HURON COUNTY — An Ohio man is on trial for the cold case murder of his wife 24-years-ago. It’s one of the region’s oldest lingering questions: Who killed Regina Rowe Hicks?
In 2001, Rowe 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, Paul Hicks was charged with three counts of murder and one count of kidnapping in the death of Regina.
Now, because of one key witness, the Rowe family may finally get the closure they need.
“Steve Gates has a photographic memory, and he’s going to sit on this stand and tell you Paul Hicks killed his wife,” said Prosecutor Dan Kasaris.
Gates told police he was with Hicks and Regina the night of her death. He said Regina came by his home to pick up her and Paul Hick’s son. Gates said Hicks and Regina began arguing, so Gates excused himself and went into his home. But when he came back outside, he said he noticed Regina’s car was moved from its original location.
“He walks up to the car and when he gets to the car, the passenger door is open. The passenger door is full of mud marks, and he sees Regina crumpled at the passenger floorboard,” said Kasaris.
Gates claimed he wanted to call the police, but Hicks told him, “she’s already dead,” and told Gates to follow him. Gates says he followed Hicks to a pond on Townline Road 12 with Hicks and Regina’s son in the backseat. Gates says he was having a hard time parking near Hicks, so he made a U-turn.
“As he's driving back to the pond, he sees the defendant drive the car into the pond. Regina Hicks was alive, she was alive in the car when it went into the pond,” said Kasaris.
Hick’s sister, Crystal Hicks, took the stand. She testified that the night Regina disappeared, her brother was living with her at the time. That same night, her bathroom was dirty from muddy clothes that belonged to Hicks.
“His muddy clothes were floating in the bathtub,” said Crystal.
Paul Hicks told police the night Regina disappeared, he was at Steve Gates' home building a pond.
Crystal Hicks also claimed that Regina and Paul Hicks had an abusive relationship. The defense asked her if she ever witnessed her brother physically harm Regina. Crystal Hicks answered that she only saw the results of the alleged abuse.
The defense deferred opening statements.
The prosecution believes Paul Hicks knocked Regina unconscious before leaving her body in her 1992 Camaro and driving the car into the pond. They believe the motive was that Regina was happily moving on in life and wanted shared or full custody after the defendant made it clear he wanted full custody.
Over the next few days, the jury will hear from Paul Hicks' girlfriends, jail calls, Gates and Hicks himself.
