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LAPD Detective Will Stand Trial for Murder
A judge has decided that LAPD Detective Stephanie Lazarus will stand trial for the 1986 slaying of Sherri Rasmussen. At the time of her death, Rasmussen was recently married to Lazarus' ex boyfriend. With crime down and DNA technology more readily available, detectives this year looked into the cold case where the suspects were thought to be two men suspected of a similar crime at the time. A criminalist collected saliva from Rasmussen's body where a bite mark was found and the LAPD is saying that "the odds that DNA... belonged to anyone other than Lazarus were 1 in 400 quadrillion," according to the LA Times.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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