Killer Husband Caught Wearing Wife s Face As Mask #Truecrime #Bodycam #Trialfootage #Trial #Court #Arrest #interrogation #analysis #Crime #PaulHicks
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00:00The footage you are watching is of a home invasion in Claremont County, Ohio.
00:04Two intruders carrying several gas canisters and a duffel bag
00:07break in through the main entrance of the home and begin burglarizing the residents.
00:12After stealing two TVs and dousing the entire house in gasoline,
00:16the robbers exit through the back door and within moments,
00:24the explosion could be heard from over a mile away.
00:279-1-1 calls poured in, and by the time the fire department had put out the fire,
00:31the house and everything in it had been completely destroyed.
00:35Thankfully, there were no casualties.
00:37After checking the security cameras, it was clear to the investigators that this was a case of arson
00:42and possibly an attempted murder.
00:45The house that was set on fire actually belonged to 43-year-old Paul Hicks,
00:50the prime suspect in one of Ohio's most notorious murder cases.
00:55Back in 2001, Paul's wife, 25-year-old Regina Hicks, went missing
01:00and was later found dead inside her car at the bottom of a pond beside a quiet country road.
01:06She had been brutally beaten, indicating it was a homicide.
01:09However, police were unable to find her killer, and the case went cold.
01:13But 14 years later, this robbery would reignite interest in Regina's case.
01:18Literally.
01:22At the time of the fire, Paul was staying at a hotel for a work trip over two hours away.
01:28He rushed back to Claremont County upon hearing what had happened.
01:31While reviewing the footage with the police, he immediately recognized the female intruder
01:36as his ex-girlfriend Kelly.
01:43Apparently, Paul and Kelly were in the middle of an ugly custody battle
01:47over their six-year-old son, Daniel.
01:49Three months earlier, in March, Kelly was caught on camera vandalizing Paul's hot tub.
01:58She even came back to finish the job later that same night.
02:02At one point, she stood up and looked straight into the camera,
02:05as if she wanted Paul to see how far she was willing to take things.
02:09Additionally, the day before the robbery,
02:11the two had gotten into an argument about the custody battle,
02:14and she began harassing him with phone calls.
02:17Just told her, stop calling me, and then she called, I think, 95 times in a row.
02:21Okay, and this was last night?
02:23Yes.
02:24Since there was already an outstanding warrant for the hot tub incident,
02:27Kelly was swiftly tracked down and arrested for misdemeanor criminal damage.
02:31So I didn't do anything wrong.
02:33I understand.
02:34So my head comes like a criminal.
02:35I have no record at all.
02:37What you have is a criminal damaging warrant.
02:39I did nothing.
02:40So it's not, you know,
02:42you haven't gone out and killed anybody or anything.
02:45It's just a criminal damage warrant.
02:47Okay?
02:47Well, you make these off.
02:48No, I have to leave the cuffs on, unfortunately.
02:50But I did nothing.
02:51Kelly was brought into the interrogation room for an interview.
02:54Yes, it's been recorded.
02:55Is that cold?
02:56Oh, yeah.
02:57Good.
02:57Even after being shown video evidence of her involvement in both the hot tub incident and
03:02the robbery, Kelly was adamant that the female suspect was not her.
03:06This is the girl that is, they're trying to say it's me, but it's not me.
03:10And you guys do resemble each other.
03:13Just like the eyes, the cheeks, and the eyebrows.
03:15Other than that, I don't have that distinctive chin.
03:17Kelly told the detective that at the time of the incident, she was 30 minutes away in her
03:21Norwood home.
03:22Surprisingly, they were quickly able to confirm this claim, and Kelly was ruled out as a suspect.
03:28But if Kelly wasn't the person in the video, then who was it?
03:31The detectives began to notice all of the strange details surrounding this case.
03:36Why would the female intruder, who just so happened to have a striking resemblance to Kelly,
03:40completely expose their face in distinct hairstyle?
03:44Why would this same person stare into the camera after vandalizing Paul's hot tub,
03:48knowing that it could lead to their arrest?
03:50Kelly also said that the phone call harassment accusations were completely unwarranted,
03:55because she had no contact with Paul that evening whatsoever.
03:59Now, do you have your records from June 17th at night?
04:03Yeah.
04:04Because the records I find is that you made a lot of phone calls to him.
04:08You guys have been texting back and forth on the 17th, so this was the night before the fire.
04:11Here's the whole text message conversation.
04:13Okay.
