Sep 12, 2026 · 39 min
Family challenges the failures behind a 1986 murder conviction
Fatal Attraction: The Book Is Never Closed — Ep. 4 | MK Confidential
The Rasmussen sisters connect a delayed conviction to alleged investigative tunnel vision and an ongoing fight over Stephanie Lazarus’s parole.
- 1The family says LAPD investigators treated the killing as a burglary and failed to seriously pursue Lazarus.
- 2A DNA discovery eventually linked Stephanie Lazarus to the case after 23 years and led to her conviction and sentence.
- 3The sisters continue attending parole hearings to preserve Sherry Rasmussen’s memory and oppose Lazarus’s release.
Don't miss
The family watches Stephanie Lazarus testify at a 2025 parole hearing, accepting that the killing was an assault while offering what the sisters view as only a partial account.
The brief
Connie Wilkinson and Teresa Lane recount how their family moved from a flawed 1986 investigation to Stephanie Lazarus’s conviction, sentencing, and continuing parole hearings.
The sisters argue that LAPD tunnel vision treated Sherry Rasmussen’s killing as a burglary, while missing records and dismissed suspicions kept Lazarus outside serious scrutiny.
After 23 years, investigators recovered DNA from a Costco cup, leading to Lazarus’s arrest; the family’s lawsuit against Los Angeles was later dismissed before discovery.
At a 2025 parole hearing, the family watched Lazarus accept that the killing was an assault while, in their view, still offering only part of the account.
The sisters preserve their parents’ victim-impact statements and keep attending hearings, framing Sherry’s memory—and Lazarus’s continued incarceration—as an unfinished responsibility.
What was said on this episode
3 statements · 2 negative · 1 mixed
Teresa Lane views Stephanie Lazarus’s conduct as consistently self-serving.
“if you look at her track record from the day she killed my sister to 26 years later, she has, everything is self-serving.”
Listen at 19:21
Teresa Lane says Lazarus prioritizes only her own welfare and goals.
“her only thing is her well-being and what she wants to accomplish in her life and her goal.”
Listen at 19:58
Teresa Lane regarded Lazarus’s arrest as relief but only the beginning.
“It was a relief, but it was just a new starting point.”
Listen at 24:53
Statements are attributed to the speaker as said on the episode and reflect their view at the time, not PodLume's. They are not advice.
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