Shivangi Sinha
In October 2016, Larry Rudolph and his wife, Bianca Rudolph, embarked on a trip to Zambia in Africa. On the day of their return, Larry claimed he heard a gunshot in the garage and found Bianca shot in the chest and bleeding. She passed away, and what initially appeared to be an accidental death was soon revealed to be a different story. ABC’s ’20/20′ episode titled ‘The Last Hunt’ delves into the FBI investigation that uncovered evidence pointing to Larry as the killer. The episode also explores his motives for the murder and his eventual deliverance to justice.
Larry Rudolph’s Wife Died While They Were on a Hunting Trip
Lawrence Rudolph AKA Larry built a highly successful career as a dentist, with his independent practice, Three Rivers Dental, thriving in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His personal life seemed equally stable, having met the love of his life, Bianca, in the early 80s while pursuing dentistry at the University of Pittsburgh. The two have been married since 1982, with two children, Julian and AnaBianca Rudolph. In 2012, the couple moved to Arizona, and Larry frequently traveled back and forth to maintain his practice. The couple shared a passion for hunting, and as skilled big-game hunters, often went on holidays to indulge in this activity. In October 2016, they traveled to Zambia, Africa, for big-game hunting, continuing their shared hobby.
On the morning of October 11, 2016, the day the couple was supposed to leave Zambia following their hunting vacation at Kafue National Park, Zambia, Larry called the local police. He reported that he had been in the bathroom taking a shower while Bianca was packing their things when he heard a gun go off. He alleged that upon investigating, he found her lying on the bedroom floor, bleeding from a gunshot wound. The gun was still in its case, and Larry suggested it might have gone off accidentally while she was handling it. The US Embassy in Zambia ruled her death as an accident. However, the police who investigated took pictures of the body, documenting the circumstances.
Larry’s Extra-Marital Affair Came to Light During Investigation
However, many red flags raised questions about Larry Rudolph’s statements. The consular chief who first interacted with Larry stated that the latter was “livid” to find out that the body had been photographed. Larry also insisted that Bianca’s body be cremated in Zambia before he returned to the US, which raised alarms since she was a practicing Catholic. Upon returning to Arizona, Larry immediately started cashing out the life insurance policies in Bianca’s name, which had also agreed her death was accidental, collecting about $5 million in payments. Bianca’s friend informed the FBI that Larry had been having an affair and urged them to investigate him further.
Larry had indeed been in a relationship with his former office manager, Lori Milliron. By 2017, he had moved into a multi-million dollar house in Paradise Valley in Phoenix, Arizona, and had started living with her. The FBI had begun investigating the murder, uncovering several concerning details. Upon examining the photos, they could tell that Bianca had been shot from a minimum distance of 6.5-8 feet, making her wound neither accidental nor self-inflicted. They also spoke with a bartender working in a steakhouse in Phoenix, who reported overhearing Larry telling Lori during an argument that he had killed his wife for her.
The police interviewed several clinic employees who reported that Lori had been urging Larry to leave his wife so they could be together. In December 2021, he was arrested on charges related to the murder of a US national abroad and one count of mail fraud. The mail fraud charge was connected to insurance payouts Larry received following Bianca’s death. He was also sentenced to pay nearly $5 million in restitution and $2 million in fines, and he was required to forfeit his two homes, Aston Martin DB-11 and Bentley Bentayga, and assets reportedly worth over $9 million.
Larry Rudolph is Serving a Life Sentence Today
In August 2022, Larry Rudolph’s trial began, and he presented several arguments in his defense. He claimed that he and Bianca Rudolph had been in an open marriage for several years before the incident and alleged that she was aware of his relationship with Lori Milliron, eliminating any motive to kill her over the affair. Refuting the theory that his motivation for the murder was financial gain, he stated that his net worth at the time of his arrest was about $27 million, making him already wealthy. He also presented a prenuptial agreement signed with Bianca, indicating he had nothing to lose if they separated.
The most crucial piece of evidence presented by the prosecution was the forensic analysis, which indicated that the victim had been shot from a greater distance, not by her own hands. Additionally, some of Bianca’s friends testified, stating that the marriage was troubled, alleging that Larry had been verbally abusive and that the couple had been fighting over money. On August 21, 2023, Larry was sentenced to life in prison for the murder charge and received a concurrent 20-year sentence for the fraud charges. The 69-year-old is currently under federal custody, serving his sentence at USP Terre Haute in Indiana.
