The so-called “black widows” Helen Golay, 77, and Olga Rutterschmidt, 75, were found guilty of five counts. Golay was found guilty of the first degree murder of Kenneth McDavid, 50, in 2005 and Paul Vados, 73, in 1999 as well as conspiracy to murder for financial gain counts in both killings. Rutterschmidt, 75, was convicted of conspiracy to murder McDavid for financial gain. The men were killed for insurance proceeds as discussed in the video below.
The case reads like a modern version of Arsenic and Old Lace, but here the old ladies are killing the old men for their insurance policies.
Paul Vados and Kenneth McDavid were killed in 1999 and 2005. Both were crushed by cars and both insured by Goley and Rutterschmidt. For pictures of the victims and charges, click here The police indicated that it was their greed that led to their capture: if they had stopped with Vadoes, they could well have gotten away with the insure-for-murder scheme. The women collected almost $3 million from policies on the two men. Rutterschmidt is accused on taking in Vados by using her Hungarian background. After finding him an apartment, she persuaded him to sign life insurance policies totaling $760,000.
The night before he died, someone took him to see the movie “The Bone Collector.” The women allegedly claimed in a missing persons report that Vados was the cousin to one of them and was going to marry the other.
Filings include a May 2000 letter from Rutterschmidt to Goley saying, “I have a few very interesting and good life insurance company listings. They pay regardless of illness, or accidental cause. (No hassle, no investigations.)”
For the full story and video, click here.
Queries: Is bad make-up a capital offense? And why is that one woman smiling in her “mug shot”?
Mespo, Perhaps she was inspired by Tom Delay
“American Greed” on CNBC investigated this insurance fraud/murder scheme. It reairs – Saturday, February 13th 7p | 11p | 3a ET
Sunday, February 14th Midnight ET | 3a ET