Dateline NBC

The Thing About Helen & Olga - Ep. 3: Silk Pajamas and a Flimsy Nightgown

February 9, 2026·37 min·5-min readnarrativetrue crime
Podzilla Summary (5 min)
PREMISE
This episode of Dateline investigates the chilling case of Helen Golay and Olga Rudderschmidt, two elderly women in Los Angeles who orchestrated a calculated scheme to profit from life insurance policies on homeless and vulnerable men, ultimately leading to their deaths under suspici

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Mentions

Books, people, and resources mentioned in this episode.

People

Helen GolayOlga RudderschmidtKenneth McDavidFred DowneyJimmy CovingtonEd WebsterDetective Rosemary SanchezFBI Sam Mayrose

Books

The Sociopath Next Doorby Martha Stout

Topics

Cold CasesCriminal JusticeForensicsInvestigative JournalismSerial KillersTrue Crime

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