Suvechha Sarkar
On May 8, 2008, 57-year-old Sharon Causse Randolph was shot dead inside her home in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her husband, Thomas William Randolph, also known as Tom, initially claimed that she was killed by an intruder, Michael “Mike” James Miller, who was a 38-year-old handyman. However, the investigation took a turn when Sharon’s husband was identified as the killer. Netflix’s ‘The Widower: ‘Til Death Do Us Part’ features footage of the detectives as they investigated Thomas’ marriages and the suspicions surrounding his past. The documentary also features several previous interviews with him and the officials who worked on the case.
Tom Randolph Had Tied the Knot Five Times Before Meeting Sharon
Thomas William Randolph, also known as Tom, was born in 1955 to Dorothy Randolph and her partner. He was raised in a military family in Illinois, as his father served in the US Air Force. Reports indicate that in his early years, he aspired to become a rock ‘n’ roll musician before settling down in Utah. Although not much is known about his career, we do know that he met his first wife, Kathryn Thomas, when he was just 20. After tying the knot on August 2, 1975, they welcomed their two children. According to her statements in an interview, she and Thomas parted ways after he allegedly began using drugs. Following that, he crossed paths with Beckie/Becky Rae Gault in Utah, and it wasn’t long before they married in April 1983.
Things took a turn on November 7, 1986, when Thomas called 911 to report that Beckie had died by suicide. According to reports, his former associate Eric Tarantino later came forward claiming that Thomas had asked him to kill Beckie and offered him money to kill her. In 1988, Thomas was arrested and charged with murder. During the proceedings, he tried to kill Eric by hiring a supposed hitman, who was actually an undercover officer. Following that, Thomas was charged with felony witness tampering and later pleaded guilty to the charge. In 1989, he was acquitted on charges of murder regarding Beckie’s death after a jury trial.
Subsequently, Thomas’ records regarding the witness tampering conviction and murder prosecution were expunged in Utah. In March 1994, he gave marriage another shot when he tied the knot with Leona Stapleton in Utah before relocating to Indiana. Unfortunately, she later passed away from cancer. By October 1995, Thomas had married for the fourth time, to Gayna Allmon in Indiana, but the marriage eventually ended in divorce. In August 1997, he tied the knot with Francis Randolph, but she sadly died after heart surgery in 2004. A few years later, he met Sharon Causse Randolph on an online site and soon moved in with her at her home in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Tom Randolph’s Conflicting Statements Raised Suspicions Against Him
In 2006, Thomas and Sharon were on a cruise in Mexico when they exchanged their vows. The following year, they renewed their vows in Las Vegas. The situation took a grave turn on May 8, 2008, when they returned home after spending the evening at the Santa Fe Station Hotel and Casino. Around 8:45 pm, Thomas called 911 to report that his handyman, Michael “Mike” James Miller, had shot Sharon. In that call, he also told the dispatchers that he shot Mike. Official reports state that during the investigation, officials first questioned Thomas. In his statements, he claimed that after he and Sharon entered the garage, he stayed back to listen to music while she went into the house.
Reports state that Thomas claimed that when he went inside, he found Sharon shot and lying facedown in the hallway. In his statements, he insisted on seeing a shadow and allegedly grabbed the gun before seeing Mike standing in front of him. He went on to claim that he then shot Mike in the hallway, and Mike made his way to the garage, where he was later found. However, forensic experts noted that Thomas’ accounts didn’t match the crime scene since they found only one shell casing near where Sharon was lying. During his interrogation, he also claimed that he had called 911 within three minutes. However, one of their neighbors informed the authorities that he was on a call around 8:33 pm when he heard the gunshots.
Hence, detectives grew suspicious, wondering why Thomas had called 911 at around 8:45 pm. According to police records, officials learned from Mike’s family members that he first met Thomas at a store and later began working for Sharon’s husband as a handyman. As per the statements of Mike’s friend, Judy Archie, he told her that Thomas had asked the 38-year-old to kill Sharon in exchange for money. Furthermore, investigators discovered that Sharon’s husband had taken three life insurance policies on her, worth approximately to $350,000. In January 2009, Thomas was arrested in Utah at his mother’s home and charged with two counts of murder with use of a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit murder, and burglary while in possession of a deadly weapon.
Tom Randolph is Incarcerated at a Nevada Prison Facility Today
Following his arrest, Thomas was extradited to Nevada. However, his jury trial was delayed multiple times as he changed attorneys. On June 12, 2017, the defendant’s jury trial finally commenced, during which the prosecution emphasized that he asked Mike to kill Sharon and stage it as a home invasion, allegedly for financial gain from her life insurance policies. They further argued that Thomas killed Mike to eliminate him as a witness. Moreover, the prosecution presented evidence regarding the death of his second wife, Beckie. On the other hand, the defense insisted that Sharon was killed by the armed intruder, Mike, and the defendant shot the 38-year-old in self-defense.
The jury ultimately convicted Thomas on two counts of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon and conspiracy to commit murder on June 28, 2017. In July 2017, he received two death sentences for the two counts of murder. He later appealed his convictions, and the Nevada Supreme Court overturned them on December 10, 2020. After reversing his convictions, the court ordered a new trial, noting that the Trial Court had improperly admitted evidence of Beckie’s death. The court also noted that the evidence created prejudice. Thomas’ retrial began on August 11, 2023, during which the prosecution called several witnesses, including Sharon’s daughter, Colleen Beyer.
The prosecution argued that Thomas’ account of the double homicide did not match the physical evidence, such as the lack of shell casings in the hallway and the condition of Mike’s ski mask. They also pointed out the inconsistencies in the timing of the 911 call. On the other hand, the defense claimed that the deaths happened as a result of a burglary gone wrong. On August 24, the jury found Thomas guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and two counts of murder of Sharon and Mike with the use of a deadly weapon. In April 2024, he was sentenced to 60 years to life in prison. He again appealed the judgment, but it was denied in September 2026. Thomas is currently serving his sentence at the Lovelock Correctional Center in Pershing County, Nevada.
