Bianca Rudolph, wife of Pittsburgh dentist Larry Rudolph, dies from fatal gunshot on safari — was it an accident or murder?

Editor’s word: On August 1, 2022, a jury discovered Larry Rudolph responsible of murdering his wife, Bianca, and mail fraud. Lori Milliron was discovered responsible of being an accent after the actual fact to homicide, obstruction of a grand jury and two counts of perjury earlier than the grand jury. She was discovered not responsible on three different counts of perjury. The choose will sentence each in early February, 2023.  Rudolph faces a most time period of life in jail or the demise penalty for the homicide cost. Milliron will stay out on bond with an ankle monitor till she is sentenced.

Lawrence “Larry” Rudolph and his wife, Bianca, have been on the brink of head again to the United States after a safari trip in Zambia, Africa, in October 2016 when tragedy struck.

Larry, a Pittsburgh-area dentist, stated he was within the toilet, heard a gunshot, and located his wife bleeding, useless on the bed room flooring. He stated whereas Bianca was packing the shotgun, it will need to have unintentionally fired. 

Larry’s description raises questions, says retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent and CBS News guide James Gagliano.  “It boggles the mind that two experienced hunters, for this to have been an accident,” he tells “48 Hours.”

Game scout Spencer Kakoma says he additionally has questions. He insists after the hunt, the weapons have been emptied of ammunition.

Larry had his wife’s physique shortly cremated in Zambia, which led a buddy of Bianca’s to doubt this was an accident. Soon after Bianca’s demise, the buddy referred to as the FBI. According to an FBI grievance, she additionally stated Lawrence was having an affair and had been verbally abusive to Bianca. The buddy additionally instructed the FBI that the couple fought over cash.

Investigators spent 5 years working the case. Larry was arrested in December 2021 for the homicide of his wife. He maintains that he’s harmless, and his attorneys write in a press release to “48 Hours” that the case is constructed “… without any real evidence, no eyewitnesses, no forensics, no anything …”

So, what occurred to Bianca Rudolph?

DEATH ON SAFARI

Nearly two weeks after Bianca Rudolph’s demise whereas on a searching journey in Zambia, household and mates in Arizona gathered to recollect her at her funeral. But at husband Larry Rudolph’s Pennsylvania dental follow, there was a hush within the air.

Sherry Houck: Larry by no means talked about Bianca’s demise ever. … he was saying to everybody to not speak about it. … it made it, type of, suspicious.

Sherry Houck labored as a dental assistant in Dr. Rudolph’s Three Rivers Dental Group for practically eight years. The profitable follow, with 5 places of work within the Pittsburgh space, makes a speciality of sedation dentistry, offering anesthesia for fearful sufferers.

Sherry Houck: I preferred all the things about how we handled our sufferers … And I actually believed in all the things we did and — how he did it.

After years constructing his profitable follow, Dr. Rudolph, says Sherry, was now spending restricted time within the workplace. He and Bianca had lived in houses in Pittsburgh and Arizona. The couple had met whereas Larry was in dental faculty and Bianca was on the University of Pittsburgh.

Meghan Schiller: Larry and Bianca obtained married within the early ’80s, shortly after … she graduated from faculty.

Meghan Schiller is a reporter at Pittsburgh’s CBS affiliate, KDKA.

Meghan Schiller: They proceeded to have two children. They had Julian, who’s their son, who’s now an lawyer in Florida, they usually had a daughter, Ana, who’s now following in her father’s footsteps.

Ana, a buddy of Sherry’s, can be a dentist on the follow.

Sherry Houck: Ana described her mother as, like, an angel. She liked her mother. … People that knew Bianca Rudolph described her as a really variety, caring particular person.

Sherry by no means met Bianca, and there could have been a purpose why:  she says Larry was having an affair with the lady who managed the places of work, Lori Milliron.

Sherry Houck: Larry and Lori’s affair simply appeared like it was simply very open … so far as I do know, it was in all probability going on for 20 years. …  it was simply — uncomfortable and also you simply did not speak about it.

In the workplace, Sherry noticed totally different sides of Larry.

Sherry Houck: Larry might be very good, and he may change — angle inside, a matter of minutes.

That erratic habits, Sherry says, was one of the explanations she left her job.

