Last-minute motion postpones sentencing in ‘Black Widower’ trial

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A last-minute legal maneuver saved the man accused of masterminding two murders from being sentenced.

Thomas Randolph faces life in prison after a jury convicted him in August of masterminding two murders. Prosecutors said he hired his purported handyman in 2008 to shoot and kill his sixth wife and then killed the handyman.

It is his second trial and conviction for the murders. The Nevada Supreme Court overturned a previous conviction because it ruled the jury should not have heard evidence of Randolph’s possible involvement in the death of one of his five previous wives.

Tuesday’s sentencing was postponed to allow prosecutors the chance to respond to a motion Randolph’s attorneys filed late Monday. That motion – arguing that the charges against him should be dismissed – included some 700 pages of exhibits, many of which Randolph wrote by hand, District Court judge Tierra Jones said in court.

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“We’re going to go ahead and respond to the motion so that the state knows what you’re going to say ahead of time, because they have to have an opportunity to respond,” Jones told Randolph, who was sitting in a wheelchair and shackles Tuesday. Randolph had offered to save the state the time of reading and responding in writing to his motion.

“It would take 90 minutes to put it on the record and you don’t have to read it all,” Randolph said.

Jones gave prosecutors a month to respond and set a hearing date for Jan. 4.

Sentencing, should it occur, would happen shortly thereafter.

“It’s going to be rather rapidly,” Jones said.

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