Netflix is bringing one of the most unusual and disturbing true-crime cases in recent American history to viewers with The Widower: ’Til Death Do Us Part.
The documentary follows the case of Thomas Randolph, a Nevada man whose complicated marital history, suspicious deaths and eventual murder conviction attracted years of media and law-enforcement attention.
The Netflix film focuses on the investigation surrounding Randolph and the deaths connected to his marriages. Rather than presenting the story simply as a murder case, the documentary examines how a journalist and a detective continued investigating a man whose relationships and history raised increasingly serious questions.
Directed by Chris Smith, The Widower: ’Til Death Do Us Part is a documentary film produced by Library Films and NBC News Studios. Netflix has scheduled its release for September 30, 2026.
The Widower: ’Til Death Do Us Part — Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Title | The Widower: ’Til Death Do Us Part |
| Year | 2026 |
| Platform | Netflix |
| Format | Documentary film |
| Genre | True crime / documentary |
| Release date | September 30, 2026 |
| Runtime | Approximately 91 minutes |
| Director | Chris Smith |
| Producers | Liam Epstein, Kimberley Ferdinando |
| Executive producers | Liz Cole, Andy Berg, Elizabeth Fischer, Dan Slepian |
| Production companies | Library Films, NBC News Studios |
| Main subject | Thomas Randolph |
| Language | English |
| Rating | TV-MA |
| Country | United States |
Netflix describes the film as an investigation by a journalist and a detective into a killer whose apparently charming personality concealed a history involving failed marriages and suspicious deaths.
What Is The Widower: ’Til Death Do Us Part About?
The Widower: ’Til Death Do Us Part examines the story of Thomas Randolph, a man who became notorious after the 2008 killing of his sixth wife, Sharon Causse, and Causse’s handyman, Michael Miller.
Randolph’s explanation of the 2008 incident was that an intruder had entered his home and killed Sharon, after which Randolph shot the intruder in self-defense.
Investigators eventually developed a very different theory.
Prosecutors argued that Miller was involved in a planned killing of Sharon and that Randolph subsequently killed Miller. Randolph was eventually convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and two counts of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon.
The legal history became complicated when his original conviction was overturned by the Nevada Supreme Court because of an evidentiary error. He was tried again in 2023 and convicted again.
As of August 31, 2026, the Nevada Supreme Court has affirmed that second conviction.
Who Is Thomas Randolph?
Thomas Randolph is a Nevada man who became known in media coverage as the “Black Widower” because four of his six wives died.
That label is a media description rather than a legal finding that Randolph murdered all four women.
The distinction is important.
Randolph was convicted in connection with the deaths of Sharon Causse and Michael Miller. The deaths of some of his earlier wives generated suspicion and were investigated or discussed during his legal proceedings, but Randolph was not convicted of murdering all of those women.
The Netflix documentary uses this broader history to explore why investigators became increasingly interested in Randolph’s previous marriages.
Thomas Randolph’s Six Wives
Randolph’s marital history is one of the most important parts of the story.
Available reporting identifies his six wives as:
- Kathryn Thomas
- Becky Gault
- Gayna Allmon
- Francis/Frances Randolph
- Leona Stapleton
- Sharon Causse
There are minor differences in some published accounts concerning the numbering of Francis/Frances Randolph and Leona Stapleton, but the six names are consistently associated with Randolph’s marital history.
Only Kathryn Thomas and Gayna Allmon survived their marriages to Randolph, according to published accounts.
Kathryn Thomas
Kathryn Thomas was Randolph’s first wife.
The marriage ended in divorce in 1983.
She later testified about her relationship with Randolph during his murder trial and described him as controlling and manipulative. Her testimony became part of the larger picture prosecutors attempted to present about Randolph’s relationships.
There was no murder conviction involving Kathryn.
Becky Gault
Becky Gault was Randolph’s second wife.
She died in 1986 from a gunshot wound to the head. Her death was initially treated as a suicide.
Randolph was later prosecuted in connection with Gault’s death and was acquitted.
The circumstances surrounding Gault’s death nevertheless became extremely important during the later investigation into Randolph.
The Nevada Supreme Court’s 2020 decision specifically addressed the use of evidence concerning Gault’s death in Randolph’s first trial for the deaths of Sharon Causse and Michael Miller. The court concluded that certain prior-bad-act evidence had been improperly admitted and ordered a new trial.
Gayna Allmon
Gayna Allmon was another wife who survived her relationship with Randolph.
She later testified about an incident involving a firearm. According to her testimony, a gun discharged while Randolph was cleaning it, and she believed the incident was an attempt on her life.
No criminal charge was filed against Randolph over that incident.
