HURON COUNTY — A Sandusky man who was found guilty last month of murdering his wife was sentenced to life in prison on Friday afternoon.
The defendant, Paul Hicks, was found guilty of three counts of murder and one count of kidnapping on Dec. 19, 2025, in connection with the death of his wife, Regina Rowe Hicks, back in 2001.
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The prosecution asked for Hicks to serve the maximum on each charge.
"He kidnapped his wife, knocked her out, dragged her into a car, and then drove her car into a pond, drowning her. To not sentence the defendant consecutively would be rewarding him for the kidnapping," said Senior Assistant Ohio Attorney General Dan Kasaris.
The defense argued for 15 years to life.
The judge’s decision was 25-years to life with the possibility of parole.
What happened
Hicks' murder was a cold case that haunted the community for a quarter of a century.
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In 2001, Hicks went missing in Huron County while on the way to pick up her son. Her family searched for her until she was found four days later in the passenger seat of her car in a pond in Huron County. Her autopsy showed bruising on her head, and authorities didn’t believe it was an accident. In 2025, Hicks was indicted on murder and kidnapping charges — something Regina’s mom didn't live to see.
Family reaction
"I wish my grandma was here to see it. It's something that she definitely would have been extremely happy about, and I know she's looking down, dancing, singing," said the victim's niece, Shelbi Rowe.
Many of Regina's family members addressed Hicks.
"You erased her from her son's daily existence, you silenced the voice that would have guided him, you stole the mother who would have comforted him, protected him, corrected him and loved him through every stage of his life," said the victim's cousin, Lisa Hersher.
Her family hopes he never forgets the light he took from them.
"We are grieving the life that she should have lived, the laughter that we can never hear again in the moment, the moments that were taken from her and from us. The cruelty was not accidental, it was deliberate, and the damage did not stop when her life was taken. It spread through everyone who loved her. Paul was not born a monster. Monsters are made. They are created through choices, through entitlement, through being enabled and never held accountable," said the victim's cousin, Jennifer Donnenwith.
The family is glad to finally close this haunting chapter.
"Hopefully we can all move on and be happy," said Rowe.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost released a statement.
“Today a killer is held accountable, although 24 years after the crime, it’s a stark reminder that truth has no expiration date,” Yost said. “Prison bars will now restrain the evil that stole Regina from her loved ones.”
The defense does plan to appeal Hicks' sentencing.
