The Interrogation of Stephanie Lazarus 

She's acting like her relationship happened in the 15th century

Her expressions look like she discovered fire every 5 seconds.

"What did you eat for breakfast?" 'I mean it's been like a million years! My brother had toast, his next door neighbour's best friend's dog was named Woofie and I'm sure I pet him once in 1989, my ex-boyfriend's brother once played basketball in that same year and I'm sure I met his wife but didn't go to their wedding. I mean what is this even about?'

God it must be so fun to know you're right when you're interrogating someone.

You’ve heard of “passive-aggressive”, now get ready for “aggressively-passive”.

**dates this man for 4 years** "I wouldn't consider him my BOYFRIEND"

I love coming back to watch this every now and again but gosh the last time I watched it must’ve been a million years ago

The backhanded "We understand that. If we were in the same position we'd feel the same way." is such a subtle but good dig.

"Did you know his wife?" "I ate a moth once when I was 3."

"How long did you and John date?" "I lost my house in the earthquake in 1992..."

Even with her atrocious expressions I can’t help being impressed by how great she looks for someone her age. I mean what she’s gotta be over a million years ya know….

I love when she walks out in a huff and then comes back in handcuffs

Started by watching Jennifer's Solution and 7 hours later, I'm here 🤦

She looks like she just learned how to use facial expressions and is trying them all out

Fun Fact----Stepahanie is in the The Guinness Book of records for changing her facial expressions the most in 25 minutes 10,595,576 times

She said “I wish I had recorded all this” she actually still believed that she didn’t come across as a shady killer avoiding addressing the real issue, she did a beautiful job of messing up her own trial before it even started!

“i-i mean i know how this stuff works” *got tricked into a 1 hr interrogation*

"oh wow i barely know him" *Proceeds to name every single fact about him and his family*

I can’t believe the parole board recommended release…..she’s only served 11 years so far. She hasn’t done enough time yet in my opinion.

The real coward in this case was John Ruetten, Sherri's husband. He knew that Lazarus had been stalking and harrassing Sherri. But he never put his foot down and told Lazarus to back off. Then after the murder, he stonewalled the investigation when he could have immediately told them about what had been going on, but did not tell them. Sherri had changed the beneficiary on her life insurance policy from Ruetten to her father. Ruetten tried to get her father, Nels, to turn over the money to him. But Nels told the scumbag to fk off. Nels had all along told the lead detective, Lyle Mayer, to investigate Lazarus because Nels knew all about the trouble Lazarus was causing. Mayer was a bumbling fool who ignored Nels, and told him he watches too much TV. The case was handed to Lyle Mayer on a silver platter by Nels, but he was too dense to even go interview Lazarus.

She’s like “did I murder her ? ... I - I mean gee I may have in passing , it was a million years ago 🤷🏻‍♀️”

“Is your name Stephanie?” “Well... gosh, I dunno. It could be. I mean... gee, my parents named me like a million years ago...”

These comments along the lines of “Poor John. His speech was heartbreaking” Read about this case more. He kept leading Stephanie on and continued sleeping with her after his wife’s murder. Stephanie committed the murder so that’s entirely on her, but he’s not blameless. His speech was pretty much a dramatic performance. He knew exactly what he was doing. In fact, he refused to help the police in the beginning and moved away. Stop with this “poor victim John” BS.

I can't believe this woman has been recommended for parole!! I can't imagine how her victims family feels right now.

"Did you know this person?" "awe gee idk" *proceedes to tell their entire lifestory*

Detective: “did you kill her?” Stephanie: performs full facial workout

Funny that she remembers the exact floor and dorm she lived in in college but has trouble remembering anything to do with the guy she dated during that time.

The way she says "she got killed" (3 times) is weird in itself! Most normal people would say "she was murdered" but she's just a sociopath with no empathy whatsoever to the point she cant even pretend to be concerned! She interrogated people for YEARS yet this was the best believable performance she could muster up herself knowing what red flags she herself would look for? Its scary to think how many other officers like her are still in a position of power 😮😮😮

“did you kill his wife?” “oh geez maybe once or twice it was a million years ago”

“What was your relationship with your boyfriend” “He wasn’t my boyfriend...... he and his brother played basketball”

It's so good to occasionally go back and listen to an actual JCS vid compared to all the imitators

Not at the wedding? She was probably parked 100 ft down the street watching.