Sherry Houck: He may … throw tempers. And we might, type of, simply name it like he was … going Rudolph.

Something Larry did take pleasure in speaking about within the workplace, and took satisfaction in, was his interest: massive recreation searching.

Sherry Houck: Larry Rudolph and Bianca Rudolph have been avid hunters. That was an enormous half of their life. … They have been each, like, very well-known for it.

Rudolph served for a number of years because the President of Safari Club International, a gaggle that promotes searching. He traveled the world, recording messages for members.

LARRY RUDOLPH [Safari Club International video]: “I’m here on the banks of the Kafue River in Zambia – I’ve been doing some lion hunting … and just having a great adventure.”

His time period, although, can be tainted by claims he’d broken the membership’s fame via alleged misconduct, together with supposed adultery. Larry denied the claims and sued for defamation. The case was finally settled, however Larry was ousted as a membership member.

But his ardour for searching endured and in 2016, he and Bianca headed to a favourite location: Kafue National Park in Zambia.

Meghan Schiller: Kafue National Park is taken into account a giant recreation paradise. …  the oldest and essentially the most prestigious nationwide park in that space of southern Africa. Just to place it in scale, it’s the scale of New Jersey.

The park has one part that may be a protected wildlife sanctuary —and an adjoining space, known as recreation administration, that permits searching. On the journey, the Rudolphs stayed in a two-room cabin consisting of a bed room and a rest room.

Meghan Schiller: Bianca desires to lastly hunt a leopard. … She’d been making an attempt for years to hunt a leopard.

The journey lasted about 10 days. A time that was blissful, based on Spencer Kakoma, the native recreation scout accompanying the couple.

Spencer Kakoma: They have been laughing at one another, kissing one another, hugging one another

Debora Patta: Did you suppose they have been a fortunately married couple?

Spencer Kakoma: I — I was even — admiring that ‘trigger I’m additionally married.

Debora Patta: And did you see any stress between Larry and Bianca Rudolph?

Spencer Kakoma: No, I did not see any stress

Bianca by no means did shoot a leopard. And on the ultimate day of the safari, earlier than the Rudolphs went to their cabin, Spencer says, as is every day protocol, the weapons have been emptied of all ammunition.

Debora Patta: And you noticed Bianca Rudolph cleansing her gun of reside ammunition?

Spencer Kakoma: I noticed — Bianca Rudolph doing that. … It was cleaned, or it was clear. There was no — ammunition which was there.

Debora Patta: You noticed it with your individual eyes?

Spencer Kakoma: Yes

It was the top of the Rudolphs’ Zambian searching journey. They have been supposedly packing up and on the brink of fly dwelling. But then, Bianca Rudolph suffered a fatal gunshot wound.

Spencer was working about 30 yards away when he heard the gun shot and ran to the cabin, discovering 56-year-old Bianca Rudolph useless on the ground, shot within the coronary heart. The weapon was a 12-gauge shot gun. Spencer says the gun, partially in a soft-sided case, was subsequent to her. And Larry Rudolph appeared inconsolable, sobbing.

Spencer Kakoma: He’s crying, crying, “Let me just kill myself because my wife, she has committed suicide. She has killed herself. Want to kill myself also.”

Spencer says Larry first claimed Bianca died by suicide, capturing herself deliberately, whereas he was within the toilet. And he says Larry was so distraught, that he ran to a close-by river saying he needed to leap in and drown himself. Spencer says he calmed Larry down they usually went again to the cabin. But now, Larry had a special model of occasions. It was now not a suicide, however that Bianca unintentionally shot herself packing up the gun.

Debora Patta: Were you stunned {that a} shot had gone off?

Spencer Kakoma: Yeah. That’s one of the factor which — made me to suspect. … I noticed Bianca Rudolph eradicating the ammunition from the — their weapons.

Debora Patta: So, how do you suppose ammunition obtained into the shotgun?

Spencer Kakoma: I feel there have to be simply somebody who loaded it.

Debora Patta: Somebody loaded that gun …

Spencer Kakoma: Yes.

Things weren’t including up for Spencer. He and Larry Rudolph went to the native police station. Rudolph was interviewed for about half-hour by now retired Police Commander Roston Yeyenga, and Larry instructed him Bianca unintentionally shot herself whereas packing the gun.

