One of Their Own

In 1986, Sherri Mae Rasmussen was attacked, beaten and shot to death in her Los Angeles home. Her father, Nels Rasmussen, was convinced Sherri’s husband, John Ruetten, was not involved. For more than two decades, Nels tried to get the police to focus on John’s ex-girlfriend, Stephanie Lazarus, a decorated Los Angeles police detective. Detectives trailed Lazarus to obtain a DNA sample and the results were stunning: the DNA from Sherri’s bite mark and that of Stephanie Lazarus matched. “48 Hours" correspondent Maureen Maher reports. This classic "48 Hours" episode last aired on 5/26/2012. Watch all-new episodes of “48 Hours” on Saturdays, and stream on demand on Paramount+.