6 marriages, 4 wives deceased and nearly 1.5 million dollars in insurance money: The Widower on Netflix

And again a bizarre True Crime for you on Netflix. Now about a man who marries six times. Four of his wives eventually die. And in several of those marriages, a life insurance plays a remarkably large role. Okay, you don't have to be a seasoned true crime fan to see why the case of Thomas Randolph, now better known as the Black Widower, raises so many questions. As a true True Crime-viewer, I naturally delved completely into this story again.

The Widower: ‘Til Death Do Us Part shows the bizarre life story of Randolph and begins with the murder of his sixth wife Sharon Causse.

Who is Thomas Randolph?

Definitely a very creepy man. At least, that's what I think. Thomas Randolph married a total of six times. Two women survived their marriage to him. Four other women eventually died, albeit under very different circumstances.

That does not mean, however, that Randolph was held responsible for all those deaths. But he was ultimately convicted of the murder of his sixth wife Sharon Causse and of Michael Miller, the man who, according to prosecutors, was hired by Randolph to murder Sharon.

Yet it was precisely the combination of those marriages, all those deaths, and all the life insurances that became increasingly striking.

His first wife survives the marriage

Randolph married Kathryn Thomas in 1975. They were young and had two children together. The marriage ended in 1983.

Years later, Kathryn would testify during the trial against Randolph about a marriage in which she felt controlled and psychologically abused. She also stated that Randolph had taken out a life insurance policy on her without her knowledge.

Kathryn is one of the two women who survived the marriage to Randolph.

His second wife Becky is found dead

With his second wife, Becky Gault, the story becomes much darker.

Becky was found dead in 1986 in the couple's home in Utah. She had died from a gunshot wound. Her death was classified as suicide. But this was unthinkable according to her family.

And it turned out to be true, a former friend of Randolph, Eric Tarantino, later said that Randolph had asked him to murder Becky in exchange for a share of the insurance money. Randolph was ultimately charged with Becky's murder but was acquitted in 1989. Incredible.

He was free and Randolph received about 500,000 dollars in life insurance money after her death.

And that was not the end of the story. During the trial regarding Becky's death, Randolph allegedly tried to eliminate a witness against him. He was ultimately convicted of witness tampering.

Then two more marriages follow

After Becky, Randolph married again. His third wife, Leona Stapleton, later died of cancer.

His fourth wife, Gayna Allmon, managed to survive the marriage. Her story also contributes to the increasingly disturbing image of Randolph. The documentary tells about her fear of him and about events during their marriage that take on a very different meaning in hindsight.

Francis dies after heart surgery

His fifth wife was Francis Randolph. She had been suffering from health problems for a long time and underwent heart surgery in 2004.

According to her daughter, the surgery initially went well. But shortly thereafter, Francis died in the hospital.

Her death was also never classified as murder. Yet many questions remained. Randolph was the last person with her, and her daughter later said she suspected him of having done something to her mother.

Randolph himself said that Francis died as a result of medical errors. He also sued the hospital and ultimately received nearly 400,000 dollars (!!) from that case. Additionally, he received about 18,000 dollars (!!!) from a life insurance policy.

That does not mean that Randolph was guilty of her death. There has never been a criminal case against him regarding Francis's death. But the money that came to him after her death later became part of the broader story about the Black Widower.

Then comes Sharon Causse

In 2006, Randolph met Sharon Causse through a dating site. The relationship developed extremely quickly. They married, and Sharon became his sixth wife.

In May 2008, a bizarre home invasion seems to take place. Sharon is shot dead in their home in Las Vegas after they have been together at the casino. The handyman Michael Miller is also found dead.

Randolph tells the police that he came home, found Sharon dead, and then encountered a masked intruder. He claims to have shot Miller in self-defense.

But detectives do not believe his story.

The police discover a much grimmer scenario

According to prosecutors, Miller was not a random intruder at all. He was an acquaintance of Randolph and was allegedly hired by him to murder Sharon.

The motive? Money, of course.

Randolph would again be able to profit from life insurances at Sharon's death, now worth more than 360,000 dollars. According to prosecutors, the plan was for Miller to kill Sharon, after which Randolph would shoot Miller himself to eliminate an important witness.

Randolph always maintained that he was innocent, but his story did not add up at all.

He is convicted, receives the death penalty, and is then retried

In 2017, Randolph was found guilty of the murders of Sharon Causse and Michael Miller. He received the death penalty.

But that was not the end of the case. In 2020, the Nevada Supreme Court overturned his conviction. The reason had to do with evidence regarding the death of his second wife Becky Gault that, according to the judge, should not have been used in that way during the trial.

So, Randolph got a new trial.

In 2023, he was found guilty again. This time he did not receive the death penalty but a prison sentence of 60 years to life.

Did he murder his wives for the money?

And that is exactly where the bizarre lies The Widower. Four of the six women Randolph married have since passed away. But only one of those women, Sharon Causse, is the victim of a murder for which Randolph has actually been convicted.

Before the death of Becky Gault, he was acquitted. The other two deceased women, Leona Stapleton and Francis Randolph, died without Randolph being charged in their deaths.

Unprecedented. Because marriages, life insurance, suspicious deaths, and Thomas Randolph at the center of the story each time.

Where is Thomas Randolph now?

Randolph is now 71 years old and is serving a prison sentence of 60 years to life in Nevada. He continues to insist that he did not murder Sharon and that he has nothing to do with her death.

Make that the cat wise Thomas !

Image: COURTESY OF NETFLIX