Olga Rutterschmidt: The Hungarian-Born Black Widow
Introduction
Olga Rutterschmidt was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1933 during a period of significant social and political turbulence in Central Europe. Her early life was marked by the trauma of World War II, an experience that would reportedly shape her psychological development and later criminal behavior.
Early Life and World War II Trauma
As a teenager during World War II, Rutterschmidt witnessed the horrors of Nazi occupation and the Holocaust firsthand. Hungary, which had joined the Axis powers in 1940, experienced devastating bombardment and military conflict. The country endured German occupation in March 1944, followed by the rapid deportation of Hungarian Jews to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps-during an eight-week period in 1944, approximately 437,000 Jews from rural Hungarian regions were transported to the camps, with nearly all being murdered.
Rutterschmidt personally suffered severe injuries from World War II bombing raids as a girl, trauma that left lasting psychological scars. Following the war, she received psychiatric treatment in Hungary, including hospitalization and electroshock therapy treatments, procedures that were common but often harmful practices in post-war European psychiatry.
Immigration and Early Adulthood
In 1957, at age 24, Rutterschmidt emigrated from Hungary to the United States seeking a fresh start. She eventually settled in Los Angeles and married a Hungarian immigrant named Endre. During the 1970s, she and her husband owned and operated a coffee shop in downtown Los Angeles. However, like many of her endeavors, the business eventually closed. Rutterschmidt and Endre divorced after several years of marriage and had no children together. Endre reportedly died several years before her arrest, though authorities believe he passed away in Hungary.
The Rise of Criminal Activity
After her divorce and the closure of the coffee shop, Rutterschmidt’s employment history became sporadic and inconsistent. According to investigators and those who knew her, she developed a pattern of increasingly criminal behavior throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
Rutterschmidt became skilled at manipulating credit systems, reportedly bragging to a confidant that she had learned to “pyramid” dozens of credit cards, using one card to pay off the balance of another before ultimately “stiffing” the credit card issuers by refusing to pay the accumulated debt. She accumulated 30 to 40 credit cards, a collection she would proudly display to acquaintances.
Meeting Helen Golay
Rutterschmidt’s fateful meeting with Helen Golay occurred during the fitness craze of the 1980s at a West Los Angeles health spa. The two women, both in their middle years at the time, discovered they had much in common-both spoke of painful childhoods and difficult adulthoods marked by failed marriages and financial instability. Both were drawn to the glittering lifestyle of West Los Angeles, frequenting expensive establishments like the Beverly Hills Hotel and Hollywood Roosevelt.
The women exploited their appearance and charm to con money from naive strangers. According to LAPD Detective Dennis Kilcoyne, their schemes began as “petty stuff” but gradually escalated in scope and severity. Rutterschmidt, with her distinctive Hungarian accent reminiscent of actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, and her dyed blonde hair, played the role of a charming European immigrant, while Golay, known for her towering bouffant hairstyles and revealing clothing, attracted wealthy targets.
The Black Widow Murders Partnership
In 1997, Rutterschmidt and Golay connected with homeless individuals through Hollywood Presbyterian Church’s homeless services program, ostensibly as volunteers but actually as hunters seeking victims for insurance fraud and murder. This was when they began their systematic targeting of vulnerable transient men.
As the criminal partnership deepened, Rutterschmidt took on specific roles in the conspiracy. She served as the “scout” who made initial contact with homeless men, befriending them with offers of meals at Burger King and promises of shelter and assistance. However, their relationship was never genuinely amicable-Detective Kilcoyne noted: “They didn’t trust each other.”
Personality and Lifestyle
While Golay presented herself as a sophisticated businesswoman with valuable real estate holdings, Rutterschmidt maintained a more reclusive existence. She lived in a modest third-floor apartment in Hollywood, where she spent most of her time. Her neighbors observed that she had no intimate friends and rarely entertained guests. Instead, she spent her days taking solo hikes in Runyon Canyon or walks on the beach, and her evenings listening to jazz and classical music. Rutterschmidt was a chronic complainer, frequently irritating neighbors with complaints about noise from surrounding apartments.
The Victims and Their Deaths
Paul Vados, a 73-year-old Hungarian immigrant, became Rutterschmidt and Golay’s first victim. Rutterschmidt and Golay began applying for life insurance policies on Vados in 1997, listing themselves as beneficiaries. Vados was found dead in an alley near North La Brea Avenue in Hollywood on November 8, 1999, appearing to be a hit-and-run victim. From eight different life insurance policies, Golay received $1,540,767.05 and Rutterschmidt received proceeds as well.
Kenneth McDavid, a 50-year-old with a Sacramento State University background, was their second victim. Between November 2002 and March 2003, the women took out thirteen life insurance policies on McDavid totaling $3,700,000. On June 21, 2005, McDavid was struck by a silver Mercury Sable station wagon in an alley behind a Bristol Farms in Westwood. Toxicology tests revealed McDavid had dangerous levels of alcohol, zolpidem (a sleep medication), and hydrocodone in his system-levels sufficient to render him unconscious.
Jimmy Covington, a 48-year-old homeless man, nearly became a third victim. Rutterschmidt approached Covington and took him to Burger King, promising shelter and assistance with welfare services. She and Golay requested his Social Security number and other identifying information, and they filled out at least one life insurance policy application on him. However, Covington grew suspicious and moved out before the women could complete their plan.
The Unraveling Partnership
As their criminal enterprise continued, tension between the two women increased significantly. Rutterschmidt complained to her neighbor Lawrence that Golay had not paid her adequately for “scouting” real estate opportunities. Just days before their arrest, Rutterschmidt told Lawrence that she and Golay had called each other vulgar names. Rutterschmidt was particularly jealous of Golay’s relationship with her daughter Kecia, whom Helen had given money and material possessions without requiring her to work.
Arrest and Incarceration
Rutterschmidt and Golay were arrested in May 2006 after police became alarmed about the safety of several homeless men they were targeting. In jailhouse conversations recorded by authorities, Rutterschmidt attempted to shift blame to Golay, saying: “You did all these insurances extra. That’s what raised the suspicion. You can’t do that. Stupidity. You’re going to go to jail, honey. They going to lock you up.”
Trial and Conviction
During the 2008 trial, Rutterschmidt pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and fraud. Her defense attorney argued that Golay was the primary perpetrator, attempting to portray his client as merely a participant rather than a decision-maker. However, evidence overwhelmingly demonstrated her culpability in both murders.
On April 18, 2008, Rutterschmidt was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for financial gain in the death of Paul Vados. The jury initially deadlocked on charges related to Kenneth McDavid’s murder but eventually reached a unanimous guilty verdict after an alternate juror was introduced to replace a juror who needed to be excused./p>
Sentencing
In July 2008, Rutterschmidt was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole by Judge David Wesley. Her convictions were upheld on appeal on August 18, 2009, by the Court of Appeal, Second District, Division 5, and ultimately affirmed by the California Supreme Court on October 28, 2012.
Current Status
According to the most recent publicly available information, Rutterschmidt is serving her life sentence at Central California Women’s Facility.
Legacy and Psychology
Olga Rutterschmidt represents a complex case study in criminal psychology. Her World War II trauma and subsequent psychiatric treatment, combined with financial instability and a personality prone to manipulation and fraud, created a dangerous criminal when paired with Helen Golay’s organizational skills and business acumen. Her story challenges common assumptions about age, gender, and criminality, demonstrating that elderly women are capable of calculated, predatory behavior targeting society’s most vulnerable populations.
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