Roston Yeyenga: He heard the gunshot and a scream… he stated he rushed to the bed room, after which he discovered the wife mendacity down in a pool of blood. [was it face down?]

Debora Patta: Did you consider him?

Roston Yeyenga: I believed him as a result of I wasn’t there. I wasn’t there.

Commander Yeyenga despatched his investigators to the scene, who instructed him it matched Dr. Rudolph’s description of occasions. They believed the shotgun, discovered roughly 3 toes from Bianca’s physique, was discharged whereas inside its case, and reported that Dr. Rudolph had tried to resuscitate his wife.

Debora Patta: It was determined that this was an accident?

Roston Yeyenga: Yes — that is the report that we obtained.

The police report, dated two days after Bianca’s demise concluded:

“Dr. Lawrence Rudolph rushed to the bedroom only to find his wife lying on the floor bleeding.” … “The findings further suggested that the firearm was loaded from the previous hunting activities … causing the firearm to accidentally fire.”           

James Gagliano: This is to me a bit of bit astounding that they’d’ve made that conclusive, declarative assertion that — this was completely an accident, so quickly after Ms. Rudolph died. 

WHAT HAPPENED TO BIANCA?  

Bianca Rudolph’s demise in Zambia was devastating for her daughter Ana.

Sherry Houck: Ana at all times stated Bianca was, like, one of the best mother and simply did all the things — was, like, an excellent particular person and was very — healthful and type.

Dental assistant Sherry Houck says Larry Rudolph did not inform Ana or her brother Julian about their mom’s passing for practically every week. Ana had troubling questions on what had occurred.

Sherry Houck: She had no thought whether or not her mother obtained shot within the face or the chest or anyplace … She simply would say, “I want to know what happened to my mom.”

And on the Kafue National Park there have been doubts too … from the second the gunshot rang out early that October morning.

David Katz: It’s a loud growth.

David Katz is a ballistics professional and former Special Agent on the Drug Enforcement Agency. “48 Hours” requested him to overview paperwork on this case.  He says the blast from the Rudolph’s 12-gauge shotgun would have been ferocious.

Spencer Kakoma: Bianca Rudolph screamed after the gunshot.

Game scout Spencer Kakoma immediately knew that sound meant hassle.

Spencer Kakoma: — she did not scream “help” or — she screamed — “ah!” Then that is how we rushed there. Within 15 seconds, we reached there. She was useless already.

From the start, Spencer says he had questions on Larry’s model of occasions, together with when Larry instructed him he was within the tub when he heard the gunshot, and raced out to search out Bianca useless.

Debora Patta: But if you noticed him, he was absolutely dressed?

Spencer Kakoma: Dressed, with – with – with — footwear.

Spencer Kakoma: … it confused me.

Debora Patta: Fifteen seconds to be absolutely clothed with footwear is fairly fast.

Spencer Kakoma: Exactly.

But native police say Larry instructed them he was wrapped in a towel when Spencer arrived.

Kafue National Park Investigator Masuwa Musese additionally had questions on what he noticed within the couple’s cabin. He says he noticed the wound on Bianca’s chest, the gun close by, and puzzled how she may have accidently shot herself within the coronary heart whereas dealing with the long-barreled weapon.

Debora Patta: What did you suppose? What was your concept?

Masuwa Musese: To me … I suspected this to be a foul play. Because the best way the firearm was mendacity. The manner the deceased was mendacity. The manner the bullet went via. Because to me to say that she shot herself — I doubt it.

Debora Patta: So, Mr. Musese, did you ever voice your suspicions of foul play to the Zambian police?

Masuwa Musese: I voiced my suspicion to the police.

Debora Patta: And what did they are saying in response?

Masuwa Musese: In reply, the Zambia Police instructed me that … the police will actually examine on the backside of the problem.

Debora Patta: But did they?

Masuwa Musese: They did not.

Within days, says KDKA reporter Meghan Schiller, native officers allowed Bianca’s stays to be cremated in Zambia.

Meghan Schiller: Even the paper over there reported what had occurred as an unintentional capturing. 

And the feedback on social media have been individuals saying … that it appeared suspicious to them.

