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They plucked the destitute off the street as "investments," insured their lives for millions, then snuffed them out in staged hit-and-run accidents. They became so consumed by greed that they bickered over the money even after their arrests.
At least that's how prosecutors Tuesday outlined their case against Helen Golay and Olga Rutterschmidt in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
The septuagenarians stand accused of murdering a pair of Los Angeles homeless men in a chillingly deliberate scheme that required them to feed and shelter their victims for two years -- the period after which insurance companies often cannot contest policies -- before crushing them to death under cars in dark alleys.
"They waited for two years, with murder on their minds each of those days," Deputy Dist. Atty. Truc Do told jurors in her opening statement. "They started this murder plot with greed, and you're going to see that even when the jig was up, these defendants remained greedy."
Do showed the jury portions of hidden camera videotapes that captured Golay, 77, and Rutterschmidt, 75, talking alone in a white-walled room, when they were taken into custody in May 2006 -- initially on suspicion of fraud.
The tape was the highlight of evidence not previously disclosed in the case, which has drawn media coverage from around the world.
On the recording, as Golay urges her to stay quiet, Rutterschmidt angrily complains that her co-defendant might have led authorities to them by taking out too many policies on the dead men.
"Why did you make the extra insurances?" says the Hungarian-born Rutterschmidt, in her accented English. "Too many. . . . You can't do that!"
The slight, soft-spoken Golay tries to assure her that their troubles would disappear. "All they're going after is mail fraud," she says. "There is no mail fraud."
Neither woman mentions the killings. Much of their conversation seems to concern their attempts to collect more from the insurers, some of it through lawsuits.
Golay says she wanted to sue them "to the gills."
She also says in a pointed way that one of the victims, Kenneth McDavid, who was killed in 2005, "loved" them. "He wanted to be part of our family," she says.
In insurance applications, Golay posed as McDavid's fiancee and Rutterschmidt as his cousin, prosecutors allege.
"I was the cousin, you were the fiancee," Rutterschmidt says on the tape. "Baloney."
Golay and Rutterschmidt, both dressed in black suits, their long graying hair flowing over their shoulders, watched the tape without apparent emotion.
They paused occasionally to doodle or jot notes on a pad.
Some of the jurors glanced down when Do displayed crime-scene and coroner's photographs of the broken, bloodied bodies of McDavid, 50, and Paul Vados, 73, who was killed in 1999.
The defendants also looked away at times.
The prosecutor noted that there were grease marks on their clothing and no trauma to their legs, indicating that the men were struck by a vehicle while lying down and not struck by hit-and-run drivers as they stood upright, as the defendants claim.
Meanwhile, the defense attorneys declined to make opening statements, reserving the option to do so once the prosecution rests. The trial is expected to last about a month.
At least that's how prosecutors Tuesday outlined their case against Helen Golay and Olga Rutterschmidt in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
The septuagenarians stand accused of murdering a pair of Los Angeles homeless men in a chillingly deliberate scheme that required them to feed and shelter their victims for two years -- the period after which insurance companies often cannot contest policies -- before crushing them to death under cars in dark alleys.
"They waited for two years, with murder on their minds each of those days," Deputy Dist. Atty. Truc Do told jurors in her opening statement. "They started this murder plot with greed, and you're going to see that even when the jig was up, these defendants remained greedy."
Do showed the jury portions of hidden camera videotapes that captured Golay, 77, and Rutterschmidt, 75, talking alone in a white-walled room, when they were taken into custody in May 2006 -- initially on suspicion of fraud.
The tape was the highlight of evidence not previously disclosed in the case, which has drawn media coverage from around the world.
On the recording, as Golay urges her to stay quiet, Rutterschmidt angrily complains that her co-defendant might have led authorities to them by taking out too many policies on the dead men.
"Why did you make the extra insurances?" says the Hungarian-born Rutterschmidt, in her accented English. "Too many. . . . You can't do that!"
The slight, soft-spoken Golay tries to assure her that their troubles would disappear. "All they're going after is mail fraud," she says. "There is no mail fraud."
Neither woman mentions the killings. Much of their conversation seems to concern their attempts to collect more from the insurers, some of it through lawsuits.
Golay says she wanted to sue them "to the gills."
She also says in a pointed way that one of the victims, Kenneth McDavid, who was killed in 2005, "loved" them. "He wanted to be part of our family," she says.
In insurance applications, Golay posed as McDavid's fiancee and Rutterschmidt as his cousin, prosecutors allege.
"I was the cousin, you were the fiancee," Rutterschmidt says on the tape. "Baloney."
Golay and Rutterschmidt, both dressed in black suits, their long graying hair flowing over their shoulders, watched the tape without apparent emotion.
They paused occasionally to doodle or jot notes on a pad.
Some of the jurors glanced down when Do displayed crime-scene and coroner's photographs of the broken, bloodied bodies of McDavid, 50, and Paul Vados, 73, who was killed in 1999.
The defendants also looked away at times.
The prosecutor noted that there were grease marks on their clothing and no trauma to their legs, indicating that the men were struck by a vehicle while lying down and not struck by hit-and-run drivers as they stood upright, as the defendants claim.
Meanwhile, the defense attorneys declined to make opening statements, reserving the option to do so once the prosecution rests. The trial is expected to last about a month.
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