious police work. Even the guilty are given benefit of the doubt with a jury of peers.

May God Justice be done for Stephanie Lazarus; may God comfort and give her strength to pass through this ordeal. Amen.

[Monet]

Her DNA matches the DNA found in the victim. It was a long time coming. Many police officers would be reluctant, if they worked with her, when the crime happened, to take a stance. Now DNA is making headways in these older crimes. Ironic. DNA evidence taken years later, can solve a crime that has aged, decades... makes you wonder what amazing new headways in crime prevention, will be brought forward by science, in future years...