One reader instructed, “This doesn’t sound right. Something’s fishy here.”

And it was suspicious to at least one of Bianca’s mates. Certain Bianca was against cremation for spiritual causes, the buddy made a name about two weeks later… and set a sequence of occasions in movement.

Mary Fulginiti: There was one level when this case turned an energetic worldwide investigation, and that’s when Bianca’s buddy referred to as the attaché of the FBI in South Africa and stated that she suspected foul play.

­­­Mary Fulginiti is a former federal prosecutor and CBS News guide. She says Bianca’s buddy instructed the FBI about Larry’s affair — stated Larry had been verbally abusive to Bianca and reported that Larry and Bianca had fights about cash.

Mary Fulginiti: She opened up a Pandora’s field as to why Lawrence would wish to kill his wife.

Even the consular chief on the U.S. Embassy in Zambia had suspicions. He spoke on the cellphone with Larry Rudolph simply hours after Bianca’s demise.   

Mary Fulginiti: The consular chief had a nasty feeling … he stated, as a result of Lawrence shortly turned to cremation and getting out of the nation, which he thought was extremely suspect.

The consular chief was a former Marine, with a long time of expertise with weapons. Unbeknownst to Larry, he determined to examine Bianca’s physique earlier than it was cremated. He measured the shotgun wound and took photographs.

Meghan Schiller: The consular chief stated primarily based on Bianca’s physique, he did not suppose there was any manner that she may’ve achieved this to herself … that she may’ve been leaning on the shotgun. He stated it regarded like somebody was holding the shotgun a number of toes away and fired it at her.

The consular chief turned his photographs and notes over to the FBI. An inquiry into Bianca’s demise was underway. Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent and CBS News guide James Gagliano says worldwide investigations take time.

James Gagliano: This case is being investigated outdoors of the United States. It presents a ton of totally different issues that it’s important to cope with.

Back dwelling, life went on for Larry. The FBI saved working the case each within the U.S. and in Zambia. And investigators ultimately made their manner again to recreation scout Spencer Kakoma.

Debora Patta: So, 5 years later –

Spencer Kakoma: That’s once they referred to as –

Debora Patta: — you heard from the FBI?

Spencer Kakoma: Yes. That’s once they referred to as me.

Debora Patta: Were you stunned?

Spencer Kakoma: Yes, I was stunned.

Over the course of 5 years, FBI investigators interviewed quite a few individuals, reviewed paperwork, photographs and carried out forensics checks – ultimately submitting a grievance – itemizing proof of attainable foul play in Bianca Rudolph’s demise.

James Gagliano: The … grievance lays out a neat highway map of quite a bit of circumstantial proof that factors within the route of Lawrence Rudolph because the assassin of his wife, Bianca.

ACCIDENT OR MURDER?

Zambia’s Kafue National Park is huge, beautiful … serene. But retired Police Commander Roston Yeyenga will always remember the day again in 2016 when that gunshot rang out from the Rudolph’s cabin, killing Bianca Rudolph.

Debora Patta: When your officers went to the scene … what did they see?

Roston Yeyenga: What they instructed me was that they discovered a useless physique, mendacity going through upwards.

And years later he nonetheless recollects his dialog with Dr. Rudolph.

Roston Yeyenga: He appeared to be sorrowful, ?

Debora Patta: He was very sorrowful?

Roston Yeyenga: Yeah, , if you lose your loved one, you will be in that temper, yeah. I may even see some tears in his eyes.

Yeyenga says the preliminary investigation was not rushed and says on the time nobody instructed him they suspected Larry had something to do together with his wife’s demise.

Debora Patta: What is essentially the most highly effective factor that he stated to you that satisfied you this man is harmless?

Roston Yeyenga: To say he was harmless. That was his story.

Debora Patta: You’re so simply satisfied. I simply must let you know a narrative and also you consider me.

Roston Yeyenga: It’s coming from your individual mouth. I can consider you. Whatever story you inform me, I can consider it.

But may an skilled hunter like Bianca unintentionally shoot herself within the coronary heart whereas putting a long-barreled shotgun right into a gun case?

David Katz: For the shooters out within the viewers, everybody’s gonna perceive instantly. … There’s a visceral feeling, no, do not do it.

