Wealthy dentist who killed ‘trophy wife’ on African safari is branded ‘evil’ Jekyll and Hyde

A wealthy dentist convicted of murdering his wife on an African safari was described by those who knew him as an “evil” Jekyll and Hyde who was too greedy to let go of his money or mistress.      

“There was so much more on the cutting room floor that we were not able to include just because of runtime,” director Dani Sloane told Fox News Digital. “I think the biggest thing for me was that the fear was real. It was not put on for the cameras.

“All of these people who were [there] while this was happening were afraid of him. Whether it was physically afraid of him, emotionally scarred by working for him, there was no shortage of people who had this very intense hatred for him.”

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Sloane is the executive producer of a new ABC News Studios true crime docuseries, “Trophy Wife: Murder on Safari.” It explores the rise and fall of Larry Rudolph, who was accused of killing his wife of 34 years to collect millions of dollars in life insurance to live a lavish lifestyle with his dental hygienist-turned-lover Lori Milliron.

The special features new sit-downs with loved ones, former business partners, FBI agents close to the case and the former U.S. ambassador to Zambia. It also includes interviews with Rudolph and Milliron from federal prison.

“You see all these people from all these walks of life, from the insurance agent to former business partners to people who worked for him … [and] members of the Safari Club,” Sloane explained, noting they all “lined up” to share their accounts.

“The biggest thing for me, as we were making this [film] was, there were all these different sectors of his life, and the thing that unites all of these people is these feelings towards Larry and Lori. … These feelings were all prevalent and visceral all these years later.”

In 2016, Rudolph, who owned a Pittsburgh-based dental franchise, shot his wife, Bianca Rudolph, in the heart with a shotgun on their last morning in Zambia, prosecutors said. The pair had been hunting game during their trip. The prosecutors claimed Rudolph made it appear like the 56-year-old accidentally shot herself while packing.

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The docuseries revealed it was Bianca’s pals who reached out to the FBI, urging it to conduct an investigation.

“You hear the FBI agents say it themselves that, often, when someone dies suspiciously, it’s not abnormal to get calls asking for an investigation,” said Sloane. “[But] the level of specificity that they were getting from these calls really put the case on the FBI’s radar. I think that was the first step, even the catalyst, of getting a file opened by the FBI.

“The case had been ruled an accident in Zambia,” Sloane pointed out. “It was a case closed. So, the friends were crucial in getting it on the FBI’s radar. … They were the engine.”

After Bianca’s death, Rudolph, now 70, and Milliron began building a home together, paying $3.5 million in cash for a property in Arizona, People magazine reported. The lovers embarked on glitzy getaways.

But in December 2021, after a five-year investigation into Bianca’s death, federal authorities arrested Rudolph while he was traveling to Mexico with Milliron for the holidays. Investigators learned that Rudolph had collected $4.9 million in life insurance policies he had taken out on his wife.

Rudolph’s dark past also quickly came to light.

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In the mid-2000s, Rudolph’s partners at The Dentistry accused him of embezzling money from their practice, Rolling Stone reported. According to the outlet, one of Rudolph’s partners gave him an ultimatum — walk away or they would press charges. While Rudolph denied the allegations, he made his exit and launched another successful dental practice located directly across the street.

During one of his hunts in Zambia, Rudolph claimed he was attacked by a crocodile, resulting in disability insurance payments of $30,000. Those who spoke out in the docuseries admitted they had their theories about the incident in question.

“In terms of the case, I think it’s all spelled out,” said Sloane. “This hinges on whether you think it was a murder or an accident and that it was all a misunderstanding, as the defense alleges. … But if you look at the prosecution and the FBI’s case, the motive that they built, [it] resonated with a lot of people and made sense to a lot of people, especially when looking at Larry’s past. [To them], it’s money.

“[Larry] was somebody that everybody who had been interviewed by the FBI and us, who knew him … [claimed] money was always the thing that mattered to him most,” she shared. “This idea of losing any amount of his net worth to a divorce was unacceptable to him. … I think what’s central to the case is that money is the overwhelming motivator. “

In a statement, the Department of Justice said when Rudolph returned to the United States after Bianca’s death, he filed fraudulent claims on nine separate life insurance policies issued by seven different companies to obtain nearly $5 million.

“A big thing after Bianca’s death was … that no one was allowed to mention it,” said Sloane. “Larry had people working for him in Pittsburgh while he was living with Lori in Arizona. Dental hygienists who started after Bianca died … were starting to raise questions around it. Was it really an accident? Larry and Lori were starting to act suspicious and paranoid, according to them.

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“There are a lot of stories about surveillance that Larry and Lori set up in the office,” she added. “It came to their attention over time that Larry and Lori were listening to everything they were saying, even though they were thousands of miles away. All of these dental assistants we spoke to started to feel strange and unsafe.

“I think there was a mounting paranoia that was starting to present itself after Bianca’s death. Whether it’s because they did something wrong and were covering it up because they knew they were under investigation and that was making them paranoid, it’s hard to say. But there was this very intense shift in Larry and Lori leading up to their arrest.”

In 2023, Rudolph was sentenced to life in prison. He was also ordered to pay significant penalties for defrauding insurance companies. 

That same year, Milliron, 67, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for her role as an accessory in Bianca’s murder. Both maintain their innocence and are appealing their convictions.

“Their sides to the story very much aligned with each other, which I think was important to understand if there were any discrepancies,” said Sloane. “And there were none that were uncovered. … They had an answer to every question. They were very open, and they stuck to their side of the story. And it remained consistent throughout the process.

“I think there is still love there,” said Sloane. “But I think they’re both [more focused on] moving through the appeals process. In terms of a future, in terms of what they mean to each other today, I think they were tight-lipped on that.”

Sloane said the docuseries continues to spark new questions about the circumstances surrounding everyone who was involved.

“You might feel they were wrongfully accused and don’t belong in prison,” said Sloane. “[Some might argue that] they wanted to build a successful practice together, and you can’t help who you fall in love with.

“I think the most prevalent way that people look at it is that they were both united in a desire to make money at any cost possible and were going to stop at nothing to attain the power and lifestyle they both ultimately wanted. Ultimately, they got carried away with it.”

“Trophy Wife: Murder on Safari” is now streaming on Hulu. The Associated Press contributed to this report.