The verdict came this week in Norwalk, Ohio, where a Huron County jury found Hicks, 50, guilty on three counts of murder and one count of kidnapping, according to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Huron County Prosecutor James Sitterly. The conviction followed a two-week trial that closed one of the region’s most notorious cold cases.
“This case is a reminder that you cannot outrun your past,” Yost said after the verdict. “Eventually, as this defendant learned, your evil catches up to you.”
The Disappearance That Sparked a Mystery
The case traces back to Thursday, October 18, 2001. That evening, 25-year-old Regina Hicks left her boyfriend’s home in her white Chevrolet Camaro around 8 p.m. She told friends she was on her way to pick up her young son. She never arrived.
Four days later, on October 22, law enforcement officers made a grim discovery: Regina’s Camaro submerged in a pond off Section Line Road 30 in Willard. Her body was still inside the car.
Despite immediate suspicion surrounding her ex-husband, Paul Hicks, the investigation stalled for years. Limited forensic technology and inconclusive evidence left the case unresolved, while her family and the community were left searching for answers.
Reviving a Cold Case
In April 2025, the Huron County Prosecutor’s Office, working with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and the U.S. Marshals Service, announced a breakthrough. Hicks was indicted and taken into custody after investigators re-examined the evidence using modern forensic techniques and witness interviews.
“The investigators from BCI and the persistence of local law enforcement played a critical role in finally bringing this case to trial,” Prosecutor Sitterly said. “This is the culmination of years of dedication to finding justice for Regina.”
The Trial and Aftermath
During the trial, jurors heard testimony and reviewed forensic analyses that reconstructed the final hours of Regina’s life. Prosecutors presented evidence that pointed to Hicks as the perpetrator, arguing that his motive was rooted in control and resentment following their divorce.
Defense attorneys maintained Hicks’s innocence, citing the passage of time and claiming the evidence was circumstantial. However, the jury deliberated less than a day before announcing a unanimous guilty verdict.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Section assisted the Huron County Prosecutor’s Office in trying the case. Sentencing is expected in the coming weeks.
For many in Huron County, the verdict brought long-awaited closure to a story that symbolized both tragedy and persistence. As Attorney General Yost reflected, “BCI’s investigators and our prosecutors untangled this cold case and presented a clear, convincing picture of the horrors that occurred in the fall of 2001. I’m grateful for the jury’s discernment to finally right this wrong.”