Ballistics professional David Katz says if that occurred Bianca would have been pointing the muzzle at herself, ignoring security protocol.

David Katz: Whether the gun is loaded or unloaded … if your manner round weapons, you’ll by no means beneath any circumstances level that weapon towards you or one other human being.

Katz typically works with firearms on the firm he owns, Global Security Group. At our request he reviewed the preliminary FBI grievance.

David Katz: The grievance, in equity to — to Larry Rudolph … it’s simply the federal government’s model of occasions. … It’s a one-sided doc. So, I would like, I wish to be utterly truthful to Larry Rudolph.

According to the grievance, the FBI interviewed a Zambian ballistics professional who carried out what’s referred to as a drop take a look at to find out if the gun may have unintentionally misfired if Bianca dropped it on the bottom.

David Katz: So, the query is … if you happen to slam the weapon laborious sufficient, if you happen to drop it, if you happen to bang it on the — on the bottom, will that weapon discharge?

The Zambian ballistics professional repeatedly dropped the gun – more than likely loaded with a dummy spherical – about four-and-a-half toes onto cement and reported the gun “did not misfire.”

The grievance lists some of the opposite FBI findings, together with the outcomes of a collection of checks utilizing a 12-gauge shotgun of the identical make and mannequin because the gun that killed Bianca, and a soft-sided gun case just like the Rudolph’s.

Meghan Schiller: They did gun checks. They did a examine with individuals who have been about the identical peak as Bianca and had related arm lengths.

The FBI carried out a attain examine which Katz says would decide if Bianca may have reached the set off whereas packing the shotgun right into a gun bag. Fifteen ladies who have been close to Bianca’s peak have been examined. None was in a position to attain the set off of the shotgun whereas zipping the case.

“48 Hours” requested Katz to reveal how the take a look at might need been achieved, with the assistance of a girl who’s 5’4 ½”. Bianca was 5’4″.

DAVID KATZ [demo]: This isn’t a reside weapon …

DAVID KATZ [demo]: So, I’m going to measure your arm…

FBI analysts used a photograph of Bianca to measure her arm size. They estimated Bianca’s longest attainable proper arm size at 28.75 inches.

DAVID KATZ [demo]: 29 inches. So, your attain is barely longer than the utmost attain as estimated by the FBI.

The gun used on this demonstration isn’t the identical make and mannequin because the Rudolph’s gun. 

DAVID KATZ [demo]: It isn’t a weapon; it simply appears to be like like one.

It’s a prop gun — non-functional and never succesful of holding a bullet. According to the FBI, the mannequin of gun the Rudolphs had was roughly 31.1875 inches from set off to muzzle. We connected a wood dowel to the barrel of the prop gun to make it match that size.  

DAVID KATZ [demo]: So, I’m gonna take this weapon. I’m gonna level it at your chest proper the place the wound on the sufferer was positioned. … the concept is that someway the weapon might be discharged unintentionally as if it was being pushed right into a gun case. So, let’s bend over …  Keep goin’, hold goin’. Can you — if you happen to — if you happen to can contact the bottom even with it. Now attempt to stretch out and contact the set off.

DAVID KATZ [demo]: You’re not on the set off. You’re near the set off. 

Next, Katz added a gun case much like the one the Rudolph’s owned.

DAVID KATZ [demo]: All proper, as an instance you have been zipping … are you able to attain your hand in and contact the set off?

WOMAN: Not beneath this angle.

DAVID KATZ: Almost, you may nearly get there.

The lady in our demonstration was in a position to attain the set off. 

DAVID KATZ [demo]: Just about, nearly.

WOMAN: It’s very troublesome.

DAVID KATZ: Yeah.

DAVID KATZ: I assume what I’m left with is that this conclusion: … Possible. Unlikely, however, , with a adequate leaning ahead. … But that will — then counsel with out — with none doubt a contact shot.

A contact shot is a gunshot wound occurring when the muzzle of the gun is in direct contact with the physique in the meanwhile the gun fires.

David Katz: This is a 12-gauge shotgun shell. … it comprises … pellets … of double-aught buckshot.

In a contact shot, there is no such thing as a time for the pellets to unfold – as an alternative they go straight into the tissue in a single tight group the identical diameter because the gun barrel.

