It's accepted wisdom among tellers of tales, both fictional and true, that even hardened criminals are guided by some code of conduct. It's an enduring notion, the idea that somewhere, even in the most corrupted soul, there beats a heart true to its own values.

Even if the only unbreakable rule is don't rat out your friends.

But future screenwriters hoping to apply even the low bar fatina of honor to the story of Helen Gole and Olga Rutterschmidt,

will have their work cut out for them.

There's no doubt in my mind that they were going to continue this,

as long as the large sums of money were flown from the insurance companies.

They lied. They cheated. And if the LAPD was to be believed, they had killed for money.

Tough customers, these two old ladies. But Helen Goulet? Well, crusty cops considered her the worst.

If she was a young man, she would be referred to as just one of the scariest killers in this country's ever seen.

In this episode, you'll hear recordings investigators uncovered that reveal crimes as they are being

committed.

And you are a 48-year-old male date of birth 11, 12 of 1954.

Right.

Approximately 511 weight 185 pounds.

And you applied for a $100,000 life plan.

Is that correct?

Yeah, that's correct.

You'll eavesdrop on conversations that proved there was no honor between these themes.

We're going to go to jail, honey.

They're going to lock you up.

And you'll have a ringside seat to a dramatic confrontation between these two partners in crime,

something we at Dateline had never seen before.

...