Netflix’s latest true crime documentary doesn’t rely on actors to tell its story. The Widower: ‘Til Death Do Us Part is built entirely on the real people who lived it: the detective who cracked the case, the journalist who spent nearly two decades documenting it, and the victims’ families who waited years for justice. Here’s who you’ll see on screen when the film premieres September 30.
Dan Slepian: The Journalist Who Never Let Go
If there’s a central figure in The Widower, it’s Dan Slepian. A veteran producer for Dateline NBC, Slepian was tipped off by a Las Vegas detective the day after Sharon Causse’s murder in May 2008. What he thought would be a routine story became an 18-year obsession.
Slepian filmed everything himself with a handheld camera, embedding with homicide detectives as they knocked on doors and interviewed witnesses. His footage forms the backbone of the documentary, which is told entirely from his point of view.
“Randolph is the most unusual murder defendant I’ve ever covered by far,” Slepian said. He also serves as an executive producer on the film alongside Liz Cole, Andy Berg, and Elizabeth Fischer.
Dean O’Kelley: The Detective Who Saw Through the Story
Las Vegas Metro Police Detective Dean O’Kelley was the first investigator to sense something was wrong with Thomas Randolph’s account. “Right out of the gate, there were a few things that weren’t adding up,” O’Kelley recalled.
He invited Slepian to shadow him from day one, giving the journalist unprecedented access to the investigation. Together, they uncovered Randolph’s six marriages and the suspicious deaths of four wives.
Chris Smith: The Director Behind the Camera
The documentary is directed by Chris Smith, the filmmaker behind Netflix’s Tiger King. Smith is known for his intimate, character-driven approach to true crime, and The Widower is no exception. He tells the story from Slepian’s perspective, taking viewers behind the camera rather than presenting a traditional narrated account.
Colleen Beyer: Sharon Causse’s Daughter
Colleen Beyer is Sharon Causse’s daughter, and her grief runs through the heart of the documentary. After Randolph’s 2017 conviction, she told reporters she felt he deserved the death penalty. Her presence in the film serves as a reminder that behind every true crime case are real families who lost someone they loved.
The Other Witnesses and Key Figures
The documentary also features several figures who testified during Randolph’s trials:
Antoinette Beam – A friend of Sharon’s who testified that she was disturbed when Sharon told her she and Thomas had gone urn shopping together. “I’m her friend, so I’m allowed to tell her she shouldn’t be planning her death,” Beam said on the stand.
Alice Wolfe – Sharon’s coworker at a hair salon, who testified that the marriage was deteriorating in its final months.
Elizabeth Lavatour – Randolph’s on-again, off-again girlfriend during his marriage to Sharon. She testified that Randolph suggested she take out a $150,000 life insurance policy with him as a beneficiary, and that he told her he was “going to go out and deal with Sharon so we could be together.”
Eric Tarantino – A key witness in Randolph’s earlier trial for the death of his second wife, Becky Gault. Tarantino testified that Randolph had asked him to murder Gault, which led to Randolph’s acquittal but a guilty plea for witness tampering.
Production Credits
The Widower: ‘Til Death Do Us Part is produced by Library Films and NBC News Studios. The executive producers are Liz Cole, Andy Berg, Elizabeth Fischer, and Dan Slepian. Producers are Liam Epstein and Kimberley Ferdinando. The film runs 91 minutes and premieres on Netflix September 30, 2026.
The Bottom Line
There are no actors in The Widower. The cast is made up of the detective who refused to let the case go cold, the journalist who spent 18 years filming it, and the friends and family members who watched Thomas Randolph’s charm mask a trail of death. That’s what makes it so unsettling. These aren’t performances. They’re real people who lived through one of the strangest murder cases in American history.
Leave a Reply