Take a bong rip every time she mentions how long ago it was and you just might be able to astral project yourself back to the 80's to stop the crime yourself.

Her facial expressions are so animated. She's like a cartoon pumpkin.

This is by far my absolute favorite true crime video. Pick up something new every time. The detectives were brilliant in their execution of this Interrogation. "And I mean that's just crazy!"

Her facial expressions crashed my graphics card

She literally remembers EVERYTHING except the answers they’re asking for.

I watch this video at least once a year because I still can not get over how a detective who murdered someone did not realize an hour into their interrogation that they were a suspect…

These detectives were incredible. The patience, the preparation, the jabbing questions followed by a more direct blow...just great stuff.

She makes Jodi Arias look like a brain surgeon.

“Did you kill her?” “I mean gee, this was a million years ago, i mean can you give me a year?”

Should’ve been arrested for serial yapping. I mean geez I can’t even remember the last time I heard someone yap this long. Makes me think what’s this all about

She's pulling facial expressions like she just unlocked the new legendary emotes and is trying them all out 😂😂😂

when you almost get away with murder but get caught because you had the urge to bite the person you already shot

her mind: play dumb! her: what year is it now? her mind: not THAT dumb!!

She has the worst case of crazy eyes i've ever seen, also she proudly announces her 25 years on the force while being totally out of it.

Can you believe she has just been recommended for parole in December 2023?!! With only serving part of her sentence!!

“what’s your last name, stephanie?” “oh geez, let’s see. the declaration of independence was signed in 1776...”

She speaks as if she dated this guy when the dinasaurs walked the earth.

She’s guilty as sin and freaking out inside but she is still SO calculated. She almost NEVER gives a straightforward, yes or no answer. Every response leaves room for plausible deniability: “Maybe”, “it’s possible”, “I’d think I’d remember that”, “I’m not sure”. She knows very well she can’t be caught in a lie if she just pleads ignorance and bad memory. What a despicable person.

That last clip of her really showed her crazyness.

Rookie mistake not asking for a coke and some butterfingers.

She was just like “There isn’t enough evidence here” *bites corpse*

Not even death is as terrifying of a prospect to a cop compared to the possibility of going to prison and being an inmate with other prisoners that Officer Stephanie Lazarus had helped lock up

As a behaviour analyst with decades of experience who spent many years in forensic analysis of videotapes and intercepts in person: THIS CHANNEL IS THE REAL THING! There are many other channels now where they stumble through “er he’s crossing his arms so must be lying” and other unprofessional non-scientific narration which is factually inaccurate and misrepresents not only psychology and behaviour analysis but underrepresents the skills of those using the be interrogation techniques. It’s like science meets improv meets mentalist when done right it’s a very hard task. This channel notes skilled and unskilled interrogators and the techniques they are using. Other channels parrot ideas they heard on this channel but without a working knowledge of the science behind it they insert the statements in the wrong places. They are recorded the same. Identical voiceover. Wouldn’t know if it autoplayed one after JCS unless you’re paying attention. Obviously trying to get some of the attention from this channel. But in my professional opinion (BSc [dbl major psych & sociology] BFA[composition] MSc, [Applied Behaviour Analysis, Clinical Behaviour Analysis and Psychometry] BCBA -(behaviour analyst certification)- with a decade working in human behaviour patterns research at a gov research firm then a decade of behaviour analysis, everything from forensic studies to direct autism therapy- IMHO this channel kicks ass!

She's exercised every single face muscle within one interview.

She must have been a real asset to the Police force with that razor sharp memory. I mean geez!

She's known the guy for so long, done so many chores for him but he never looked at her as a gf. In all the years, the guy never wanted to sleep with her. It happened after they both graduated. And the guy still thought of her as just a friend with benefits. Then the victim came into the picture, suddenly the guy got serious with her and got married in no time. Imagine how frustrated the murderer was. She tried to prove something when she could get him to sleep with her after he got engaged. This was so wrong for the guy to do. And the fact that he admitted it in court in ending statement that it was wrong for him to sleep with her after the engagement and spoke highly and most affectionately about his wife, must make her feel like rubbing salt into an open new wound. Actually, the guy is the one who broke her heart but she's still obsessed with him and got so deviated as to go and kill the innocent victim who came along unknowingly.

When I watch these interviews/interrogations, it never ceases to amaze me how powerful a guilty human conscience can be and how it can control even the best trained emotions. Her face, reactions, answers and expressions had written "GUILTY" all over and I'm sure the detectives cringed while making her squirm with their casual tone.

