LOS ANGELES — Olga Rutterschmidt and Helen Golay have come a long way in their 20 years of friendship, authorities say. The pair allegedly has gone from filing dozens of small-time lawsuits to support themselves to engineering major crimes for a big payoff. On Tuesday, opening statements are scheduled as the pair of 70-somethings stand trial on murder-for-profit charges. Prosecutors allege Rutterschmidt, 75, and Golay, 77, conspired to insure two indigent men, kill them in faked hit-and-run accidents and fund their own old age with $2.3 million in proceeds from insurance policies. "It's straight from a movie plot. It's 'Arsenic and Old Lace,"' said Laurie Levenson, a former federal prosecutor in Los Angeles and now a Loyola University Law School professor. Prosecutors, however, were expected to downplay the defendants' advanced ages in the case. "In murder, age doesn't count. It's the actions that count," said district attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons. "We'll present the evidence on their actions." Their case began in 2006 in federal court with a grand jury indicting them on nine counts each of mail fraud and related charges for making false insurance claims. But when further evidence developed in the alleged hit-and-run scheme, the case was transferred to Los Angeles County Superior Court and murder charges were filed. Each woman faces two counts of murder and two counts of conspiracy to commit murder for financial gain in the deaths of Paul Vados, 73, in 1999 and Kenneth McDavid, 51, in 2005. Both women have pleaded not guilty. The prosecution is not seeking the death penalty. "We have evidence to show she's not guilty," said defense attorney Roger Jon Diamond, who represents Golay. "They have over 100 witnesses but they have no eyewitness, no confession. It's all circumstantial." Authorities allege the women befriended Vados and McDavid, provided them with apartments and persuaded them to sign life insurance policies. They are accused of drugging the men, running them over in secluded alleys and then collecting about $2.3 million in insurance.
gosh, talking about jumping the gun, I saw the name of your thread and thought you were talking smack about me, then I READ your thread and was like, oh, ok....... not me....... :lol:whew!
But can you believe these two are in their 70's? Dang those poor men...oh wait should i stick up for them? They are alive until proven dead ..right?
Maybe I will change my screen name, kimmie sounds so nice tho....what do ya think? I don't know how to set up a poll. kimmie or gangsta granny? :jester:
You're a grandma? I thought you were about my age by your posts. :lol: nevermind, I could *almost* be a grandma (vomit)
I am, and very proud..... I learned that you don't get to pick the age you become a granny......my son taught me that lesson, we are now a grad family as he and my g-son live with us...... it's great! life is good, I'm 47..... I think, so young at heart....it's amazing how fast time flies.... but the saying young at heart is sooo true.... and I don't look half bad if I say so myself!
Go grannie go! Dang, I'm older (well, almost...in May I'll be 48) than you!! You sound like a great person. But, I'm glad my son/daughter hasn't made me a granny, yet.....:lol:
Kimmie aka Gangsta Grannie At Large 47 is NOT old! any Grandma that knows '420' is my kind of Grandma....all I'm saying.....:lol:
Dern, your only 9 years older than me. My only child is 8! My Grandmother's got you beat though, I'm the oldest grandchild, she was 38 when I was born, same age I am now. :shock: My Mom was only 18 when I was born. All us grandkids and great grandkids were only allowed to call her "grandmother" not, grannie, gram, nana or none of the rest, only grandmother. LOL. We are very close to this day, in many ways closer than my own Mom and I are.
yeah, we are all pretty tight knit! I'm actually called Nanny... by my g-sons choice. Everyone thinks he is my son and when he calls me Nanny, it turns a few heads, :lol::lol:, it's always funny to see peoples reaction. Having kids was a blast, but g-kids are the bomb! Waiting on my daughter who has been married 3 years to start providing us a few.
I just got an email from a friend I grew up with she is 36 and her daughter is pregnant. :shock: My grandmother was 37 when I was born and we would go to the beach and I was not allowed to call her grandma when we were there. LOL
I like freaking people out, so its funny to me, I wanted dgs to call me Granny, but they seem to pick your name for you.......
