WILLARD, OH — For over two decades, the disappearance of 25-year-old Regina Hicks was a dark cloud over the Willard community. This week, that cloud finally lifted—though not without leaving a trail of heartbreak in its wake—as her estranged husband, Paul Hicks, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for her 2001 murder.
The sentencing marks the end of a cold case that baffled investigators for 24 years, involving a submerged Camaro, a toxic marriage, and an elaborate “mask” scheme that sounded more like a Hollywood thriller than a small-town tragedy.
The Night Regina Vanished
On October 18, 2001, Regina Hicks was supposed to pick up her 4-year-old son, Montana, from a property owned by Steve Gates, a friend of her estranged husband. She never arrived.
Four days later, her white Camaro was found submerged in a nearby pond. Inside was Regina’s lifeless body. Authorities discovered she had suffered three blunt-force strikes to her scalp. At the time, Paul Hicks filed for divorce just one day after she went missing—a move that immediately raised red flags for investigators and family members alike.
A Breakthrough After Decades of Silence
For years, the case sat cold due to a lack of forensic evidence. Paul Hicks even famously avoided a polygraph test by claiming he had consumed Xanax and Jim Beam before the exam.
The turning point came when the Ohio Attorney General’s Cold Case Unit took over. They offered immunity to Steve Gates in exchange for his testimony. Gates’ story was chilling: he claimed he witnessed an argument between the couple, found Regina unconscious, and then watched as Paul drove her car into the pond with her inside to drown.
Motive: “You Don’t Fight Back Against Paul Hicks”
During the 2025 trial, prosecutors painted a picture of a man driven by a need for control and a desire to avoid financial responsibility.
- The Motive: Prosecutors alleged Paul killed Regina to avoid paying child support and losing custody.
- The Defense: Paul’s attorneys argued the case was built on “speculation and conjecture,” citing a lack of DNA or forensic links at the scene.
The jury, however, was moved by the testimony regarding Paul’s past behavior, including an bizarre prior incident where he allegedly used a custom-made mask and wig to try and frame another ex-girlfriend for arson.
A Son Left in the Middle
The most heartbreaking moment of the trial came from the person caught in the center of the tragedy: Montana Hicks, now 28. In a victim impact statement, Montana expressed the complex pain of losing both parents to the same crime.
“I lost my mom, and now I’m losing my dad,” Montana wrote, stating that he still struggled to find closure despite the verdict.
While Paul Hicks continues to appeal his conviction, Regina’s cousin, Lisa Hersha, wants the world to remember the woman behind the headlines—a woman she described as “loud, happy, and protective.”
What’s your take on this verdict? Is 25 years to life enough justice for a crime that took two decades to solve? Or do you agree with the son’s perspective on the lack of forensic evidence?
Share your thoughts in the comments below and follow for more Ohio cold case updates.
