Life term for elderly US killers

Golay, 77, drugged the victims before running them over

Two elderly women have been jailed for life for murdering homeless men to collect on life insurance policies.

Helen Golay, 77, and Olga Rutterschmidt, 75, pocketed nearly $2.8m (£1.4m) before they were caught.

The women, who were convicted in Los Angeles in April, had befriended two homeless men, on whose behalf they took out life insurance policies.

After waiting several years to avoid raising suspicion, they killed the men by staging hit-and-run car accidents.

Paul Vados, 73, and Kenneth McDavid, 50, were run over by cars in alleyways - Mr Vados in 1999 and Mr McDavid in 2005.

Victims' relatives react to the verdict

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Wesley said that their victims had needed only food, water and shelter.

"They needed a helping hand. They thought they were getting this from you. Instead these unfortunate men were sacrificed on your altar of greed."

Relatives of the victims were in court to hear the judge sentence the women to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Prosecutors had not sought the death penalty, but the two will die behind bars.

The BBC's Rajesh Mirchandani, in Los Angeles, said that during their trial, Golay and Rutterschmidt had tried to put the blame on each other.