Larry Rudolph, a rich dentist found guilty of killing his wife while on an African safari, was given a life sentence

The wealthy dentist who killed his wife in Zambia during an African safari was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to pay more than $15 million in fines on Monday. According to the prosecution, the murder was the result of a career spent attempting to use wealth and power to dominate and control people.

The affluent dentist who killed his wife in Zambia at the conclusion of an African safari was given a life sentence Monday and must pay more than $15 million in fines. Prosecutors claim that the murder was the culmination of a lifetime spent trying to dominate and control others via wealth and power. (Photo: AP News)

Larry Rudolph: Wife’s death was the result of an accident

Larry Rudolph was found guilty of mail fraud in federal court last year for taking advantage of the benefits offered by his wife Bianca Rudolph’s insurance plans to receive close to $5 million in compensation.

In  a report from CBS News, Larry Rudolph has insisted that his wife’s death in southern Africa in 2016 was the result of an accident throughout the trial. His lawyers plan to appeal the ruling.

On her last morning in Zambia, Rudolph, the owner of a dentistry franchise in the Pittsburgh area, allegedly shot his 34-year-old wife in the heart with a shotgun. Rudolph then allegedly put the pistol in its soft case to make it appear as though she had accidently shot herself while packing. During their trip, the couple had gone on a hunting expedition.

“48 Hours” previously stated that Rudolph claimed to have been in the bathroom when he heard a gunshot and discovered his wife dead and bleeding on the bedroom floor.

Prosecutors argued in response that the evidence disproved this and that the wound to her heart was caused by a shot that was fired between two and three feet distant.

In addition, they contend that the location—about 80 miles from the closest police station—was ideal for him to try to get away with the murder, where he hurried to have his wife cremated and threatened the people looking into her death.

READ ALSO: Dentist’s Girlfriend Who Killed Wife On Safari Sentenced To 17 Years In Prison

Prosecutors want Rudolph to forfeit $4.8 million from bank accounts, $4.9 million in reparations to the insurance firms

Bianca Rudolph’s death, according to Zambian investigators and those working for the insurers, was an accident. According to the defense in court filings, the insurance companies, some of which had their headquarters in Colorado, then had to pay out the life insurance due to her passing.

However, Rudolph was detained over five years after her passing as a result of an FBI investigation that deployed investigators to other countries to gather information and speak with witnesses.

According to court documents, prosecutors want Rudolph to forfeit $4.8 million from bank accounts, $4.9 million in reparations to the insurance firms, as well as properties in Arizona and Pennsylvania, an Aston Martin DB-11, and a Bentley Bentayga.

According to Rudolph’s attorneys, the houses, vehicles, and combined fines total more than $25 million. They claim that because he no longer has control over his declining dental practice, is in serious debt, and will never be able to make more money, he cannot afford to do so. The defense asserts that Rudolph’s two adult children currently have control over his finances.

In a confidential pre-sentencing report, the defense claimed that the government had evaluated Rudolph’s worth at $15 million; however, a defense expert testified at trial that Rudolph’s worth is currently less than $10 million, reports from AP News.

The prosecution claims that even after paying restitution, the fine, and having the property taken, Rudolph would still have millions of dollars. Rudolph allegedly claimed to be worth $27 million before to his trial and contended that he did not require the life insurance proceeds he received after his wife passed away to prove his innocence.

READ ALSO: Mistress Of Dentist Who Killed His Wife In Africa Sentenced To 17 Years For Being Accomplice