Dentist Convicted of Murdering Wife on African Safari for $4.8M Insurance Payout

DENVER, Colo. — Lawrence “Larry” Rudolph, a Pittsburgh dentist, was sentenced to life in prison in 2022 for the murder of his wife, Bianca Rudolph, during a hunting trip in Zambia in 2016. The case, which involved a $4.8 million insurance payout and a long-time mistress, captivated true crime enthusiasts and investigators alike.

Bianca Rudolph, 56, was fatally shot in the chest on the final morning of a two-week hunting excursion in Zambia’s Kafue National Park. Larry initially claimed the shooting was accidental, stating that Bianca had accidentally fired a shotgun while packing it. However, suspicions arose when he returned to the U.S., collected the insurance money, and moved his mistress, Lori Milliron, into their Phoenix home.

“This was one of the most unique cases I’ve covered in my whole career,” said Andrea Canning of Dateline, who investigated the case. “Our team traveled 8,000 miles to Africa to find out what happened to big game hunter Bianca Rudolph.”

Bianca and Larry had been married for 34 years and shared a passion for hunting. They frequently traveled to Zambia, where they owned a riverfront cabin. On the morning of October 11, 2016, as the couple prepared to leave for the airport, a single gunshot rang out. Game scout Spencer Kakoma found Bianca lying in a pool of blood, with the shotgun nearby.

Larry told investigators he had been in the bathroom when the shot was fired, but Kakoma noted inconsistencies in his story. “He was fully clothed, with shoes, a t-shirt, jeans, and a belt,” Kakoma said. “It was like a puzzle.”

Further investigation revealed that Bianca had cleaned her gun the night before, meaning someone had reloaded it that morning. The FBI conducted ballistics tests, concluding the shot was fired from 1 to 3 feet away, making it impossible for Bianca to have accidentally shot herself while packing the weapon.

Larry’s former office manager, Anna Grimley, revealed that he had been having an affair with Milliron for years. Grimley told investigators that Milliron had given Larry a one-year deadline to end his marriage. “She said, ‘He has a year to get rid of Bianca,'” Grimley recalled. “Or she’s leaving.”

In a shocking twist, a Phoenix bartender, Brian Lovelace, testified that he overheard Larry tell Milliron, “I killed my f–king wife for you,” during a heated argument. “I’m 100% sure,” Lovelace said. “It was crystal clear.”

Larry was convicted of premeditated murder and mail fraud, while Milliron was found guilty of being an accessory after the fact, obstruction of justice, and perjury. She was sentenced to 17 years in prison.

Bianca and Larry’s children initially supported their father but later changed their stance after seeing the evidence. “I can’t stand by that original statement,” their son Julian said in 2023. “That was before we saw the evidence in the trial.”