DENVER | A wealthy dentist accused of killing his wife on a remote African safari in 2016 and later collecting nearly $5 million in insurance money was expected to testify in his defense Wednesday afternoon during his murder trial.
Federal prosecutors allege Lawrence “Larry” Rudolph blurted out to his longtime lover that “I killed my f—g wife for you!” during a fight at a Phoenix steakhouse after he learned in 2020 that the FBI was investigating his wife Bianca Rudolph’s shooting death in a small cabin in Zambia.
Rudolph, 67, is charged with murder and mail fraud. He faces a maximum term of life in prison or the death penalty if convicted of murder in the trial, which is being held in Colorado because the insurance companies were based there.
Rudolph, who built a small fortune with a Pennsylvania dental franchise, has maintained his innocence. He told Zambian police his wife died while he was in the bathroom, suggesting she shot herself while trying to pack a shotgun the couple took on the trip.
In opening statements, Rudolph’s lawyer, David Markus argued that Rudolph had no financial motive for murder. Rudolph was worth more than $15 million when his wife died and the insurance payout went into a trust for their children. A prenuptial agreement with Bianca said she would get $2 million in case of a divorce, he said.