Girlfriend of American Dentist Convicted for Obstruction of Justice in African Safari Murder Case

Lori Milliron, the girlfriend of American dentist Lawrence Rudolph, was found guilty on multiple charges, including being an accessory after the fact to murder, obstruction of justice, and two counts of perjury related to her testimony before a grand jury.

Dentist Lawrence Rudolph and Bianca Rudolph (Photo: New York Times)

Girlfriend of American Dentist Receives 17 Years in Prison

The girlfriend of American dentist Lawrence Rudolph has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for her involvement in the murder of Rudolph’s wife, Bianca Rudolph during an African safari, CNN reported.

The sentencing was handed down by federal judge William J. Martinez, who also imposed a fine of $250,000 on Milliron, according to court records.

The incident took place in 2016 during a hunting trip in Zambia, where Bianca Rudolph lost her life. Federal prosecutors alleged that she suffered a fatal shotgun blast in their hunting cabin at dawn while preparing to return to Phoenix.

The girlfriend of American dentist Lawrence Rudolph faced trial alongside Rudolph in July 2022, and a jury found her guilty on multiple charges, including being an accessory after the fact to murder, obstruction of justice, and two counts of perjury related to her testimony before a grand jury.

The Department of Justice confirmed these verdicts.

Judge Martinez rejected Milliron’s motion for non-guideline sentencing and granted federal prosecutors’ request for a longer-than-usual prison term.

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Girlfriend of American Dentist Showed No Remorse

The prosecution argued that the girlfriend of American dentist Lawrence Rudolph had shown no remorse, stating that she had encouraged Rudolph to kill his wife and aided him in obtaining a lethal anesthetic drug, propofol, which was used to carry out the crime.

Million’s attorney, John Dill, expressed the defense’s intention to appeal both the sentence and the jury’s verdict. Dill claimed that the sentence was disproportionate to the charges of perjury before the grand jury, arguing that Milliron’s answers were truthful.

He emphasized that Milliron, the girlfriend of an American dentist Lawrence Rudolph had no involvement in the death of Bianca Rudolph and conveyed sympathy towards the Rudolph family as victims of the tragedy.

Meanwhile, the sentencing for Lawrence Rudolph, who was found guilty of murdering his wife and defrauding multiple life insurance companies, was scheduled to take place earlier this week but has been postponed, according to court documents.

Although the killing occurred in Africa, both Rudolph and Milliron were tried in Denver, where the insurance companies involved are based.

Rudolph consistently maintained his innocence, claiming that the gun was fired accidentally and vehemently denying involvement in his wife’s murder.

Contrasting this, the prosecution argued that the killing was a premeditated act motivated by greed.

They contended that Rudolph orchestrated the murder to collect insurance money and be with his girlfriend, Lori Milliron.  Following Bianca Rudolph’s death, Rudolph cashed in more than $4.8 million in life insurance payments.

Initially, Zambian law enforcement ruled the shooting as an accidental discharge, but American investigators reopened the case after a friend of Bianca Rudolph raised suspicions of foul play.

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