This one is just too bizarre.  LAPD Detective Stephanie Lazarus, who was recently profiled in LA Weekly’s People issue, was arrested for the 1986 murder of Sherri Rae Rasmussen (the wife of her boyfriend).  The picture below (by Kevin Scanlon) is from the article [the article has since been removed].  She was a 25 year veteran of the force.  Her partner in the picture, Detective Don Hrycyk, was working homicide in the 80’s, so he was posing next to one of the people he would have been looking for at the time.

An arrest was recently made for the Spetember 9, 1976 murder of Robert Lozano. A quote from Mark Harvey, the Baldwin Park Police detective assigned to the case, from the San Gabriel Valley Tribune article:  “The original case file was in a large safe in back of the department’s record section. “It took us a full day to find it …” 

But they found it, and they still had the physical evidence.

Part one of the story is [link no longer active] here.

And part two is [link no longer active] here.

Congratulations Det. Harvey, and to the FBI firearms section (the reason for that will be clear if you read the article).

The picture was taken by Watchara Phomicinda.

There’s a great article by Matt Stiles and Terri Langford in the Houston Chronicle called “Murder figures can be hard to solve.”

From the article:

Dr. Charles Wellford, professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Maryland, pointed out how a police “cold case” unit in Kansas City brought another 15 solved cases for a particular year to its annual murder clearance tally. The department then issued two sets of numbers for that year to explain what it did.

“You should get the benefit of clearing homicides from the previous year … ” 

I looked up Dr. Wellford (pictured) on the University of Maryland’s Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice’s website, and what an impressive background he has. Among his interests he lists “Measurement of white collar crime,” a pet peeve of mine. Also on the website:  “Charles Wellford has been named a lifetime National Associate of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) “in recognition of extraordinary service to the National Academies in its role as advisor to the nation in matters of science, engineering, and health.” He was the first criminologist to receive this honor. Dr. Wellford served for six years as chair of the NAS Committee on Law and Justices.”

Go Dr. Wellford!

… really, I do. But take the help, Yonkers Police Department. I just read an interesting article in the New York Times about the Yonkers Police Department’s reluctance to let a writer see the case files for the 1952 murder of labor leader John Acropolis.

I don’t want to downplay their concerns, but they can be addressed while still allowing the writer access.  I just know so many cases where a sincere and caring writer has helped an investigation.  I’m not just saying this because I’m a writer!  

For instance, for the past couple of years writer Weston DeWalt has been helping West Coast law enforcement on a bunch of cold cases involving children.  It has been a mutually satisfactory situation that has benefited all involved.  Satisfactory really doesn’t even begin to cover it.  I know that at a recent dig for one of the bodies of those poor children, the people there, law enforcement, family members, and DeWalt, were moved to tears.

If you have a writer who can work 24/7 on case it’s not surprising that sometimes they come up with something useful.  It’s not a comment on your work on the case, you don’t have the luxury of devoting all your energy to one case that’s more than a half a century old.  Check the person out.  If they are responsible, caring and hard working, take the help.

NOTE: I didn’t know Yonkers had a cold case squad and I’m adding them to my list right now!  If you know of a cold case unit that is not on my list (which is on the left, under “Information”) please let me know.