Podcast Summary: Dateline NBC - "The Thing About Helen & Olga" Ep. 6: The Bottom Line

Date: February 9, 2026
Host: Keith Morrison (Dateline NBC)
Theme: The final episode chronicles the dramatic trial, defense strategies, conviction, and aftermath for Helen Golay and Olga Rutterschmidt—two elderly women who executed a deadly insurance scam targeting homeless men in Los Angeles.

Episode Overview

In this concluding chapter, Dateline unpacks the courtroom battle between prosecutors and the defense as the fate of Helen Golay and Olga Rutterschmidt—infamously dubbed the "Black Widows"—is decided. Through exclusive interviews, dramatic court moments, and survivors' testimonies, the episode reveals the chilling depths of their crimes and the justice meted out after years of evading authorities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Scheme and Its Impact

• The Setup: Helen and Olga, under the guise of charity, targeted homeless men in Los Angeles, persuading them to sign off on life insurance policies before arranging their deaths for financial gain.
• Dehumanization: Morrison underscores the callousness, calling the homeless “walking, talking gold” to Helen and Olga (00:29).

2. Arrest and Incarceration

• The Fall: At the time of their arrest (May 2006), both women led comfortable lives funded by their crimes (03:26).
• Conditions in Jail: The women, unaccustomed to hardship, found jail life harsh. Helen’s attorney, Roger Diamond, repeatedly complained about inhumane conditions (07:07).
• Partnership Deteriorates: Their alliance buckled under pressure, with each blaming the other during recorded interrogations (10:11, 10:35).

3. The Legal Teams and Pretrial Maneuvering

• Defense Personalities:
  • Roger Diamond (Helen's attorney): flamboyant, media-savvy.
  • Michael Sklar (Olga's attorney): understated, deliberate.
• Case Joinder: Prosecutors tried Helen and Olga together, leveraging identical evidence against both, which increased mutual suspicion (09:39).
• Quote - Bobby Grace, Lead Prosecutor:
  “These two individuals were the most egregious actors that I had come across.” (02:46)

4. Trial Highlights

• Opening Arguments: Prosecutor Truck Doe (now an appellate judge) delivered a searing address, framing the women as predators who profited from misery (15:03).
• Prosecution’s “Tsunami of Evidence”:
  • 90 witnesses, 277 exhibits—including insurance documents, phone logs, and personal accounts (18:09–21:33).
  • Testimony from Jimmy Covington, a would-be victim who escaped their scheme (21:33).

Notable Quote:

Jimmy Covington, recalling seeing Olga on the witness stand:

"All of a sudden, I'm seeing her there and it's dawning on me this is actually real." (21:33)
"She had those eyes. She kind of looked at me... and that was it. She never looked at me again." (21:50)

5. Defense Strategies

• Helen’s Defense – Blaming Her Daughter:

  • Roger Diamond asserted that Helen’s daughter, Keisha, committed the murder of Kenneth McDavid, presenting no evidence but raising reasonable doubt (24:09–27:20).
  • Quote – Sam Mayrose, FBI Agent:

    “The thing that shocked me the most was when Helen threw her own daughter under the bus... That really surprised me.” (24:09)

  • The prosecution dubbed this the “SODDI defense”: “Some Other Dude Did It” (24:38).

• Olga’s Defense – Playing the Dupe:

  • Sklar portrayed Olga as a naïve follower, manipulated by Helen, responsible perhaps for theft, but not murder (28:14–29:13).
  • Highlighted Olga’s emotional reaction and ignorance in police recordings.

6. Verdict and Sentencing

• Jury Deliberation:
  Initial split verdict—Helen found guilty on all counts; jury deadlocked on Olga’s murder charges (30:52–33:12).

• Unusual Legal Move:
  Judge allowed a second round of closing arguments, focusing on Olga’s role in the conspiracy (33:34–34:52).

• Final Decision:
  Both women convicted on all counts—murder and conspiracy.
  Bobby Grace (35:26):

  “They are the two most egregious actors, the two people that stuck out the most as being the worst people that I have prosecuted.”

• Sentencing Statements:

  • Moving victim impact statements from the families.
    • Sandra Salmon, McDavid’s sister: “My brother Ken did not deserve to die the way he did.” (36:28)
    • Stella Vados, daughter of Paul Vados: “The defendants were greedy, selfish. I think they should live most of their lives in prison.” (37:38)
  • Judge’s condemnation:

    “These unfortunate men were sacrificed on your altars of greed. Therefore, each of you is sentenced and remanded to the custody of the sheriffs for transportation to the Department of Corrections forthwith.” (38:21–39:13)

7. Aftermath

• Both women sentenced to life without parole. Each attempted appeals, all denied (39:13–41:22).
• Current Status:
  • Helen, now 95; Olga, 92, both in separate prisons.
  • Neither shows remorse or has provided information for the victims’ families.
• Legacy and Remembrance:
  FBI agent Sam Mayrose reflected on the tenacity of Ed Webster, the insurance investigator whose persistence broke the case:

  “It was just our honor to be able to work with a guy that, that knew what he was doing and was so kind to everybody…” (41:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Black Widows' Motivation:
  Keith Morrison:

  “After all, the city of Los Angeles was awash in raw material... walking, talking gold.” (00:29)

• Legal Strategy – Shocking Turn:
  Sam Mayrose:

  “When Helen threw her own daughter under the bus, accusing her of being the one that drove the vehicle that killed Kenneth. That really surprised me.” (24:09)

• On Defendant's Roles:
  Bobby Grace:

  “We did not have to prove that Olga struck the fatal blow, only that she was part and parcel of the conspiracy...” (34:07)

• Judge David Wesley’s Final Judgment:

  “These unfortunate men were sacrificed on your altars of greed.” (38:21)

• Sam Mayrose on Ed Webster (the insurance investigator):

  “He'd never been in law enforcement, he'd never been a sworn officer, but man, oh man, he knew what he was doing.” (41:30)

Key Timestamps

• 00:29 – Morrison sets up the "entrepreneurial" but deadly con of Helen & Olga
• 01:47/02:08 – Interrogation room: chilling perspectives on the value of human life for profit
• 10:11–10:35 – Interrogation tapes exposing infighting between the two women
• 15:03 – Prosecutor outlines the case in opening statement
• 18:09–21:33 – The prosecution’s case: evidence, witnesses, and Covington’s testimony
• 24:09 – Defense blames Helen’s daughter for murder
• 29:13 – Olga’s defense: positions herself as a gullible participant
• 33:34–34:52 – Judge’s rare move for additional closing arguments
• 35:26/36:28/37:38 – Victims’ families share impact statements
• 38:21–39:13 – Judge Wesley’s scathing sentencing remarks
• 41:22–41:51 – Reflection on Ed Webster’s role and legacy

Tone and Style

Throughout, Keith Morrison’s narration is characteristically suspenseful, evocative, and empathetic, balancing somber justice with empathy for the victims and a cold eye on the machinations of Helen and Olga. The prosecutorial voices are authoritative and impassioned, the defense alternates between creative argument and desperation, while the voices of families offer raw emotion and closure.

Conclusion

The episode provides a comprehensive, riveting finale to the Helen & Olga saga—unmasking human greed, the frailty of justice, and the unlikely evil lurking behind benign exteriors. The “Black Widows” will never leave prison, their victims will not return, and for the families and investigators, the case stands as both cautionary tale and testament to persistence in the pursuit of truth.