cies on homeless men and then collecting on them when they died. But they insisted the women were not murderers.
Rutterschmidt and Golay originally were charged with federal insurance fraud but the charges were dropped when state murder charges were filed. Golay and Rutterschmidt are charged with two counts each of murder and conspiracy to commit murder for financial gain.
McDavid, 50, died on June 21, 2005, and Paul Vados, 73, on Nov. 8, 1999, in what prosecutors allege were murders staged to look like hit-and-run incidents.
The prosecution is not seeking the death penalty. Golay’s lawyer pointed the finger of blame at Golay’s daughter, Kecia, and also alleged for the first time that the women were set up by the Auto Club to be blamed for murder because they had collected $810,000 in insurance from the organization.
“This case is about the insurance industry retaliating against Helen Golay and Olga Rutterschmidt,” said Diamond. “They don’t like the fact that two little old ladies are involved in an insurance scam. They are going to teach them a lesson.”
He added, “I gotta tell you. Triple A is not happy with Helen Golay. They feel they got hoodwinked.”
“This is a nightmare for her,” he said, standing behind his client with a hand on her shoulder.“It’s unfortunate that two men are dead. She didn’t do it. But she did involve herself in insurance fraud and she should be punished for that.”
Diamond was to finish his closing argument on Monday before the case goes to the jury.
The prosecutor told the jury Thursday that the women took out multiple insurance policies and supported the men until they were killed, then collected $2.8 million. Deputy District Attorney Truc Do also argued that the defendants were guilty of murder whether or not they actually at the crime scenes and carried out the killings.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 12, 2008. Read the original PDF.