David Katz: A contact shot, you are gonna get this [his hands touching]. Further away you are gonna get this [his hands separate], additional away you are gonna get this [his hands separate further].

Katz says these photographs of Bianca’s physique taken by the consular chief in Zambia could rule out demise by a contact shot.

David Katz: The most critically vital difficulty on this case is how far from her physique was the muzzle of that shotgun when the rounds have been fired?

When the consular chief took these photographs, he additionally measured Bianca’s shotgun wound – and famous the pellets coated roughly 6 centimeters in diameter – roughly 2-and-a-half inches.

David Katz: That — sample can be unimaginable if the muzzle had been pressed towards the sufferer’s physique.

So, from what distance would a weapon must be fired to trigger a 2-and-a-half-inch wound?

We requested Katz to make use of an actual shotgun to point out “48 Hours” how rounds fired from totally different distances could make totally different sized wounds. We did not have entry to key information concerning the Rudolph’s gun, however the lengthy barrel of this gun measures the identical distance from set off to muzzle – roughly 31.1875 inches.

Katz fired right into a block made of ballistic gelatin designed to simulate the consequences of bullet wounds in human tissue.

SAFETY OFFICER: Fire!

David Katz [pointing to bullet holes in the gelatin]: When I fired the final spherical that was from 10 toes, there are discernible pellet wounds right here. Here. Here. This is why the consular chief was suspicious when he noticed the wound. Because he noticed a wound that was extra like this.

FBI investigators additionally in contrast shot patterns created by firing from numerous distances and estimated that Bianca’s wound depicted within the pictures was “created by a shot from a distance of between 2 and 3-and-one-half feet.” The grievance’s conclusion: “Bianca Rudolph was not killed by an accidental discharge …” And it wasn’t simply ballistics catching the eye of the FBI.

James Gagliano: This is — a case that is gonna be made on the totality of the circumstances.

AN ARREST

Sherry Houck: Ana at all times stated … how she … wished she had extra time along with her mother. 

Sherry Houck says Bianca’s demise continues to hang-out the Rudolphs’ daughter, Ana. 

Sherry Houck: She was devastated that she could not even say goodbye to her. 

It seems Larry Rudolph wasted no time establishing home together with his longtime rumored girlfriend Lori Milliron in Paradise Valley. 

Meghan Schiller: Within weeks she had moved into their dwelling in Arizona. 

Rudolph’s enterprise continued to thrive. He and Lori break up their time between Pittsburgh, Arizona and a trip dwelling in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. 

Sherry Houck: After some time, I believed, effectively, if it wasn’t an accident, would not he have been arrested by now?  … Nothing’s actually occurred.

But in December 2021, greater than 5 years after Bianca’s demise, Rudolph’s new life with Lori was about to alter. And that FBI grievance would change into the important thing.  

Meghan Schiller: The federal prosecutors and the FBI brokers had determined that they’d sufficient information to basically cost Larry with crimes.  

Lori Milliron’s lawyer John Dill says the pair was on the Cabo dwelling. 

John Dill: They have been taking place there for a trip and having a return flight. … He wasn’t fleeing or disappearing, or something like that. 

But their vacation got here to a sudden and stunning finish when native authorities arrested Rudolph. 

John Dill: Lori’s response when he was arrested, clearly … she was shocked. 

Mexican police executed a warrant for Lawrence Rudolph’s arrest for the international homicide of Bianca Rudolph and for mail fraud regarding Rudolph amassing Bianca’s life insurance coverage. The FBI stated the insurance coverage by no means ought to have been paid as a result of it believed Rudolph murdered Bianca. 

Meghan Schiller: Larry Rudolph was the beneficiary, and he was the recipient of practically $5 million of insurance coverage cash. 

Those hundreds of thousands have been unfold out over 9 separate insurance policies. One of the insurance coverage corporations the place Larry mailed a declare is situated in Colorado, in order that’s the place the case will likely be tried. 

Meghan Schiller: Bianca died on October eleventh, and the primary declare was submitted on October thirty first. 

John Dill: I’m undecided if there is a time interval when there’s an unintentional demise that anyone’s supposed to attend so it does not look mistaken. 

