investigators may have followed the initial theory of this crime, that, in fact, it was a burglary. reporter: and that there was a woman involved in the burglary? that there was a woman involved in the burglary. looking back now in hindsight, it was an opportunity that may have slipped through our hands as an organization. reporter: but now nutall took a closer look at the crime scene photos and began to develop his own very different theory. remember, sherri rasmussen was shot at point blank range after a violent struggle and despite the stereo equipment stacked by the front door, very little was actually stolen. the suspect made it appear to look like a burglary. they staged it to mislead the investigation in 1986. she was executed. reporter: in other words, someone had wanted sherri rasmussen dead. so now nutall dug deeper through the file looking for names, female names. we had five women that would have had access to sherri and
well, i was you know, i m just saying. you know? i need to get a lawyer? you re confuaccusing me. reporter: moments later it came to an end as it must have felt uncomfortable as all of them. i know you guys have had to do your job and i guess i have to contact somebody. that s fair. i mean, because i know how this stuffed works. reporter: and then stephanie lazarus was read the same words she, herself, had read to hundreds of suspects over the years. stephanie, you know you have the right to remain silent? do you understand? yes. reporter: and for just a moment, you can see the handcuffed placed on her by her fellow officers. i m like in shock. i m totally in shock. reporter: word of lazarus arrest traveled fast to tucson, arizona where deduct nutall was standing by to deliver the news to the rasmussen family. tell me what you said. you were right, folks. you folks were right and i
the suspect made it appear to look like a burglary. they staged it to mislead the investigation in 1986. she was executed. reporter: when dateline continues executed. . reporter: when dateline
was deeply in with john ruetten and was devastated when he became engaged to sherri and sh then executed her and covering it up by staging a burglary. linda doyle of the associated press covered the trial. the opening statement was quite dramatic by the attorney and he came up with a theme which was the case was about a bite, a bullet, a gun barrel, and a broken heart. and that kind of resonated in the courtroom. reporter: the jury saw journals police seized from stephanie s home detailing how upset she was when she learned john was engaged to someone else. stephanie s date book was also introduced which mentioned locksmithing books, that could explain why there was no forced entry to the condo. and on the day of the murder, then patrol officer lazarus happened to be off duty. the ammunition used in the
so it s, obviously, a battle. reporter: uphill battle does not begin to describe it. the cold case the detective opened on that bleary-eyed monday morning would lead him on a w chase of a lifetime and sha the foundations of the lapd. dates back to 1986 and a battle for the truth by the parents of ah young bride. we miss her every day. reporter: those parents are nells and loretta rasmussen. doesn t make any difference what day it is. it s pain that is always there. there s no cure for. reporter: who. would want to kill sherri rasmussen? she was hard working, caring, and popular with her coworkers, trained as a nurse, sherri was director of critical care at a large local hospital. we are implementing the people difference program. it was a devastating day. she was 29 years old and just in