A wealthy dentist convicted of murdering his wife while on safari in Zambia to get millions of dollars in life insurance has been sentenced to life in prison and a $15 million fine for the murder.
Larry Rudolph, who prosecutors say his life “sought through wealth and power to dominate and control others,” fatally shot his wife, Bianca Rudolph, in October 2016.
The 57-year-old wife and mother of two adult children was shot in the heart by her husband while the couple were on a hunting trip in the African savannah. He claimed his wife accidentally shot herself while packing on the way home.
His girlfriend Lori Milliron, 65, faces 17 years in prison after being convicted of an accessory to murder in June.
Rudolph was convicted Monday in federal court in Denver of murder in the 2016 death of Bianca Rudolph, as well as mail fraud.
Larry Rudolph, who according to prosecutors his life “has sought domination and control over others through wealth and power,” fatally shot his wife, Bianca Rudolph, in October 2016. He was sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday
His girlfriend Lori Milliron (pictured), 65, faces 17 years in prison after being convicted of aiding murder in June
Rudolph (pictured) claimed his wife accidentally shot herself as she was packing to go home from safari
He cashed nearly $5 million in insurance policies for his wife, prosecutors allege, who hoped to use the money to spend a lavish retirement with his longtime girlfriend.
“We still firmly believe Larry’s innocence.” “We look forward to pleading him on appeal,” said Rudolph’s attorneys, David Oscar Markus and Margot Moss.
Rudolph has maintained throughout the proceedings that his wife’s death in the South African country in 2016 was an accident. His lawyers plan to appeal the verdict.
According to prosecutors, Rudolph, who owned a dentistry business in the Pittsburgh area, put the gun in the tote bag after his wife was shot to make it appear as if she had accidentally shot herself while packing.
They also claim the murder scene, some 129 kilometers from the nearest police station, was the perfect place to try to get away with the crime, where he rushed to his wife’s cremation and intimidated officers investigating her death .
They claim the goal was to use the insurance money to spend a lavish retirement with his longtime girlfriend Milliron. She was sentenced in June to 17 years in prison for being an accessory. She has since appealed.
“The murder was the culmination of a lifelong quest for domination and control over others through wealth and power,” prosecutors said in a court filing outlining their proposed sentence.
Rudolph could face a lengthy prison sentence for letter fraud in addition to a nearly $10 million fine, the loss of millions of dollars in assets and a refund to the insurance companies, prosecutors say.
Pictured is Bianca Rudolph, who was fatally killed by her husband in 2016, prosecutors say
The son (left) and daughter (back right) of Pittsburgh dentist Larry Rudolph arrive for the afternoon session of the trial in federal court last July
Rudolph’s adult children are fighting for some of the fines the government is asking their father to pay, urging the court to treat them and not the insurance companies as victims of insurance fraud. In a lawsuit, they say they have suffered “significant financial damage” and are entitled to compensation.
Investigators in Zambia and for the insurers concluded that Bianca Rudolph’s death was an accident. The insurance companies, some of which are based in Colorado, then had to pay out life insurance for her death, according to defense court documents.
But Rudolph was arrested nearly five years after her death after FBI investigators sent agents around the world to collect evidence and interview witnesses.
A bartender at a Phoenix steakhouse, where Milliron moved to live with Rudolph after Bianca’s death, said he heard Rudolph say, “I killed my damn wife for you!” during an argument they had in early 2020.
However, Brian Lovelace testified that he could not hear the words immediately before that statement because music was playing. Rudolph testified that he actually said, “Now they’re saying I killed my damn wife for you!” after learning that the FBI was investigating him.
The public prosecutor accuses him of having built up his fortune through fraud. They say he shot his thumb off on a previous visit to Zambia to collect millions in disability insurance money and claim he also cheated his dental patients into requiring root canals by not allowing them to have fillings or cavities in their teeth while they slept drilled .
The fine demanded by the government is double the amount Rudolph received for life insurance as well as for insuring the jewelry Bianca Rudolph was wearing when she was murdered.
Rudolph practiced dentistry at Three Rivers Dental in Pittsburgh, which made him a small fortune
Rudolph reported that the jewelry was lost, although officials in Zambia said they gave it to him. His attorneys say the government did not charge Rudolph for this and never proved the allegation.
Prosecutors want Rudolph to pay back $4.9 million to insurance companies, withhold $4.8 million from bank accounts, properties in Arizona and Pennsylvania, and two luxury vehicles — an Aston Martin DB-11 and a Bentley Bentayga — according to court records.
Rudolph’s attorneys say the homes and cars are worth millions and that the total penalties total more than $25 million. They say he can’t afford it because he no longer controls his decaying dental practice, is in huge debt and will never be able to make any more money. According to the defense, Rudolph’s two adult children now control his finances.
“The truth is that such a fine would only serve to punish and bankrupt the Rudolph children, not Rudolph himself,” his attorneys said.
The government estimated Rudolph’s fortune at $15 million, the defense said in a pre-sentencing report, which is not available to the public. However, a defense expert said during the trial his net worth is now less than $10 million.
Prosecutors argue that after paying the restitution, fine and confiscation of the property, Rudolph would still have millions of dollars at his disposal. Before standing trial, Rudolph allegedly claimed he was worth $27 million and argued that he didn’t need the life insurance money he received after his wife’s death to prove his innocence.
“The adult children will not be punished nor entitled to unjust enrichment from their father’s criminal activities,” prosecutors said.