Lawyers For Dentist Accused Of Killing Wife On African Safari Want Case Pushed Back
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Lawyers for a Pittsburgh-area dentist accused of killing his wife on an African safari are trying to get his case pushed back.
Lawrence Rudolph's lawyers said he has COVID and the case is "unusual and complex" so they need more time to prepare.
Rudolph, the founder of Three Rivers Dental here in Pittsburgh, is charged with mail fraud, but federal investigators have laid out much more in dozens of pages of court filings.
According to the criminal complaint, authorities claim Lawrence killed his wife Bianca while they were on a safari and hunting trip to Africa in 2016. Federal investigators allege he had her cremated in Africa then made claims through seven different insurance companies totaling more than $4.8 million in payouts.
Bianca's death was ruled an accident by Zambian law enforcement and Lawrence told police he suspected the gun discharged while his wife was packing it into its case, the complaint said.
His attorneys have said the couple signed a prenuptial agreement, saying he would not lose much during a divorce. They also claimed his dental franchise is valued at close to $8 million, saying he had no financial reasons to kill his wife.