Girlfriend of dentist who killed wife on safari in 2016 has been sentenced to 17 years in prison

DENVER — The girlfriend of a dentist who has been convicted of killing his wife while on an African safari was sentenced Friday to 17 years in prison for being an accessory.

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Last year, Lori Milliron, 65, was convicted of being an accessory to murder after the fact and obstructing a grand jury, according to The Associated Press. Milliron was charged with Lawrence Rudolph.

Rudolph was a United States dentist that was convicted in the shooting death of his wife, Bianca Rudolph, 57, while they were on a hunting trip in Zambia in 2016, the AP reported. Rudolph was scheduled to be sentenced this week but it has been postponed.

Rudolph claimed that Bianca Rudolph shot herself accidentally while packing to go home, the AP reported. Rudolph soon after claimed millions in accidental death insurance payments. He was later charged with her murder in 2021 following an FBI investigation.

“The murder of Bianca Rudolph was not an easy case to investigate and prosecute, but it was the right thing to do to seek justice for this victim, her family, and her friends,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider in a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado following Milliron’s conviction last Aug. “Lawrence Rudolph thought he could murder his wife overseas and get away with it. His actions raised red flags, and the FBI was ready to step in to investigate this murder of a U.S. citizen by another U.S. citizen in a foreign country.”

“We are thankful for the jury’s diligence looking at all the evidence in this case. Bianca Rudolph deserved justice. This case was an exceptional example of the entire U.S. Attorney’s Office pulling together with our law enforcement partners to uncover the truth and seek justice for a victim who had no other voice,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan in the news release from last Aug. “I also want to specifically thank the efforts of the FBI, which worked to obtain justice by literally going around the world to interview witnesses and collect evidence. Their efforts were exemplary, and we are grateful to them.”

Milliron claimed she was innocent in front of a judge Friday, the AP said. The judge said that the 17-year sentence was “deserved” because there was evidence showing that Millron had encouraged the murder.