End-stage hobby hunter shot his wife
Yet another end-stage hobby hunter has shot his wife. The case joins a long list of violent acts committed with hunting weapons.
Lawrence and Bianca Rudolph from Phoenix, USA shared a passion for big game hunting in Africa.
On his Facebook profile, Lawrence Rudolph likes to show off his trophies — wild animals he has killed as a hobby hunter. In a photo taken eleven years ago, Rudolph is also pictured with his wife Bianca, the couple posing with broad grins next to a dead hippopotamus.
His wife has since passed away — allegedly killed by Rudolph during their shared tour under the warm African sun.
In September 2016, Rudolph and his wife travelled to Zambia to go hunting together. Bianca Rudolph had specifically set her sights on shooting a leopard. During the two-week hunting trip, however, she was fatally struck by a gunshot. According to the prosecution — and the jury — it was her husband who fired that shot on 11 October 2016.
He was accused of killing his wife in order to pocket her life insurance policy worth 4.8 million dollars. He intended to use the money to start a new life with his mistress. After his wife's death, Rudolph claimed it had been a tragic accident. Initially, both the police and the insurance company believed him, and the killer received the insurance payout.
It was only years later that Rudolph came under investigators' scrutiny. He got into an argument with his girlfriend during dinner at a restaurant, during which he shouted: «I killed my damn wife for you.» His mistress is said to have known about the act.
In court, Rudolph maintained his account that his wife had died in an accident. «I did not kill my wife, I could not kill my wife, I would not kill my wife«, he testified. His version of events: when his wife had wanted to put away her rifle, a shot had gone off. He claimed he had not even been in the room at the time and had found her dead.
However, FBI reconstructions determined that Bianca Rudolph had been shot in the heart from a distance of approximately two meters. The jury did not believe Lawrence Rudolph and found him guilty; sentencing will likely not be decided until next year. His attorneys intend to appeal the verdict.
The federal court jury in Denver also found dentist Lawrence Rudolph guilty of fraud against several life insurance companies.
His mistress, Lori Milliron, was additionally found guilty of aiding and abetting, obstruction of justice, and perjury in two counts.
More on this in the dossier: Psychology of Hunting
