Pennsylvania dentist Larry Rudolph has been sentenced to life in prison for using a scenic getaway in Africa as a cover to kill his wife so he could collect millions of dollars in life insurance benefits.

Rudolph, a big game hunter and founder of Three Rivers Dental in Pittsburgh, was sentenced Monday in a Denver federal court after being convicted last year of murdering, Bianca Rudolph, his wife of 34 years.

In late September 2016, the couple journeyed to Zambia, where they were to enjoy safaris and hunting trips. Bianca, also a big game hunter, hoped to hunt a leopard during their travels. Instead, she was shot in the chest with a Browning shotgun the morning of Oct. 11, 2016, as she prepared to leave their hunting camp in Kafue National Park. Rudolph claimed he was in the shower at the time, but that he heard the blast and ultimately discovered his wife bleeding on the ground.

He later told authorities he believed Bianca mistakenly shot herself while packing up her firearm. Local investigators eventually ruled her death accidental, and Rudolph had her remains cremated. He went on to make claims through seven different insurance companies totaling nearly $5 million in payouts, according to a criminal complaint.

Prosecutors argued the shooting could not have gone down the way Rudolph said it did, explaining that the wound to Bianca’s heart came from a shot fired from 2 to 3.5 feet away. They further alleged that he planned to live out a luxurious retirement with his longtime girlfriend, Lori Milliron, using the money he collected after the shooting. She was sentenced to 17 years in prison in June after being convicted of being an accessory. She has filed an appeal.

“The murder was the culmination of a lifetime spent seeking domination and control over others through wealth and power,” prosecutors said in a court filing outlining their sentencing proposal.

Rudolph, who has long maintained his innocence, intends to appeal the ruling.

With News Wire Services