DENVER (AP) — A wealthy dentist accused of fatally shooting his wife at the end of an African safari has been found guilty of murder and mail fraud.
The verdict reached Monday for Lawrence "Larry" Rudolph, 67, came from a jury in a Denver federal court following a trial that lasted three weeks.
Rudolph was charged with murder in the death of Bianca Rudolph as well as mail fraud for cashing in $4.8 million in life insurance claims in what prosecutors describe as a premeditated crime.
The evidence presented at the trial proved he had murdered his wife while the two were on a hunting trip in Zambia on Oct. 11, 2016. Rudolph and his wife were big game hunters.
She was shot once in the heart with a 12 gauge shotgun.
"We are thankful for the jury’s diligence looking at all the evidence in this case," U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan said in a statement Monday. "Bianca Rudolph deserved justice. This case was an exceptional example of the entire U.S. Attorney’s Office pulling together with our law enforcement partners to uncover the truth and seek justice for a victim who had no other voice."
Rudolph maintained his innocence. His attorney suggested his wife of 34 years shot herself while trying to pack a shotgun in a hurry as they prepared to return to the United States in 2016.
A federal prosecutor told the jury on July 13 that he had admitted to the killing to his longtime lover.
In addition, Lori Milliron, 64, was found guilty of being an accessory after the fact to Bianca's murder, obstruction of justice and two counts of perjury before the grand jury, according to Finegan.
Rudolph will be sentenced on Feb. 1, 2023. Milliron will be sentenced on Feb. 8, 2023.