LA's 'Black Widows' Get Life In Prison For Murders
U.S. Court News
Two elderly women dubbed the "Black Widows" of Los Angeles were sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing two homeless men whom they housed for two years before murdering them in hit-and-run crashes in order to collect $2.8 million in life insurance money.
Helen Golay, 77, and Olga Rutterschmidt, 75, were convicted in April of first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder for financial gain in the deaths of Kenneth McDavid, 50, and Paul Vados, 73.
Golay and Rutterschmidt claimed to be aunts, fiancées or cousins of the men on insurance applications, taking out 16 policies for McDavid and three for Vados, for which they acted as beneficiaries. The women had taken out the policies two years before the plotted deaths, purportedly because California law makes life insurance fraud more difficult to contest when a policy has been active for two years.
After running down Vados in a Hollywood alley in 1999, the women collected $600,000 in insurance claims. Authorities grew suspicious when the same two women amassed claims after McDavid was killed in an apparent hit-and-run accident in 2005 and had upper body injuries similar to Vados. Golay used her auto club membership to request the towing of a 1999 Mercury Sable station wagon an hour before McDavid's death. McDavid's DNA was found on the vehicle.
The duo was first arrested in 2006 for insurance fraud. On a secretly recorded videotape made the day of their arrest, Rutterschmidt called Golay "greedy" for taking out so many insurance policies and drawing media attention.
Superior Court Judge David Wesley told the women, "(T)hese unfortunate men were sacrificed on your altar of greed."
Related listings
-
Hotel Chain Wouldn't Rent To Black Family, Man Says
U.S. Court News 07/14/2008The Clarion Hotel in Scranton refused to rent rooms to a black family though it had 52 vacant rooms, and its desk clerk admitted that she would not rent to them because they are black, the family claims in Federal Court. Eric Davis and his family als...
-
Bank Of America Seeks Protection
U.S. Court News 07/09/2008Bank of America claims members of a "radical anti-tax group" filed bogus papers in court and attempted to "seize" and "foreclose" upon two BofA branch banks. Members of The United Cities Group wore false badges from the "Treasury Department" during t...
-
Report shows law firm mergers are up
U.S. Court News 07/08/2008The second quarter of this year saw the pace of law firm mergers rise sharply in the U.S., according to a new report from legal consultancy Altman Weil Inc. There were 26 new law firm mergers and acquisitions reported in April, May and June, compared...
Our Eugene Oregon Bankruptcy Practice
Since 2005, Erin Uhlemann has helped individuals and families facing financial difficulties file for bankruptcy relief. Erin's compassion and understanding of the law have helped hundreds of Oregonians achieve a financial fresh start. She started Willamette Valley Bankruptcy to focus on helping clients with bankruptcy and debt issues in the Lane County Area. Erin understands that choosing a bankruptcy attorney who makes you feel comfortable and confident can be as difficult as deciding whether to file a bankruptcy case. Because she knows that filing bankruptcy is not something that you planned to do or look forward to doing, Erin strives to make the process as easy as possible.
Because most people facing bankruptcy do not have extra money to pay fees, Willamette Valley Bankruptcy offers low upfront fees and will work with you to set up affordable payment plans to pay attorney fees and court filing fees. Consultations are always free so that you can get the answers you need before making any sort of financial commitment. If you have questions about attorney fees and payment plans, you can call or email today to get these questions answered.