logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2022
1h 12m

Episode 397: The Murder of Sherri Rasmus...

Morbid Network | Wondery
About this episode

In 1986 Sherri Rasmussen was brutally murdered in her own home. She was a young nurse who had already worked her way to becoming the director of nursing at Glendale Adventist Medical Center and had just gotten married three months earlier. But when her husband John returned home on February 24th, 1986 he found her laying dead on their living room floor and their home absolutely ransacked. Was this a case of robbery gone wrong or was someone in a position of power responsible?


Thank you to the no no no....notorious David White for research assistance:



Archibold, Randal. 2009. "Police Find Unlikely Suspect in a Cold Case: One of Their Own." New York Times, June 13: A11.

Bowden, Mark. 2012. "A Case So Cold It Was Blue." Vanity Fair, July.

McGough, Matthew. 2011. "The Lazarus File." The Atlantic, June.

Mikulan, Steven. 2012. "In plan sight: Stephanie Lazarus was an exemplary cop. She is also a murderer." Los Angeles Magazine, September.

New York Times. 2009. "California: detective must stand trial in 1986 killing." New York Times, December 11.

—. 2009. "California: Detective's Motion Denied." New York Times, December 8.

O'Neill, Ann. 2012. A bite, bullet and broken heart: Former LA cop stands trial for murder. February 8. Accessed November 11, 2022. https://www.cnn.com/2012/02/07/justice/lazarus-trial-cold-case/index.html.

People v. Lazaus. 2015. B241172 (Court of Appeal, Second District, Division 4, California, June 13).

Rasmussen v. City of L.A. 2012. B234731 (Los Angeles County Superior Court, November 15).

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Jul 7
Episode 687: The Last Call Killer (Part 1)
Between 1991 and 1993, the dismembered bodies of five gay and bisexual men were discovered in garbage bags along the highway in New York and New Jersey. The cause of the death for each was multiple stab wounds, and each victim had been disarticulated into eight pieces and placed ... Show More
1h 11m
Jul 3
Episode 686: Glen Helzer and the Children of Thunder (Part 2)
When Ivan and Annette Stineman disappeared from their home in Concord, California in the summer of 2000, it immediately raised red alarmed with those closest to the elderly couple. Those alarms proved to be justified when, a week later, the remains of the Stinemans and three othe ... Show More
41m 5s
Jun 30
Episode 685: Glen Helzer and the Children of Thunder (Part 1)
When Ivan and Annette Stineman disappeared from their home in Concord, California in the summer of 2000, it immediately raised red alarmed with those closest to the elderly couple. Those alarms proved to be justified when, a week later, the remains of the Stinemans and three othe ... Show More
48m 49s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2023
The Murder of Sherri Rasmussen
On February 24, 1986, the body of Sherri Rasmussen (born February 7, 1957) was found in the apartment she shared with her husband, John Ruetten, in Van Nuys, California. She had been beaten and shot three times in a struggle. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) initially con ... Show More
54m 17s
Mar 2023
A Broken Heart: What Killed Lina Kaufman? | My Life of Crime
On November 7th, 2007, 33-year-old Lina Kaufman was found dead in her Florida home on the bathroom floor. Her husband, Adam Kaufman, called 911 while trying to revive her. Seventeen months passed with no answers for the cause of her death, until Adam was suddenly arrested and cha ... Show More
37m 2s
Oct 2023
#469: Convicting a Murderer | Part 2
We continue analyzing Teresa Halbach's murder and the behavior of Steven Avery who was convicted in 2007 for her killing along with his nephew Brendan Dassey. They are both currently serving life sentences in Wisconsin. Filmmaker Shawn Rech’s new series “Convicting A Murderer” re ... Show More
32m 47s
Mar 2024
Shattered Dreams
In March 2011, David Ditto called 911 to say his wife, Karina, had fallen down a flight of stairs in their Mira Mesa, California home and slammed her head on a tile floor. Karina died two days later, and the medical examiner ruled that she was beaten and strangled. Investigators ... Show More
48m 34s
Aug 2023
31. The Bad Guy in a Uniform
On this episode, Payton delves into the chilling account of how a police officer's obsession spiraled into a web of deception, ultimately leading to a tragic and deadly outcome.https://linktr.ee/bingedpod Episode Sources: The Investigators, episode: “Badge of Dishonor,” aired 12/ ... Show More
36m 51s
Jun 2023
EP. 115 CALIFORNIA - The Catfish Pedophile Cop: Austin Lee Edwards
In 2022, three bodies were discovered inside of a flaming home in Riverside, California. And the shocking true story behind how these innocent people ended up dead would send shockwaves across the country. This story shows that even the authorities who are sworn to protect us can ... Show More
1h 6m
Apr 2024
Murder on his Mind
In April 2005, Stephen Stanko murdered his girlfriend Laura Ling, and then raped and stabbed her daughter. Shortly afterwards, he killed a friend, Henry Turner. At his trial for Laura's murder, Stephen's lawyer called on medical experts who claimed that PET scan images of his bra ... Show More
48m 52s
Jul 2023
Wife of Accused Gilgo Beach Killer 'DIVORCE'
As police continue to gather evidence to prove that New York architect Rex Heuermann is the Long Island Serial Killer, his wife has filed for divorce.  Heuermann’s wife, 59-year-old Asa Ellerup, is being represented by attorney Robert Macedonio. The papers were filed in Suffolk C ... Show More
36m 30s
Apr 2024
SCHOOL SHOOTER PARENTS PRISON-DODGE GASLIGHT COURT
As James and Jennifer Crumbley awaited sentencing for their conviction for involuntary manslaughter, both sought to avoid jail. Their son Ethan Crumbley is serving life in prison for the school rampage where four were killed and seven others were injured. The gun used was given t ... Show More
41m 45s
Jul 2023
EP. 117 ILLINOIS - The Coleman Family Killings: Lies, Prayers & Murder
In 2009, a family was found murdered in their home in Illinois. The only survivor was father Chris Coleman, a bodyguard who worked for Joyce Meyer, a famous televangelist. As it turned out, the family had been receiving death threats for months, but no one had really seemed to li ... Show More
1h 38m