Pat LaLama Reports: Defense Knocks Star Witness Credibility In Lazarus Love Triangle

February 16, 2012

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Stephanie Lazarus Murder Trial
Day 8  

The defense in the murder trial of former LAPD Detective Stephanie Lazarus on Thursday tried to knock down the credibility of the prosecution’s dapper, 6’3”, star witness, John Ruetten.

Mark Overland even tried to plant the seed that it was Ruetten, and not Lazarus who may have been responsible for the brutal murder of Ruetten’s wife, Sherri Rasmussen, back in 1986.

On cross examination, the defense tried to paint a picture of a strained relationship between Ruetten and Rasmussen because of a sexual encounter Ruetten had with the defendant while he was engaged to Rasmussen. Overland wanted to know if Rasmussen was angry about the infidelity. Ruetten played it down, testifying, “I would say she was upset…I don’t remember a lot of anger”. “The engagement was never called off,” he told the court. On the stand yesterday, Ruetten said Lazarus had begged him to have sex on the night he met with her, but in at least two police interviews, he never told cops that she did any begging.

On the morning of her murder, Rasmussen had called in sick to work. Overland tried to pin down Ruetten on his level of concern for the new bride, suggesting he didn’t do enough to check in on her.

Ruetten testified that he ran a number of errands that day. Overland pressed Ruetten on the route he took and the time line of completing those errands.

Overland also questioned Ruetten on a financial motive and the proceeds he got from the condominium he sold after his wife’s murder. Prosecutor’s fired back showing that Ruetten only made $10,000 from the deal. “Mr. Ruetten, did you kill your wife because you wanted the condo,?” asked Deputy District Attorney Shannon Presby. “That’s ridiculous,” answered Ruetten.

Two college pals of Ruetten’s testified that they only knew his relationship with Lazarus to be platonic. But on cross examination, both admitted that Ruetten never told them he had sex with Lazarus 25 to 30 times between 1981 and 1984. The prosecution wants to prove that Ruetten was never serious about Lazarus. The defense is trying to show that Ruetten had a much deeper relationship with the defendant than he is letting on.

Ruetten also admitted that a few years after his wife’s murder, he placed a call to Lazarus. Then, in 1989, while on vacation in Honolulu, Ruetten found out that Lazarus was on the island of Kawaii. He traveled there to visit with her. Ruetten also testified that he had sex with Lazarus on at least two occasions after that.

 

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Comments

[Becky]

Ruetten's character and behavior seems so minor considering the fact that Lazarus' DNA was on the victim. He has an alibi for the murder, Lazarus doesn't. Good luck, Overland. You need it.