Ep 14. The Black Widower

The American Justice season 2004 episode 14 is titled "The Black Widower." The episode follows the case of Thomas Randolph, a man accused of killing his sixth wife, Sharon Causse, in 2008.

Randolph had a history of marrying and divorcing multiple times, and many of his spouses have passed away under suspicious circumstances. He was also known for being a gun enthusiast and for making threatening statements to those he perceived as threats.

The prosecution argued that Randolph killed Causse in order to collect on her life insurance policy and to avoid a messy divorce settlement. They presented evidence of Randolph's suspicious behavior before and after Causse's death, including his attempt to manipulate the investigation by planting a gun at the scene of the crime.

However, the defense argued that there was no direct evidence linking Randolph to Causse's murder, and that the prosecution's case relied heavily on circumstantial evidence. They pointed out inconsistencies in the eyewitness testimony used to place Randolph at the scene of the crime and argued that the planted gun could have been left by someone else.

Throughout the trial, a range of witnesses, including Randolph's former spouses, testified about his behavior and his alleged involvement in multiple deaths. The episode also explores the challenges of prosecuting a suspect with a history of suspicious behavior and the difficulties of finding reliable eyewitness testimony.

In the end, the jury found Randolph guilty of murder and he was sentenced to death. However, the episode raises questions about the fairness of such a sentence given the circumstantial nature of the evidence presented.

"The Black Widower" is a gripping episode that delves into the complex psychology of a serial monogamist and his alleged crimes. It highlights the challenges of prosecuting a suspect with a history of suspicious behavior and the importance of reliable eyewitness testimony in criminal trials.