Paul Markstrom, played by O.L. Duke, is a fictional character on the HBO series Oz.
Biography[]
Paul Markstrom is an undercover police detective sent to Oz in order to investigate the drug trade within its walls. He is introduced as Warden Leo Glynn's cousin as his cover. He joins the Homeboys, Oz's gang of black drug dealers, and, for a time, fools them. He is found out by Nino Schibetta, the leader of Oz's Italian gang, and is killed soon after. In season 4, the police department tries sending another undercover officer, Detective Johnny Basil, to once again make an attempt at stopping the prison's drug trade.
Season One[]
Markstrom comes to Emerald City at the request of Warden Glynn to put an end into the drug trade within Oz. Glynn is the only one who knows his identity as a cop. He claims that Markstrom is his cousin, as a means of being let into Emerald City against Unit Manager Tim McManus' wishes. He is sponsored by Jefferson Keane, who immediately accepts him into the Homeboys. While in the Homeboys, he helps Keane and Simon Adebisi rise to power in the drug trade by knocking out any barriers in their way. When the war between the black and Italian inmates grows bloodier, Keane gets the death penalty and Markstrom takes charge of the Homeboys. Markstrom also lets in new inmate Kenny Wangler after he assists Adebisi in beating Italian inmate Joey D'Angelo unconscious. Schibetta then offers the Homeboys a truce and partnership in the drug trade. When he reveals that drugs come in through sock shipments in the post office, the COs seizes his package and, angered, he begins looking at the Homeboys to see who has been talking to the staff. Another detective betrays Markstrom to Schibetta, who has him hanged in the gym. Upon Markstrom's death, Glynn tells the inmates that he was in actuality an informant and from there all the staff members and inmates begin looking more carefully throughout Oz.