A dentist facing the death penalty for murdering his wife on a safari has admitted "I'm a dead man."
Lawrence 'Larry' Rudolph, 67, from Pennsylvania, US shot dead his wife Bianca with a shotgun in Zambia in 2016, to try and claim her $4.8 million (£3.9m) life insurance in order to build a new life with his mistress Lori Milliron.
The dentist has conceded he will die in prison after he was found guilty of murdering his wife in August by jurors.
During a phone call with Milliron, 65, he admitted: "I'm a dead man" as he awaits to hear if he faces the death penalty.
Rudolph's lover Milliron was also convicted for giving false and misleading evidence to a jury about her relationship with the dentist and where the money came from.
She is currently living in a custom-built mansion in Paradise Valley, Arizona, US, using the money he fraudulently claimed.
In a phone call acquired by NBC's Dateline, she told Rudolph: "I didn't expect at 65 years old that I was gonna have to have a new career."
Rudolph told her to start looking for a new boyfriend, he admitted: "You should look for a new boyfriend, while you can."
However, the mistress snapped back: "'Honey, I'm a convicted felon, that's appealing..."
He responded: "'Well I just wanted to tell you I love you."
She replied: "Take care of yourself. Never, never give up. Please."
The dentist said: "It's not about giving up, Lori. It's just about facing reality. I'm a dead man.
"I'm gonna die in prison. And I don't want to take you with me, or anybody else. It's not fair."
During a three-week trial in Denver, Colorado, US in August Rudolph was found guilty of murder and postal fraud.
A jury of six men and six women believed the dentist planned to kill his wife of 34 years in a bid to start a new life with Milliron.
She was also found guilty of the obstruction of a grand jury and two counts of perjury.
The mistress was found not guilty on three other counts of perjury.
Rudolph has denied any wrongdoing and his two adult children supported him during the trial.
He plans to appeal his conviction.
Bianca was shot dead by a shotgun in their cabin just as the pair were getting ready to leave Zambia and head back home.
It was on October 11 in 2016 at around 5am gamekeepers heard a gunshot coming from their room.
After making a dash to the cabin they found Bianca with a gunshot wound to the chest on the floor.
Rudolph's defence was his wife might have accidentally shot herself but due to the distance in which she was shot this was not possible, the court revealed.
However, prosecutors believed Rudolph killed Bianca so he could be with his mistress - who he had been with for 20 years.
The dentist claimed he had been in an open marriage from 2000.
He told jurors: "I did not kill my wife. I could not murder my wife. I would not murder my wife."
The dentist was charged in December 2021 for the murder. He awaits sentencing.
