A wealthy dentist who went on trial this week has reportedly admitted to his mistress that he murdered his wife of 34 years, Assistant U.S. Attorney Bishop Grewell told the jury Thursday.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, 67-year-old Lawrence Rudolph is accused of killing his wife, Bianca, for nearly $5 million in insurance while the two were on a big game hunting trip in Africa.
Authorities also alleged Rudolph committed mail fraud to cash in on insurance policies covering her death. The trial is occurring in Denver because multiple insurance companies that paid Rudolph for his wife’s death are based in Colorado.
Rudolph, a Pittsburgh-area dentist, pleaded not guilty and asserted that Bianca died in an accident while attempting to pack a shotgun during the 2016 trip. However, federal prosecutors argued that her wounds suggest the shot was fired from between 2 and 3.5 feet away, meaning she could not have reached to pull the trigger.
Grewell, however, said that Rudolph’s mistress, Lori Milliron, told investigators that Rudolph admitted to her during a dinner date that he had murdered his wife. Milliron’s confession came after she learned in 2020 that the FBI was investigating Bianca’s death, DailyMail reports.
Rudolph’s mistress is also charged with perjury for allegedly lying in testimony to a federal grand jury and being an accessory.
Rudolph’s lawyers argue that the case against their client is all circumstantial and that there is no physical evidence supporting the government’s theory of murder.
In a statement to Zambian police, Rudolph said that he and his wife were packing for their trip home when he heard a gun blast and his wife scream. He found her on the floor bleeding from a wound to her heart.
One of the couple’s 12-gauge shotguns was nearby.
Rudolph also allegedly paid cash to rush the cremation of Bianca’s body, according to CBS 12. The friend questioned whether Bianca would support being cremated because of her Catholic faith, but Rudolph has asserted that both he and his wife had agreed to cremate one another if either of them died.
Following Bianca’s death, insurers paid nearly $4.9 million in life and accidental death payments.
If convicted of murder, Rudolph faces life in prison or the death penalty. Conviction on the mail fraud charge would result in a maximum of 20 years behind bars.
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[Featured image: Lawrence & Bianca Rudolph/Facebook]
