On Monday, dentist Lawrence “Larry” Rudolph, 68, was sentenced to life in prison for murdering his 56-year-old wife, Bianca Rudolph, during a safari trip in Zambia.
He is also required to pay back the money he received from the life insurance after the murder. In addition, he must pay two million dollars in fines, The Guardian reports.
It was in October 2016 that Rudolph, with a shotgun, fired a shot into the heart of his wife of 34 years. According to the prosecutor, he should have claimed that Bianca accidentally shot herself when she was going to put down the weapon after they were out hunting together.
By pressuring local officials to declare her death an accident, Rudolph managed to obtain payouts totaling five million dollars from several life insurance policies, according to the paper.
The brother attended the court
Bianca Rudolph’s brother attended the trial of Larry Rudolph and expressed that his sister’s killer will die “lonely and uncared for”.
“Even Judas would be afraid to be in your company,” Vincent Finizio told his former brother-in-law, mentioning the name of the disciple who betrayed Jesus before the crucifixion.
The Rudolphs’ two adult children were not present during Monday’s trial, according to The Guardian.
After suspicions were raised against Rudolph, the FBI opened an investigation and sent agents to Zambia to gather evidence and interview witnesses. It eventually led to Rudolph’s arrest and conviction.
Bought luxury cars
The money that Rudolph received from the life insurance he has spent on buying luxury cars, an Aston Martin DB-11 and a Bentley Bentayga. He also allegedly built two homes in Arizona and Pennsylvania to live with his girlfriend and former colleague, dental hygienist Lori Milliron.
The 65-year-old girlfriend was also sentenced to a 17-year prison term in June for aiding and abetting Bianca’s murder.
The dentist is also said to have shot off his thumb on purpose during a trip to Zambia to collect millions of dollars in health insurance, according to the investigation.
Rudolph has claimed that Bianca’s death was an accident.