NORWALK, Ohio — More than two decades after the disappearance and death of Regina Rowe Hicks, a breakthrough has led to the arrest of her ex-husband, Paul Hicks, in a chilling cold case that haunted the Huron County community.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Hicks, 50, of Sandusky, following an indictment filed in Huron County Common Pleas Court. He now faces three counts of murder and one count of kidnapping in connection with the 2001 case.
According to authorities, Regina Hicks, 25 at the time, vanished on the night of October 18, 2001. She had left her boyfriend’s home around 8 p.m. in her white Chevrolet Camaro to pick up her son — but she never arrived. Four days later, her car was discovered submerged in a pond off Section Line Road 30 in Willard. Her body was found inside.
The investigation was initially handled by the Huron County Sheriff’s Office and later assisted by BCI, which reopened the case. Persistent efforts by investigators eventually led to the recent indictment and arrest.
“This arrest brings us one step closer to justice for Regina and her loved ones,” said Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. “It proves that time does not erase our commitment to finding the truth.”
Huron County Prosecutor James Sitterly’s office is prosecuting the case, with assistance from the Special Prosecutions Section of the Attorney General’s Office.
Authorities emphasize that indictments are formal allegations and that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