Her account nevertheless became part of the wider investigative history surrounding the case.
Frances Randolph
Frances Randolph died in 2004 after undergoing heart surgery.
Her death later attracted attention because of testimony and allegations presented during Randolph’s first murder trial.
A witness testified that Randolph had previously attempted to recruit him to kill Frances and make the death appear like a burglary. Randolph was not convicted of killing Frances.
Because this part of the story involves allegations rather than a murder conviction, it should not be described as a proven murder.
Leona Stapleton
Leona Stapleton was another of Randolph’s wives.
Public information about her is considerably more limited than information about some of his other marriages.
Accounts of the case state that Randolph said Leona died of cancer.
Her death became part of the broader discussion surrounding Randolph’s marital history, but it is important not to portray it as a proven homicide.
Sharon Causse
Sharon Causse was Randolph’s sixth wife.
Her death in 2008 became the central event in the criminal case that eventually resulted in Randolph’s conviction.
Causse was shot inside the couple’s Las Vegas-area home.
Randolph told investigators that an armed intruder had killed her and that he had then shot the intruder.
The alleged intruder was identified as Michael Miller, a handyman associated with Randolph.
Prosecutors eventually argued that the home invasion had been staged and that Miller had been involved in a murder-for-hire scheme.
Who Was Michael Miller?
Michael Miller was a handyman who had a relationship with Randolph and became the second victim in the 2008 shooting.
According to the prosecution’s case, Miller was involved in a plan to kill Sharon Causse.
The prosecution alleged that after Causse was killed, Randolph shot Miller.
Randolph’s original account portrayed Miller as an intruder who had murdered Sharon.
The competing explanations for Miller’s presence and death became one of the central questions in the investigation.
The Nevada Supreme Court’s 2026 order describes the prosecution’s theory as a staged home invasion in which Miller killed Sharon and Randolph subsequently killed Miller.
The 2008 Home-Invasion Story
The investigation began after Randolph reported the shooting at his home.
His initial account suggested a terrifying home invasion.
According to Randolph’s version, Sharon had been shot by a masked intruder. Randolph then shot and killed that intruder.
Investigators did not simply accept the explanation.
As detectives examined the evidence, they discovered information about Randolph’s relationship with Miller and began looking more closely at Randolph’s previous marriages.
The case eventually developed into a much larger investigation.
Why Did Investigators Look at Randolph’s Past?
The investigation became unusual because Sharon was not the first wife whose death or relationship with Randolph raised questions.
Detectives began examining the circumstances surrounding previous marriages.
They interviewed former wives, relatives, friends and people connected to Randolph.
The investigation crossed state lines as detectives attempted to reconstruct Randolph’s history.
The earlier NBC Dateline project about the case documented a decade-long investigation and noted that Sharon was Randolph’s sixth wife and the fourth to die.
The First Murder Trial
Randolph’s first major trial concerning Sharon Causse and Michael Miller took place years after the 2008 killings.
In 2017, a jury convicted him of conspiracy to commit murder and two counts of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon.
He received a death sentence.
However, the case did not end there.
Randolph appealed the conviction.
Why Was Randolph’s First Conviction Overturned?
In 2020, the Nevada Supreme Court overturned Randolph’s conviction.
The court did not rule that Randolph was innocent.
Instead, it concluded that the trial court had improperly admitted certain evidence involving the death of Randolph’s second wife, Becky Gault.
The Supreme Court determined that the evidence created an unacceptable risk of unfair prejudice and ordered a new trial.
This distinction is important when discussing the documentary.
A reversed conviction is not the same thing as an acquittal.
The 2023 Retrial
After the original conviction was overturned, Randolph was tried again.
The retrial took place in 2023.
This time, the jury again found him guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and two counts of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon.
The court later sentenced him to an aggregate term of 720 months to life in prison, equivalent to 60 years to life.
Thomas Randolph’s 2026 Appeal
Randolph continued challenging the second conviction.
On August 31, 2026, the Nevada Supreme Court issued an order affirming the judgment.
The court considered seven issues raised by Randolph and found no reversible error.
Among the arguments addressed was his claim that his constitutional right to a speedy trial had been violated because of the long history of the case.
The court rejected that argument and affirmed the conviction.
This is an important update for anyone watching the Netflix documentary because the film arrives after the latest major appellate decision in the case.
Is The Widower: ’Til Death Do Us Part Based on a True Story?
Yes.
The documentary is based on the real criminal investigation and court history surrounding Thomas Randolph.
It is not a fictional thriller and does not use actors to recreate the entire story as a conventional drama.
Instead, the film uses documentary storytelling to examine the investigation and the people involved.
Netflix officially classifies it as a documentary film and a true-crime title.
