Life insurance killers get life sentence without parole

On July 15, 2008, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David S. Wesley sentenced Helen Golay and Olga Rutterschmidt (both in their 70’s) to life in prison without the possibility of parole because they sacrificed men on the “altars of greed.”

What did these women do to justify this harsh sentence?  Plenty!!

Here is what they did according to Victoria Kim, Killers of 2 homeless men for insurance get life without parole, Los Angeles Times, July 16, 2008:

• Helen and Olga lured homeless men into their home and took care of them for two years.
• They bought life insurance policies on these men.
• Then, the murdered them by running them over with an automobile.
• By waiting two years before terminating the insureds, they were attempting to take advantage of California law which says that life insurance policies cannot be contested after two years.
• They collected approximately $2.8 million in life insurance proceeds.  The men were covered by more than two dozen policies.
• Both woman have appealed.

This situation appears to have been used as the basis for the plot of a recent episode of the television show, The Closer, entitled Speed Bump.

Special thanks to David S. Luber (Attorney at law, Florida Probate Attorney Wills and Estates Law Firm) for bringing the sentencing to my attention.