Dateline NBC: The Thing About Helen & Olga — Ep. 5 “Just a Little Red Paint”

Original Air Date: February 9, 2026
Host: Keith Morrison (NBC News)
Summary by: Podcast Summarizer

Overview of Episode

Episode 5 of the Dateline NBC podcast series “The Thing About Helen & Olga” drills into the intense investigation that finally tied Helen Golay and Olga Rutterschmidt — two elderly women — to the murder of Kenneth McDavid. This episode details the persistent efforts of detectives, the significance of a splash of red paint, and the careful piecing together of evidence needed to secure murder charges. It’s a gripping tale of forensic breakthroughs, neighborly interventions, criminal cunning, and unflinching detective work.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Descent into Crime: Helen & Olga’s “Moral Bottom”

• The episode opens by reflecting on how Helen and Olga’s criminal path was not a sudden fall from grace but an “inevitable destination” (01:31).
• Between them, Helen and Olga collected nearly $3 million from life insurance payouts before being arrested.
• Quote (Host, 01:55):
  “A black and bottomless hole where a moral compass should be.”

2. The Manhunt: Building the Murder Case

a. Mail Fraud Charges and Murder Investigation

• Federal agents initially arrest Helen and Olga on mail fraud, but Detective Dennis Kilcoyne remains focused on building a murder case.

  Kilcoyne (03:58):
  “These are murder suspects that we are going after. Even if all we can charge them with is mail fraud...they’re murder suspects.”

b. The Elusive Car on Surveillance

• Grainy security footage from the night of Kenneth McDavid’s death shows a silver-colored station wagon — either a Ford Taurus or Mercury Sable (04:07–05:00).
• The vehicle’s identification is central to the investigation but remains uncertain for nearly a year.

c. The Breakthrough: A Day Planner and a Partial VIN

• FBI agent Sam Mayrose discovers a day planner in Helen’s Mercedes containing a partial VIN for a 1999 Mercury Sable (05:37).

  Sam Mayrose (05:49):
  “There’s this post-it...1999 Mercury Sable Station wagon and a tag, and it’s got a name on it.”

• Detectives use DMV records to trace the vehicle, discovering it was impounded a few blocks from Olga’s house shortly after McDavid’s murder (07:08).

3. The Web of Deceit: Stolen Identities and Shady Tactics

• Olga purchased the murder vehicle with stolen ID — traced back to a gym theft where Helen’s daughter, Keisha Golay, was present (09:22–09:49).

  Sam Mayrose (09:49):
  “Keisha Golay, Helen’s daughter...their records indicated Keisha had been at the gym the exact same day the lady’s purse was stolen.”

• Detectives find a copy of the stolen driver’s license among Olga’s things, deepening the case’s complexity.

4. Forensic Evidence: Finding the Smoking Gun

a. Scrutinizing the Mercury Sable

• Investigators recover the car and conduct thorough forensic analysis, searching for DNA and other evidence (10:30–12:19).

  Detective (12:06):
  “When you think of this car bulldozing over an adult man’s body, six inches is not enough. It had to be just an incredible death.”

• Red paint found on the car’s wheel, initially insignificant, later links the vehicle to an incident behind Helen’s house (11:23–12:19).

b. Blood, Repairs, and Phone Records

• Swabs from the undercarriage yield traces of human blood later confirmed as McDavid’s via DNA analysis (16:36).
• A suspicious repair is found on the fuel line, matching records of Helen’s AAA call the night of the murder (14:00–14:36).

  Keith Morrison (14:55):
  “Oh my, how the chickens come home to roost.”

5. Tying the Vehicle to the Crime Scene

• Neighbors’ complaints and photos of red paint on the Sable’s wheel confirm the car’s presence at Helen’s home during the relevant period (18:36–20:36).

  Detective (19:36):
  “She actually has the front of the vehicle parked behind Helen’s house, and it has red paint splashed on the wheel cover of the left front tire.” “Here we are. We’ve got the vehicle in our garage now, we’ve got the DNA underneath, and lo and behold, right on that front left wheel cover is still that red paint.”*

6. Calculated Evil: The Motivation and Pattern

• Investigators are staggered by the degree of premeditation:

  Detective (20:56):
  “I have never ever seen anything that involves this much planning and this degree of just evil…”

• Helen and Olga’s process: purchasing a car 18 months before the murder, systematically signing up victims for insurance, and coldly socializing with intended targets.

7. The Alleyway Crime Scene Recreation

• In fall 2007, police conduct a meticulous recreation of the crime scene, using precise measurements and the original Mercury Sable (24:57–27:29).
• The team confirms the plausibility of their theory: the car was coasting down the alley due to the broken fuel line, stopping near the Chevron station where Helen called AAA (29:41–29:53).

8. The Final Pieces: The Moments Before and After

• Toxicology reports show McDavid had food, alcohol, and large amounts of sedatives and painkillers in his system — suggesting he was drugged before death (28:04–29:04).
• Phone records show Helen calling for a tow and then contacting Olga within two hours of the murder (30:27–31:02).

  Sam Mayrose (31:02):
  “That night Helen had contacted Olga, which I figured probably...was probably telling her, ‘Hey, the deed is done’ would be my guess.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Keith Morrison (Host, 06:13):
  “Of such moments, incomprehensible to the casual observer, a detective’s career is made.”
• Detective (13:40):
  “That is a crude little repair for the fuel line...when that pulled off, the car would stop.”
• Detective (20:56):
  “The calculation, the pure evilness of this is incredible.”

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:04] – Setting the stage: Helen & Olga’s criminal history
• [03:47] – Arrest on mail fraud; murder case still open
• [05:37] – Day planner with car info found
• [08:05] – Olga’s purchase of Mercury Sable with stolen ID
• [10:30] – Car is retrieved and searched for evidence
• [12:19] – Forensic findings and evidence of a body being run over
• [14:00] – Fuel line repair matches AAA tow call night of murder
• [16:36] – Blood found on car: DNA matches victim
• [18:36] – Neighborhood witness links car to Helen’s house via red paint
• [24:57] – Police recreate murder scene, align evidence
• [29:04] – McDavid’s likely drugged state before death
• [31:02] – Helen’s call to Olga post-murder

Conclusion & Tone

Episode 5 spotlights detective ingenuity and doggedness in the face of twisted, calculated malice. The discovery of a seemingly trivial splash of red paint becomes the lynchpin in an airtight case. With clinical detail, dark humor, and the signature “Dateline” gravitas, the episode sets the stage for the trial of two women who exploited, deceived, and ultimately murdered without remorse. The tone is somber, awestruck by criminal calculation, and deeply respectful of investigative perseverance.

For anyone new to the story, this episode is a chilling, methodical unveiling of how detectives connected dots that spanned years, neighborhoods, and countless lives, ultimately ensuring justice for Kenneth McDavid.