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May 19, 2011
The Lazarus File
In 1986, a young nurse named Sherri Rasmussen was murdered in Los Angeles.
Police pinned down no suspects, and the case gradually went cold. It took 23 years—and revolutionary breakthroughs in forensic science —before LAPD detectives could finally assemble the pieces of the puzzle. When they did, they found themselves facing one of the unlikeliest murder suspects in the city’s history. -- The Atlantic Fascinating text and video.
Posted by Vanderleun at May 19, 2011 7:25 PM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.
Your Say
Wow! Great read and a great story!
Posted by: rdennis at May 19, 2011 8:23 PM
Imagine: Lazarus lived twenty-three years building a respectable life, and to be a detective with the LAPD no less.
Those were twenty-three years of life she didn't grant her victim.
And in one hour and five minutes, her victim and those twenty-three years returned to bite Lazarus in the rear-end. (Emphasis on "bite".)
How long before you see this in one of those CSI or Cold Case shows?
Posted by: newton at May 19, 2011 10:11 PM
Newton: My guess is, not until the trial is over.
Best story I've read in a long time. And I love how the quotes that were interspersed foreshadowed the arrest. Great writing and editing!!
Posted by: leelu at May 21, 2011 7:03 AM
That was far more satisfying to read and watch as an interactive piece of investigative journalism than the crud currently offered up on the I. D. channel, which seems to be a lot of poorly reenacted reconstructions. All with predictable outcomes. (The spouse did it).
What I found interesting, is that Lazarus should have known the interrogation techniques used against her, since she was a cop. Body language can't lie. It testifies against you every time. They knew everything before they even talked to her.
Posted by: Jewel at May 22, 2011 10:01 PM
I tend to agree with one of the commenters:
A woman is murdered and it takes the police over two decades to figure out that her husband's ex-gf who carries a gun and is known to have confronted the victim was probably involved? And when they finally do, she's somehow "one of the unlikeliest murder suspects in the city's history"? Wow. A law enforcement facility to be proud of.
Still a great story and good police work.
Posted by: Cynyr at May 23, 2011 2:15 PM