In a court docket submitting, the protection claims there was no monetary motive for the alleged crime, asserting that Rudolph’s dental follow alone was price $8 million. What’s extra, Dill says the truth that all 9 insurance policies have been paid proves Bianca’s demise was as Rudolph described and Zambian officers dominated: an accident.  

John Dill: You’ll see insurance coverage corporations went via a full investigation, together with goin’ to Africa.  

But Mary Fulginiti says not so quick. For one factor, the FBI’s assets would have allowed for a way more thorough investigation into Bianca’s trigger of demise. 

Mary Fulginiti: They simply have entry to extra issues. They have ballistic consultants, … entry to the consular chief, and different witnesses in Africa that I’m undecided the — insurance coverage agency had entry to, to speak to. 

Within days of his arrest, Rudolph was extradited to Denver. A grand jury was convened there to listen to proof about his case. 

Meghan Schiller: Everyone in Pittsburgh was speaking about how this dentist, who was a well known, revered dentist, may presumably be accused by the FBI. 

Sherry says phrase of Rudolph’s arrest hit Ana laborious. 

Sherry Houck: She was simply devastated.  … I referred to as to verify on her and …  she wouldn’t speak about her dad being arrested. She simply talked to me about something however that. 

Lori Milliron adopted Rudolph to Denver. She was about to grow to be concerned within the case as effectively by manner of a subpoena. 

John Dill: She was referred to as to go earlier than the grand jury.

John Dill: And she was on the town for his bond listening to and went and testified. 

About two weeks after Rudolph’s arrest in Mexico, that grand jury handed down their indictment.  

NEWS REPORT: FBI brokers consider their investigation will show he killed his wife whereas on trip earlier than allegedly amassing hundreds of thousands in insurance coverage cash. 

It appears that the multimillion-dollar windfall of insurance coverage cash Rudolph obtained wasn’t the one motive the FBI believes was behind Bianca’s homicide. In the grievance, it says Lori Milliron had given Rudolph an ultimatum. 

Meghan Schiller: “You have one year to get rid of the practice and leave your wife.”  

Dill says there was no ultimatum. That allegation got here from a disgruntled worker based on a protection movement. 

John Dill: All we will say is that is not what the proof is gonna be. 

As for the velocity of Bianca’s cremation, Rudolph’s lawyer says that is no try at a cover-up — that each he and Bianca had expressed their last needs. 

Mary Fulginiti: The protection is gonna argue … Well, they’ve a will, and within the will, it was the directive of each events to be cremated.

Murders on international soil are troublesome to show. And the size of the investigation would possibly truly be a legal responsibility. 

Mary Fulginiti: What the protection is gonna do is attempt to make it appear to be this case, which is five-plus years previous, has stale testimony, stale witnesses, stale all the things. 

But it seems that years after Bianca Rudolph died, there can be one thing new in any case: one other arrest that nobody noticed coming. 

A SURPRISING ARREST

The reality concerning the demise of Bianca Rudolph, wife and mom, has remained as elusive because the Zambian leopard she hunted. Her husband stood charged with homicide and mail fraud. Then come February 2022 this case would develop much more complicated, when Lori Milliron was charged.  

Meghan Schiller: As if the story could not get any stranger, now we all know that his alleged longtime girlfriend Lori Milliron … is now going through federal costs.

Seven federal counts alleging she supplied false and deceptive testimony to a grand jury sitting within the District of Colorado. Just over a month after that testimony Lori Milliron was arrested. 

Meghan Schiller: She’s accused of mendacity about her relationship with Larry. She’s accused of mendacity about what Larry stated within the days and months following Bianca’s sudden demise.

John Dill: I feel she was shocked. … She didn’t anticipate this to occur. 

A 64-year-old lady, she faces as a lot as 30 years in jail for these costs. But her lawyer John Dill emphasizes … 

John Dill: There’s no allegations by the federal government that she was someway concerned or had something to do with what occurred to Bianca Rudolph in 2016. 

Dill says that the hypothesis and the fees towards his shopper are all false. 

John Dill: The reality is Lori Milliron isn’t a felony. She did not perjure herself. Didn’t misinform the grand jury. 

But former prosecutor Mary Fulginiti says there could also be one more reason the federal government filed these seven counts towards Lori Milliron. 

