>> it's kind of a perfect storm of problems. he had the proliferation of high-powered weapons and crack cocaine hitting the streets and tremendous homicide rate and detectives are overwhelmed. >> reporter: in february of that year cops have their hands full with a heinous crime in the san fernando valley that was sprawling. 29-year-old sherri rasmussen had been brutally beaten and shot in her own home. no suspects and few clues. then a week later, a possible liter. former criminal variation yolanda mccleary was a consultant for nbc news. >> in the same vicinity, another woman was approached in her residence by two males at gun point, also involved a home invasion robbery situation, so police, early on, thought there was a possibility these two men might have something to do with the murder.