Detective: “did you kill her?” Stephanie: starts beatboxing

Stephanie: (60 minutes in) Wait, Gosh, I mean, this is starting to sound like an interrogation. Cops: Aww, shucks, you caught us.

21:05 This part cracks me up. The cop said "thank you for your time, you're free to leave" only to say "just kidding" a few minutes latter 😂

This video used to be a little bit longer and some parts were cut out of the interview/ interigation. But this is great video.

legend has it she’s still wondering what all this is about.....?

"Gee, I don't know how long we dated for..." "His brother went to Northridge"

You would be a badass interrogator my guy. Youre amazing at what you do. Thank you so much for going into such detail

Alot of people have tried to break down the psycology of this case but none as good as your video. Actually this is one of the best break downs of any interogation video ive seen.

Stephanie Lazarus to herself: "Ok Steph, act natural..." *Acts like pumpkin on LSD*

Officer: "Do you remember her name?" Stephanie: "Oh gosh... Golly, maybe..... God, let me think... 1986 was it? Gee, my goodness... Well, I did date a fireman named Mike..."

I’ve never seen someone project “guilty” so much in an interview.

Most surreal thing about this case is that she was caught only because she's bitten her victim.

She looks like someone who has learned how a human should act.

JCS: “you never know how you’ll react when being interrogated” Person being interrogated after watching JCS: “Lawyer”

Should have given her a few extra years for making those goofy faces.

That husband cheated on his wife with a woman who went to his wife's workplace and threatened to murder her. For him to feign tears and evade his own personal responsibility is almost as abhorrent as the notion that he likely knew for more than two decades who murdered his wife, and kept silent to evade facing responsibility for his infidelity to his deceased wife. Trash human being.

She is shitting bricks this whole interview

You know, she says, “you know?” an *awful* lot. I’m starting to think I *do* know. Everything. I now know everything.

Awesome content. I love seeing the different tactics and subtle ploys that people that know they did it, try to pull off. It's very interesting I feel

The State of California just agreed to parole her.... 120 days from 23 Dec 2023......She's free to go after only 14 years....(4yrs credit during pretrial)...

I think her saying "it's so long ago" and "gosh, it's 2009!" is her subconscious way of internally screaming at herself, like "How in the FUCK is this coming back on me so far down the line? I was safe!"

imagine learning that your DARE officer was a murderer the whole time she was telling you that pot would kill you

John was seriously neglect in protecting his wife and their relationship

Rest in peace Sherry - by all accounts a lovely human being 😢

funny how she remembers weird ass details but can’t answer simple straightforward questions lmaoo

The fact that she got away for 20+ years when she’s a terrible liar. If only they listened to the dad and just questioned her

Great job on video!! HOWEVER YOUR CONCLUDING CLIP of her making her pscho lip facial expression, and your the exorcist clip, WAS WELL DONE!!👏👏👏

In case anyone missed it, John’s brother played basketball at Northridge.

Funny how they brought an old case back from the dead and the main suspect happened to be named "Lazarus"

Detective: "Have you ever had a glass of water?" Stephanie: "A glass of water? I... Geez, when? That doesn't sound very familiar.... water, water... I mean, maybe, it's possible, but what year was this? I had a glass of orange juice back in 86, but I can't even think back then"

Imagine being an otherwise upstanding and productive citizen, married for 13 years, your spouse thinks he know everything about you. Then you call him up out of the blue and are like “well hun, I’m in jail for murdering someone 25 years ago”. That had to have been a tough call to make and a tough call to receive.

This is a Trip! Great interview.

In her defense she was being asked about events that occurred in the Mesozoic era.

I feel sorry for the cellmate after they ask Stephanie "so what you in for....?" 'well urmmmm gee gosh...I was born.....

you did not have to add the last clip :D I was so unprepared

This case haunted me because I was an RN too. I almost laughed out loud when she said, "Gosh, I wish I had a recording of this."

whenever she is being truthful she looks like a normal human being but when deceptive she literally turns into a tomato from VeggieTales

Psychology 101: let a madman talk long enough and he will reveal himself.

A bad actress, a bad liar, a bad cop, and a bad human. One can only hope she remains in prison and suffers the way she made others suffer. A sociopath without any redeeming qualities whatsoever.

She remembered years and associated events with everything else but when asked about the victim, she could never remember much because it was so long ago.

this channel is so bingeable