LOS ANGELES — 1986 · Murder
The Murder of Sherri Rasmussen
On 24 February 1986 Sherri Rasmussen, a 29-year-old hospital nursing director, was found dead in the condominium she shared with her husband in Van Nuys, Los Angeles. The LAPD treated it as a burglary gone wrong; although her family told police they suspected an officer, the case lay cold for more than two decades. In 2008 cold-case detectives matched DNA from a bite mark on the victim to a covertly collected sample: the killer was an LAPD detective and former girlfriend of the husband. She was sentenced in 2012 to 27 years to life for first-degree murder and confessed at a 2023 parole hearing. Questions over whether evidence had been tampered with persisted.
- Date
- 1986
- Place
- Van Nuys, California, USA, Los Angeles, US
- Category
- Murder
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- 34.1860, -118.4490 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 24 February 1986Sherri Rasmussen was found dead at home; police assumed a burglary.
- 2008A cold-case review focused on an LAPD detective.
- June 2009The detective was arrested after a DNA match.
- May 2012The perpetrator was sentenced to 27 years to life.
- 2023She confessed to the crime at a parole hearing.
Sources
- CNN — Retired L.A. detective sentenced to 27 years to life for 1986 murder cnn.com ↗
- NBC News — Former Los Angeles police detective hid the truth for years nbcnews.com ↗
- Los Angeles Times (2009) — Victim's father told police of young officer's threats latimes.com ↗
- CNN
- NBC News
- Los Angeles Times
Source grade B: at least one verifiable linked source. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.