COLORADO, USA – An American dentist, Lawrence Rudolph, has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his wife, Bianca, during a hunting trip in Zambia.
According to a news release on Tuesday, August 22, 2023, from the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, Rudolph has also been ordered to pay $4,877,744 in restitution and a fine of $2 million.
He will serve a concurrent sentence of 20 years for insurance fraud.
In a case that captured national attention, Rudolph was found guilty last year of deliberately shooting his wife with a 12-gauge shotgun while the couple was on a safari in Kafue National Park in Zambia.
Federal prosecutors alleged that the murder was premeditated, intended to look like an accident.
After returning to the United States, Rudolph filed over $4 million in fraudulent life insurance claims.
“The defendant in this case thought he could commit a heinous act overseas and evade justice. He was mistaken,” said Denver FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “This sentence reflects the tireless work of all those involved in the case, including the FBI, DOJ, and the family of Bianca Rudolph, who never lost faith in the American judicial system.”
While Rudolph has maintained his innocence throughout the trial, the jury sided with prosecutors who contended that he killed his wife to collect insurance money and to continue his relationship with his girlfriend, Lori Milliron.
Milliron was also found guilty on several counts including being an accessory after the fact to murder, obstruction of justice, and perjury.
She has been sentenced to 17 years in prison.
In a statement released on Tuesday, August 22, 2023, Rudolph’s legal team, led by lawyers David Markus, Margot Moss, and Lauren Doyle, expressed disappointment with the verdict and signaled their intent to appeal.
“Larry is innocent. He did not murder his wife. We have a number of promising issues for appeal,” said the statement.
The gruesome crime took place in 2016, when the Phoenix couple was on a hunting trip aiming to add a leopard to Bianca Rudolph’s collection of big-game trophies.
Federal prosecutors argued that Rudolph had motive for financial gain and personal relationships.
However, Rudolph’s attorney Markus argued that there was no financial motive behind the murder, pointing to Rudolph’s dental practice near Pittsburgh, valued at $10 million.
This case serves as a chilling reminder of the complexities involved in cross-border criminal investigations and the lengths the United States will go to ensure justice is served, even when crimes are committed overseas.
With an appeal pending, how this legal drama will unfold remains to be seen.
