Crime
American dentist found guilty of killing his wife on a safari hunting trip
Investigators later found that Rudolph was having an affair at the time of his wife’s death and had also made adjustments to her life policy insurance that year
August 2, 2022 8:00pm
Updated: August 3, 2022 12:02pm
An American dentist was found guilty on Monday in a Denver federal court for shooting his wife while on a hunting trip in Zambia in 2016 and then collecting almost $4.9 million in insurance benefits.
The jury found Lawrence Rudolph guilty of one count of murder of a U.S. national in a foreign country and one count of mail fraud, according to The New York Times.
Rudolph, 67, had pleaded not guilty in January to killing his wife of 34 years, Bianca.
"I did not kill my wife. I could not murder my wife. I would not murder my wife," Rudolph told jurors when he took the stand in his at a federal trial last week.
In October 2016, the couple traveled to Zambia to take a safari hunting trip in the Kafue National Park. According to federal court documents, a hunting guide and a game scout rushed to the cabin where the couple was after they heard a gunshot.
They found Ms. Rudolph bleeding from a gunshot to the left side of her chest.
Rudolph said his wife accidentally fired the shotgun while putting it away. He claimed to have been in the bathroom at the time. Local law enforcement determined her death to be an accident.
However, investigators later found that Rudolph was having an affair at the time of his wife’s death and had also made adjustments to her life policy insurance that year. Prosecutors argued that Rudolph killed his wife for financial reasons.
While gathering evidence, prosecutors said that the gunshot could not have been self-inflicted. Instead, it came from a gun that was 2 to 3.5 feet away.
“We are thankful for the jury’s diligence looking at all the evidence in this case,” Cole Finegan, the U.S. attorney for the district of Colorado, said in a statement. “Bianca Rudolph deserved justice.”
Rudolph’s lawyers plan to appeal the decision. Two of Rudolph’s adult children signed affidavits saying they believe he is innocent.
Rudolph, who will be sentenced on February 1, could face life in prison for the death penalty for the murder charge. The mail fraud charge carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