Who Directed The Widower: ’Til Death Do Us Part?
The documentary was directed by Chris Smith.
Smith has worked extensively in documentary filmmaking and has directed projects across true crime, culture and entertainment.
Netflix’s Media Center credits Smith as director, with Liam Epstein and Kimberley Ferdinando as producers.
The executive producers are listed as Liz Cole, Andy Berg, Elizabeth Fischer and Dan Slepian.
Who Is Dan Slepian?
Dan Slepian is particularly important to the story because he has followed the Randolph case for years.
The earlier NBC Dateline investigation into Randolph involved Slepian documenting the case over a long period.
NBC said its earlier project followed a decade-long investigation and included hundreds of hours of exclusive footage.
For The Widower: ’Til Death Do Us Part, Slepian is credited as an executive producer.
His long involvement gives the documentary access to a substantial historical record of the case.
The Role of the Journalist and Detective
Netflix’s official description specifically centers the documentary on a journalist and a detective investigating Randolph.
That approach makes the film different from a simple courtroom recap.
The story is built around the process of asking questions:
- What really happened to Sharon Causse?
- Why was Michael Miller at Randolph’s home?
- What did investigators discover about Randolph’s previous marriages?
- Which allegations could be supported by evidence?
- What happened during the first trial?
- Why was the original conviction overturned?
- What changed during the retrial?
- Where does the case stand today?
These questions create the investigative structure of the documentary.
The Meaning of the Title
The phrase “Till Death Do Us Part” normally represents the traditional promise associated with marriage.
The documentary uses that familiar phrase in a much darker context.
Randolph’s life story involved multiple marriages and several deaths, making the title an obvious reference to the relationship between marriage, mortality and the criminal allegations surrounding his history.
The word “Widower” also becomes central because Randolph repeatedly found himself in relationships that ended with his wives’ deaths or divorces.
The title therefore immediately signals that the film is not a conventional relationship documentary.
The “Black Widower” Nickname
Media coverage has frequently referred to Randolph as the “Black Widower.”
The nickname comes from the fact that he was married six times and four of those wives died.
However, it is important to use the phrase carefully.
Randolph’s conviction concerns the murders of Sharon Causse and Michael Miller. He was not convicted of murdering every wife who died.
The earlier deaths remain part of the investigative and media history because authorities and journalists examined them for possible connections.
What Does the Documentary Cover?
The Netflix documentary is expected to focus on several connected parts of the case.
Randolph’s Marriages
His six marriages provide the background for understanding why investigators became interested in his personal history.
The Death of Sharon Causse
The 2008 killing is the central criminal event.
Michael Miller’s Death
Miller’s involvement is essential to understanding the prosecution’s theory.
The Investigation
The documentary examines how investigators moved from the original home-invasion story toward a broader theory.
The Court Case
The film also deals with Randolph’s trials and the complicated legal path that followed.
The Reversal
The first conviction was overturned because of the improper admission of prior-bad-act evidence.
The Retrial
The 2023 retrial resulted in another conviction.
The Latest Legal Position
The Nevada Supreme Court affirmed the second conviction on August 31, 2026.
The Widower: ’Til Death Do Us Part Ending Explained
Because the documentary is scheduled for release on September 30, 2026, the complete documentary ending should be discussed only after considering the released film itself.
The legal outcome surrounding Randolph is already established.
The latest major development is that the Nevada Supreme Court affirmed his second conviction on August 31, 2026.
Therefore, the documentary does not arrive while the central murder conviction is awaiting its first appeal. The latest appellate ruling is already part of the public record.
A full scene-by-scene ending explanation should distinguish between:
- What the documentary shows
- What investigators believed
- What prosecutors argued
- What Randolph maintained
- What the jury decided
- What appellate courts ruled
That distinction matters in any true-crime story.
Where to Watch The Widower: ’Til Death Do Us Part
The documentary is a Netflix film.
Netflix lists the title in its documentary and true-crime categories, with a TV-MA rating.
For viewers in India, current listings indicate a Netflix release on September 30, 2026.
Release Date
September 30, 2026
Runtime
Approximately 1 hour 31 minutes.
Is The Widower a Movie or a Series?
The Netflix version is officially classified as a documentary film.
This is worth mentioning because the title may cause confusion with earlier productions about Thomas Randolph.
There was already an NBC/Dateline project called The Widower, which followed the investigation over several years. Netflix’s 2026 release is a separate documentary film that revisits the case.
There was also the 2024 Investigation Discovery three-part documentary The Black Widower: The Six Wives of Thomas Randolph, which examined Randolph’s marriages and criminal case.
The Widower vs. The Black Widower Documentary
These titles can easily be confused.
