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Elderly US pair murdered homeless | Elderly US pair murdered homeless |
(5 days later) | |
Two elderly women have been convicted over the murder of two homeless men in an attempt to collect $2.8m (£1.4m) in life insurance. | Two elderly women have been convicted over the murder of two homeless men in an attempt to collect $2.8m (£1.4m) in life insurance. |
Helen Golay, 77, and Olga Rutterschmidt, 75, befriended the men from around Los Angeles, put them up in flats and took out insurance policies. | Helen Golay, 77, and Olga Rutterschmidt, 75, befriended the men from around Los Angeles, put them up in flats and took out insurance policies. |
The two men were then drugged and killed in staged road accidents. | The two men were then drugged and killed in staged road accidents. |
A jury found both women guilty of murder and conspiracy to murder. They face life in prison without parole. | A jury found both women guilty of murder and conspiracy to murder. They face life in prison without parole. |
Kenneth McDavid, 50, was found dead in the Westwood area of Los Angeles in June 2005. Paul Vados, 73, died in Hollywood in 1999. | Kenneth McDavid, 50, was found dead in the Westwood area of Los Angeles in June 2005. Paul Vados, 73, died in Hollywood in 1999. |
Golay was found guilty of murdering both men for financial gain, and Rutterschmidt of murdering Mr McDavid. | Golay was found guilty of murdering both men for financial gain, and Rutterschmidt of murdering Mr McDavid. |
The Los Angeles jury remained deadlocked on Thursday on murder and conspiracy charges against Rutterschmidt relating to the death of Mr Vados. | The Los Angeles jury remained deadlocked on Thursday on murder and conspiracy charges against Rutterschmidt relating to the death of Mr Vados. |
They will reconvene to attempt to reach a verdict on Monday on those charges. | They will reconvene to attempt to reach a verdict on Monday on those charges. |
Charges pending | Charges pending |
The women, who had been friends for 20 years, were arrested in May 2006. | The women, who had been friends for 20 years, were arrested in May 2006. |
They made a profit on the lives of men who were homeless and destitute Deputy district attorney Truc Do | They made a profit on the lives of men who were homeless and destitute Deputy district attorney Truc Do |
On Thursday, the judge had ordered lawyers for the defence and prosecution to restate their arguments after the jury failed to reach verdicts on murder charges against Rutterschmidt. | On Thursday, the judge had ordered lawyers for the defence and prosecution to restate their arguments after the jury failed to reach verdicts on murder charges against Rutterschmidt. |
Deputy district attorney Truc Do told the jury the 75-year-old was no pawn in the killings, but rather "fully capable of heading this scheme on her own". | Deputy district attorney Truc Do told the jury the 75-year-old was no pawn in the killings, but rather "fully capable of heading this scheme on her own". |
"Golay is not the mastermind of this scheme," she said. "They are 50-50 partners." | |
Describing the murders, Ms Do had said earlier: "The victim would always be run over - crushed to death - in an alley with no witnesses... it always looked like it was a hit-and-run accident." | |
Forgotten people | Forgotten people |
During the four-week trial, Ms Do said the women had found the men in a homeless shelter at a Hollywood church, provided them with apartments and supported them for two years - while taking out multiple life insurance policies on them - before killing them. | |
You were greedy. That's the problem Olga Rutterschmidt | You were greedy. That's the problem Olga Rutterschmidt |
Ms Do said the two-year timescale was important, as it was the length of time it would take to make the insurance policies incontestable. | |
She described the men as "forgotten" people, with no relatives likely to come forward to contest the insurance policies taken out by Golay and Rutterschmidt. | |
"They made a profit on the lives of men who were homeless and destitute," she said | |
Prosecutors played jurors excerpts from a secretly recorded conversation between the two women shortly after their arrest. | Prosecutors played jurors excerpts from a secretly recorded conversation between the two women shortly after their arrest. |
Rutterschmidt is heard telling Golay: "You were greedy. That's the problem." | Rutterschmidt is heard telling Golay: "You were greedy. That's the problem." |
Golay replies: "Be quiet. Don't say anything." | Golay replies: "Be quiet. Don't say anything." |