The name John Ruetten is inextricably linked to one of Los Angeles’ most chilling and long-unsolved murder cases: the 1986 killing of his wife, Sherri Rasmussen. For decades, Ruetten lived under the shadow of suspicion and grief, unaware that the perpetrator was closer than he could have ever imagined – his former girlfriend, LAPD Detective Stephanie Lazarus. Recently, Lazarus was denied parole, ensuring she remains imprisoned for the murder, a decision that brings a measure of continued justice for Sherri Rasmussen and keeps the focus on the devastating impact on John Ruetten’s life.
Sherri Rasmussen’s life was tragically cut short in February 1986 when she was found murdered in her Van Nuys home. For John Ruetten, the discovery was horrific. He arrived home to find his wife, a vibrant 29-year-old critical care nurse, brutally murdered. The initial investigation focused on a burglary gone wrong, a “hot prowl” scenario, leaving Ruetten to grapple with the shock and loss, believing his home had been invaded by strangers. He cooperated fully with the police, even undergoing a polygraph test, as he navigated the unimaginable grief of losing his wife in such a violent manner. Unbeknownst to Ruetten, the investigation was missing a crucial piece of the puzzle, a piece that involved someone he knew intimately from his past.
The article “The Killer Down the Hall,” part of the “20/20” series, revisits this complex case, highlighting the intricate web of deceit spun by Stephanie Lazarus. John Ruetten’s past relationship with Lazarus, a casual sexual relationship from their time at UCLA in the 1970s, was a detail that initially seemed irrelevant to investigators focused on burglary. Ruetten himself testified that he never considered Lazarus his girlfriend, a point underscored by his engagement and marriage to Sherri Rasmussen. However, the simmering jealousy and obsession of Lazarus would eventually emerge as the central motive in Sherri’s murder.
In a shocking revelation during Lazarus’s trial, Ruetten admitted to having slept with Lazarus shortly after becoming engaged to Sherri. This detail, while adding complexity to Ruetten’s character, also underscored the complicated dynamics at play and the possessiveness Lazarus harbored. The initial police investigation, however, cleared Ruetten as a suspect early on. His alibi was solid – he was at work when Sherri was murdered. He was seen by investigators as a grieving husband, not a perpetrator. This early dismissal of Ruetten as a suspect allowed the investigation to drift in the wrong direction for years.
The case remained cold for over two decades, leaving John Ruetten and Sherri’s family in a state of unresolved grief. It wasn’t until the LAPD’s Cold Case Unit reopened the investigation in 2001, utilizing advancements in DNA technology, that the focus began to shift. Crucially, a bite mark found on Sherri Rasmussen’s arm, initially overlooked, became a key piece of evidence. Detective Cliff Shepard, working on the cold case, located the bite swab and initiated DNA analysis. This DNA evidence would eventually point directly to a female suspect, but still, the name remained elusive.
Detective Jim Nuttall took over the investigation in 2009 and brought a fresh perspective. He questioned the burglary theory and, crucially, revisited the possibility of a personal motive. It was during this phase that John Ruetten’s past relationship with Stephanie Lazarus resurfaced as a critical point of inquiry. Ruetten himself mentioned Lazarus’s name to detectives years prior, but this information was never properly documented or pursued. This time, investigators acted decisively.
A surveillance unit was deployed to obtain a DNA sample from Lazarus. A discarded cup provided the crucial link. The DNA extracted from the cup matched the DNA from the bite mark on Sherri Rasmussen. The revelation was staggering: Stephanie Lazarus, a fellow LAPD officer and John Ruetten’s former lover, was the prime suspect. For John Ruetten, this must have been a moment of profound shock and betrayal. The woman he once knew, a colleague of law enforcement sworn to protect and serve, was revealed to be his wife’s killer.
In 2012, Stephanie Lazarus was convicted of first-degree murder, bringing a degree of closure to a case that had haunted John Ruetten and the Rasmussen family for decades. Lazarus received a sentence of 27 years to life. Recently, her parole was denied, a decision welcomed by Sherri’s family and undoubtedly by John Ruetten. The parole denial reinforces the justice served and acknowledges the enduring pain caused by Lazarus’s actions.
While Lazarus’s continued imprisonment offers a sense of justice, the shadow of Sherri’s murder and the betrayal by someone within their circle likely remains a permanent part of John Ruetten’s life. The “20/20” episode serves as a stark reminder of the case’s complexities and the enduring impact on those left behind, particularly John Ruetten, the widower who unknowingly lived alongside his wife’s killer for years. The focus on John Ruetten’s experience underscores the personal tragedy at the heart of this true crime story, a story of love, loss, deception, and the long road to justice.