Mary Fulginiti: They might need additionally charged her as a result of they wish to put some stress on her to cooperate. 

Pressuring Rudolph’s longtime girlfriend to be the star witness towards him. 

Mary Fulginiti: If I was the prosecutor on this case, I’d completely be hoping that she was gonna come ahead, and presumably cooperate towards him, and he or she’s the one witness that might presumably do him in.  

For now, from dwelling detention in Arizona, Lori Milliron continues to be related with Rudolph, operating his multimillion-dollar dentistry follow, however forbidden to contact him. 

John Dill: Still making an attempt to work, yeah, from the place she is. It’s much more troublesome, clearly.  

The authorities plans to attempt them collectively in the identical courtroom — an end result their legal professionals fought towards and misplaced. The two on trial collectively – a strong picture that might influence Lori Milliron. 

Mary Fulginiti: Lori Milliron doesn’t wish to be sitting subsequent to Lawrence Rudolph at trial, as a result of he is charged with homicide … and he or she desires nothing to do with that, and he or she does not need any of that prejudice to spill over to her, which can finally say, “Oh well she was a part of it.” I imply she’s the lover. 

And in a pre-trial affidavit filed by Rudolph’s attorneys, and signed by Lori, she wrote that, “Larry and I were romantically involved and Mrs. Bianca Rudolph was aware of that.”  The suggestion: the affair was an open secret, not a motive for homicide. But the prosecution could quickly take a look at the loyalties of Lori Milliron and Larry Rudolph. 

Mary Fulginiti: And see in the event that they keep aligned. Or if on the finish of the day she does finally cooperate. 

John Dill:  Our protection is principally that what the federal government is saying, not solely cannot they show it, that is not the info. 

Over the years, and throughout an ocean, info have been laborious to come back by on this case. Retired FBI particular agent James Gagliano is aware of time is usually a prosecution’s hardest problem.   

James Gagliano: Memories get rusty and cloudy. Documents get misplaced or destroyed. With every single day that passes, it will get increasingly troublesome to shut a loop right here, get the proof you want, and make a conviction. 

Mary Fulginiti: There’s quite a bit of hurdles that must be overcome right here, so it’s in no way an straightforward prosecution. 

Seven-thousand miles and a world away, Bianca Rudolph’s demise has impacted those that barely knew her. Former police commander Roston Yeyenga nonetheless thinks it was all a horrible accident.  

Roston Yeyenga: There will likely be no proof connecting him to the homicide. 

Debora Patta: There’ll be no proof connecting Dr. Rudolph to the homicide? 

Roston Yeyenga:  I do not suppose so. From the expertise that I had, no. 

But one-time scout Spencer Kakoma was so shaken by this expertise that he stop his job. He believes that in his stunning nation, as Bianca Rudolph hunted, she turned the prey. 

Spencer Kakoma: Yes, I’m simply proud of the American investigation. He needed to flee, however they’ve managed to nook him. 

Larry Rudolph and his authorized crew declined to talk with “48 Hours” right now. His legal professionals supplied the next assertion:   

“Dr. Rudolph is innocent. The Zambian authorities who were there and investigated said so. The insurance companies who paid the claim after they investigated said so. Strangely, five years later, the feds brought charges without any real evidence — no eye-witnesses, no forensics, no anything. — except for some speculation sprinkled into a chasm of conjecture.”

Ana and Julian have misplaced their mom. Sources inform us they’ve expressed assist for his or her father. And now what actually occurred within the nation Bianca Rudolph cherished, will likely be determined in a Colorado courtroom.  

The joint trial of Lawrence Rudolph and Lori Milliron is scheduled to start in July. 

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Produced by Ruth Chenetz, Mary Ann Rotondi, Susan Mallie and Jamie Stolz. Tamara Weitzman, Elena DiFiore and Michelle Fanucci are the event producers. Sarah Carter is the producer in Zambia. Richard Barber is the producer-editor. Jud Johnston,  Marlon Disla, Mike Baluzy and Phil Tangel are the editors. Jen Terker and Chelsea Narvaez are the affiliate producers. Anthony Batson is the senior broadcast producer. Nancy Kramer is the manager story editor. Judy Tygard is the manager producer.