Sweet Old Ladies or Cold-Blooded Killers? The Shocking Case of Helen Golay and Olga Rutterschmidt

By [Your Name], Crime Correspondent

In Los Angeles, a city of dreams and desperation, two elderly women—Helen Golay and Olga Rutterschmidt—became infamous for a chilling scheme that preyed on the city’s most vulnerable. Their story, which began with acts of apparent kindness, ended in murder, insurance fraud, and a nationwide reckoning with the dark side of human nature.

The Night Ken McDavid Died

On the evening of June 21, 2005, a 911 call brought Los Angeles police to a dimly lit alley. There, they found the lifeless body of Ken McDavid, a 50-year-old homeless man. His position on the ground was odd, and the evidence suggested he’d been run over while lying down—possibly unconscious. A bicycle lay nearby, its front wheel removed as if Ken had been repairing it, but questions lingered: why would he stop in a dark alley when light was available at the end of the street?

More puzzling was the absence of any personal belongings except two photo IDs. It was as if someone wanted police to know exactly who Ken was. His clothes were smeared with oil—likely from the underside of a car—a detail that didn’t fit the typical hit-and-run pattern. Surveillance footage from local businesses showed a car entering the alley with its brake lights on and headlights off, then leaving five minutes later. But the license plate was unreadable.

Police traced Ken’s address from his ID, only to learn he no longer lived there. Once hopeful for a career as a screenwriter, Ken had slipped into homelessness. The building manager said Ken had recently received help from an elderly woman named Helen Golay, who provided him with a new apartment and paid his bills for months.

Two Mysterious Women

The investigation took a strange turn when Helen Golay appeared at the morgue, claiming to be Ken’s fiancée and requesting his cremation. Soon after, another elderly woman, Olga Rutterschmidt, visited the police station, coldly demanding a copy of the police report as Ken’s “cousin.” Their lack of grief raised suspicions.

An autopsy revealed high levels of prescription drugs in Ken’s system, including sleep medication. Police saw many red flags but lacked the evidence to connect the dots.

The Insurance Windfall

Two months after Ken’s death, Mony Mutual, a New York insurance company, received a claim for $1 million. The beneficiaries? Helen and Olga, listed as Ken’s “business partners.” The insurance investigator noticed inconsistencies in their stories and their refusal to cooperate deepened suspicions.

Police remembered a similar case: in 1999, Paul Vados, a 73-year-old homeless man, was found dead in another alley, victim of a hit-and-run. Again, two elderly women arrived, claiming to be his relatives. Both Paul and Ken had substantial life insurance policies, and in both cases, Helen and Olga were named beneficiaries.

A Pattern Emerges

Investigators discovered that both men frequented a homeless shelter at Hollywood’s Church of Christ, where Helen and Olga regularly volunteered. Police theorized the women targeted vulnerable men whom few would miss.

Helen and Olga were placed under 24-hour surveillance. Insurance records showed they’d purchased more than 20 policies worth over $5 million for various “fiancés,” “business partners,” and “cousins.” With no concrete proof of murder, police arrested them for insurance fraud.

The Arrest and Breakthrough

On May 18, 2006, a task force of 70 agents from the FBI and LAPD raided the women’s homes. They found insurance payment receipts and forged stamps of Paul and Ken’s signatures.

In a stroke of investigative genius, police placed Helen and Olga together in an interrogation room, left them alone, and recorded their conversation. Unaware they were being taped, the women argued, blaming each other for the mounting suspicions. Olga, unable to keep quiet, inadvertently provided damning evidence that implicated both herself and Helen in the murders.

The Women Behind the Crimes

Olga Rutterschmidt was born in Hungary in 1933 and emigrated to the U.S. in 1957. After a divorce, she settled in Hollywood in the 1970s. Helen Golay, born in Texas in 1931, had married twice and amassed wealth through Southern California real estate investments. The two met at a Los Angeles spa and bonded over their shared pursuit of money.

Helen was the mastermind. Their first victim, Paul Vados, was a widower struggling with depression. In 1997, Helen and Olga took out eight insurance policies in his name, then murdered him in 1999. Between 2002 and 2003, they bought 13 policies for Ken McDavid, listing themselves as his fiancée, cousin, and business partner on different applications. Ken was killed in 2005.

They also targeted Jimmy Covington, a 48-year-old homeless man, offering food and shelter. Jimmy grew suspicious when asked for personal information for insurance forms and escaped their grasp.

Police believed Helen and Olga drugged or intoxicated their victims before running them over with a car. Before their arrest, Helen collected over $1.5 million in insurance payouts for Ken, while Olga received $670,000. In total, they gained $2.8 million from the deaths.

The Car That Killed

Identifying the murder weapon—a car—was crucial. Investigators spent months analyzing blurry surveillance footage. Eventually, they linked a silver 1999 Mercury Sable Station Wagon, purchased by the pair in 2004 and stored at Helen’s home, to the crimes. On the night Ken died, Helen called for roadside assistance due to car trouble. DNA found on the car’s undercarriage matched Ken’s.

The Trial and Verdict

At trial, jurors watched the secretly recorded video of Helen and Olga in the interrogation room. Olga berated Helen: “It’s your fault. You shouldn’t have taken out so many policies… You got too greedy. That’s the problem.”

In April 2008, Helen Golay and Olga Rutterschmidt were convicted of murdering two men for insurance money and sentenced to life in prison.

Conclusion

The case of Helen Golay and Olga Rutterschmidt stunned the nation. Two elderly women, appearing as kindly benefactors, were revealed as cold-blooded killers who exploited society’s most vulnerable for profit. Their story remains a chilling reminder that evil can hide behind the most innocent faces—and that justice, though slow, will eventually catch up.