Lawrence Rudolph update: Dentist found guilty of murdering wife during 2016 trip in Zambia 

The dentist claimed his wife died in an accident (image via family)
The dentist claimed his wife died in an accident (image via family)

On Monday, Pittsburgh dentist Lawrence Rudolph was convicted of the 2016 murder of his wife Bianca Rudolph, who he allegedly murdered during a hunting trip in Zambia.

Lawrence Rudolph, a 67-year-old passionate about big game hunting, was convicted by a court in Denver, Colorado. The jury also found him guilty of mail fraud.

As per the Independent, Rudolph had been cheating on his wife with a woman named Lori Milliron, an office assistant.

Prosecutors claimed that to be with Milliron, Rudolph shot his wife in a cabin during the trip. After this, he attempted to extract nearly $5 million from accidental death and life insurance policies in his wife's name.


The accusations against Lawrence Rudolph

Fox News reported that before the murder of his wife, Lawrence Rudolph was known as an affluent dentist and family man in Pittsburgh. He was an avid big game hunter, taking his family on safaris and expeditions across various African countries.

The killing of Bianca Rudolph occurred on October 11, 2016, towards the end of a hunting trip in Zambia. Lawrence Rudolph claimed that the death was accidental, caused by Bianca dropping her rifle and causing a bullet to accidentally fire. He said he was in the bathroom when he heard the gunshot. Zambian authorities concurred that the death was an accident.

However, suspicions arose among American authorities due to suspicious behavior on Lawrence Rudolph's part. Fox reported that before his wife's funeral, he filed an insurance claim and went on a trip to Las Vegas with an unidentified woman. He then proceeded to move in with Lori Milliron later that month.

People News reported that Rudolph was also attempting to rush his wife's cremation. The US Consular Chief saw this as a sign that he may be trying to avoid an autopsy.

The FBI outlined the Consular Chief's response. The official complaint read:

"(The Consular Chief had) a bad feeling about the situation, which he thought was moving too quickly. As a result, he traveled to [the funeral home] with two others from the embassy to take photographs of the body and preserve any potential evidence."

According to a witness, a bartender, who saw Rudolph and Milliron arguing, led to Rudolph allegedly confessing to the murder.

The bartender claims to have overheard Rudolph say:

"I killed my (...) wife for you."

In court, however, Rudolph denied the allegations against him. He said that his relationship with Milliron would not have led to murder, as he claimed to have been in an open marriage.

He said:

"I did not kill my wife. I could not murder my wife. I would not murder my wife."

Milliron was found guilty of accessory to murder, 2 counts of perjury, and obstruction to justice. She may receive up to 35 years in prison. Lawrence Rudolph may face life in prison.

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Edited by Sayati Das