The Widower: ’Til Death Do Us Part
- Netflix
- 2026
- Documentary film
- Directed by Chris Smith
- Approximately 91 minutes
- Focuses on the investigation and criminal case
The Black Widower: The Six Wives of Thomas Randolph
- Investigation Discovery
- 2024
- Three-part documentary series
- Focuses heavily on Randolph’s six marriages and the deaths surrounding them
The two projects cover overlapping real-world material but are different productions.
Why the Thomas Randolph Case Became So Notorious
The case attracted attention because several unusual elements came together.
First, Randolph had been married six times.
Second, four of his wives died.
Third, his sixth wife’s death led to a second death involving a handyman.
Fourth, Randolph’s first murder conviction was overturned.
Finally, the second trial resulted in another conviction, creating a long legal story that continued for years.
That combination made the case unusually complex.
Important Fact: Not Every Death Was Proven Murder
This is perhaps the most important point for readers.
It is easy for a true-crime article to present every suspicious death as part of a single murder pattern.
The available court record does not establish that.
Randolph’s criminal convictions concern Sharon Causse and Michael Miller.
Other deaths associated with his marriages generated suspicion, testimony or investigative interest, but they should be described as allegations, disputed circumstances or subjects of investigation rather than proven murders.
That distinction is also important because the Nevada Supreme Court’s 2020 ruling specifically addressed the danger of using prior-bad-act evidence to suggest criminal propensity.
What Happened to Thomas Randolph?
Following his 2023 retrial conviction, Randolph received a sentence of 60 years to life.
The Nevada Supreme Court affirmed the conviction on August 31, 2026.
Therefore, as of the documentary’s September 2026 release, the latest reported legal status is that Randolph’s second conviction remains in place.
The Widower: ’Til Death Do Us Part FAQs
Is The Widower: ’Til Death Do Us Part a true story?
Yes. It is a true-crime documentary about the real investigation and criminal case involving Thomas Randolph.
When does The Widower: ’Til Death Do Us Part release on Netflix?
The documentary is scheduled to release on Netflix on September 30, 2026.
Who is The Widower about?
The documentary focuses on Thomas Randolph, whose sixth wife Sharon Causse and handyman Michael Miller were killed in 2008.
Who directed The Widower?
Chris Smith directed the documentary.
How long is The Widower?
The documentary runs for approximately 91 minutes.
How many wives did Thomas Randolph have?
Thomas Randolph was married six times. Four of his wives died, while two survived their marriages to him.
Who was Thomas Randolph’s sixth wife?
His sixth wife was Sharon Causse, who was killed in 2008.
Who was Michael Miller?
Michael Miller was a handyman associated with Randolph. He was killed on the same night as Sharon Causse.
Was Thomas Randolph convicted?
Yes. Randolph was convicted in 2017, but that conviction was overturned by the Nevada Supreme Court in 2020 because of an evidentiary error. He was convicted again after a 2023 retrial.
What is Thomas Randolph’s sentence?
Following his second conviction, Randolph was sentenced to an aggregate term of 720 months to life in prison, or 60 years to life.
Did the Nevada Supreme Court uphold his second conviction?
Yes. On August 31, 2026, the Nevada Supreme Court issued an order affirming the judgment.
Did Thomas Randolph murder all four wives who died?
That should not be stated as fact. Randolph was convicted in connection with the deaths of Sharon Causse and Michael Miller. Other deaths connected to his marriages were investigated or discussed, but they did not result in murder convictions against Randolph.
Is The Widower the same as The Black Widower?
No. They are different documentary productions about the same real-life case. The Netflix film is The Widower: ’Til Death Do Us Part, while The Black Widower: The Six Wives of Thomas Randolph was a 2024 Investigation Discovery series.
Final Thoughts
The Widower: ’Til Death Do Us Part takes viewers into a case that became far more complicated than the investigation of a single homicide.
At the center is Thomas Randolph, a man whose six marriages, the deaths of four wives, the 2008 deaths of Sharon Causse and Michael Miller, and a lengthy legal battle created a case that continued for years.
The documentary is particularly interesting because its release comes after the latest major legal development. Randolph’s first conviction was overturned in 2020, but his second conviction following the 2023 retrial was affirmed by the Nevada Supreme Court on August 31, 2026.
The story also demonstrates why true-crime reporting needs careful distinctions. Suspicion, allegations, investigative theories and courtroom findings are not automatically the same thing.
For viewers interested in real criminal investigations, courtroom battles and complicated cases that developed over decades, The Widower: ’Til Death Do Us Part offers a detailed look at one of Nevada’s most closely watched murder cases.
The Widower: ’Til Death Do Us Part arrives on Netflix on September 30, 2026.