ROBERT JABLON
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A former Los Angeles police detective has been sentenced to 27 years to life in prison for murdering the wife of her former lover in 1986.
Stephanie Lazarus was sentenced Friday in a Los Angeles courtroom. The 52-year-old was found guilty in March of killing Sherri Rasmussen who was bludgeoned and shot to death 26 years ago in the condo she shared with her husband of three months, John Ruetten.
Prosecutors believe Lazarus was consumed with jealousy when Ruetten, her former lover, decided to marry Rasmussen.
The case hinged on a single piece of evidence - DNA from a bite mark prosecutors say belonged to Lazarus which was found on Rasmussen's arm.
Lazarus's attorney argued the DNA evidence was corrupted and not reliable evidence.
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Associated Press