04:13I know he's, you know, he's talking about, hey, he's going to go for full custody and all that stuff.
04:17And then after that, after between about 8 o'clock and 10 o'clock that night,
04:22there's numerous, numerous phone calls from your phone to his phone.
04:26Oh, no, that's what I was just showing you right here.
04:28I never called him at all.
04:29After the last time that I spoke with him, is it 625?
04:33Okay.
04:33And after that, his number's nowhere.
04:35I never called him at all.
04:36So there was no phone calls?
04:37None.
04:38Zero.
04:38None.
04:39I never called him at all.
04:40Somehow, somebody was mimicking Kelly's number and harassing Paul.
04:44Upon this realization, Kelly said she knew exactly who was behind this.
04:48Paul himself.
04:50She said that in the past, she had seen Paul use a website called Spoof Card,
04:54which disguises your phone number with a fake virtual number of your choice.
04:58Using information provided by the Spoof Card team,
05:01the investigators concluded that Paul had set up this fake number
05:04under the name of another one of his ex-girlfriends.
05:07He had also purchased multiple items using the same ex's name and bank cards,
05:12including a wig that matched Kelly's hair,
05:14and a creepy, custom-made mask from That'sMyFace.com,
05:18using reference photos of Kelly.
05:20Many of these photos were displayed on Paul's social media,
05:23and some of them originated from Paul's cell phone,
05:26meaning he must have uploaded these photos to the website himself.
05:29Paul had already been ruled out as one of the intruders,
05:32since he was confirmed to be two hours away at the time of the robbery.
05:35But even though they couldn't identify the intruders,
05:38it appeared that Paul was the mastermind behind this elaborate frame job,
05:43likely to gain full custody of their son and collect the insurance money from the fire.
05:47This failed plan resulted in a seven-year-long civil suit with Allstate Insurance,
05:52who refused to pay out his home insurance policy.
05:55Eventually, he was faced with six criminal charges as well.
05:59The plan was to frame his ex-girlfriend and get custody of their child and collect insurance money.
06:04But investigators in Claremont County say they did not buy the elaborate scheme
06:08and took the case to a grand jury.
06:1143-year-old Paul Hicks is now indicted for aggravated arson, insurance fraud, and perjury.
06:17With all of this attention on Paul,
06:19old rumors about his involvement in Regina Hicks' murder were coming back into the spotlight.
06:24So, investigators took another look at the evidence, collected back in 2001.
06:32Your call has been forwarded to an automatic voice message system.
06:36Regina Hicks?
06:37Is not available.
06:39Hey, Regina, it's me, honey.
06:41I'm going to be good.
06:42I'll just give you a call.
06:44Sorry, I'm going to be good.
06:47Regina, I don't know where you're at or what you're doing, but I'm so glad you're not out.
06:54Ask me, Paul, since you've been here at 8-8-3-1-9, give me a call.
06:58Bye.
06:59End of message.
07:01She was supposed to come pick my son up.
07:03She called me at 7-53, and that's what my cell phone said.
07:06I don't know exactly what she exactly said, but she goes, I'll be there.
07:10Regina was supposed to come pick up Montana at Steve's house?
07:13Yeah.
07:14And she never showed her so that?
07:16Actually, Paul is lying.
07:17Regina did show up to pick up their son,
07:20but she immediately got into a heated argument with Paul,
07:23who then struck her three times in the head, knocking her unconscious.
07:27What'd you do with my family?
07:28Well, I took it back to my sister's, and I figured if she was going to show up,
07:32she'd show up there, show up the next morning.
07:34You said earlier you thought maybe she just didn't show up,
07:36she was maybe partying or something?
07:37Yeah.
07:38Where'd she party at?
07:39All bars, people's houses, wherever there's a party.
07:42Paul then tries to convince the detectives that Regina was a drug dealer,
07:46despite her family saying she was never involved with drugs whatsoever.
07:50He tells them that just one month before this interview, on September 6th, 2001,
07:55she got arrested during a traffic stop for having marijuana and pills inside her vehicle.
08:00She had marijuana, and she was going to Kentucky, and...
08:03She got busted with dope?
08:05No, her...
08:06Well, she got busted here in Willard.
08:07I don't know if she was taken in or what she did in.
08:09I don't know if she'd be a pal, but she didn't sell it.
08:12And then, well, she got busted for that.
08:15What kind of dope was she had?
08:16Charged her with nothing.
08:17Paul once again is leaving out key details about this incident,
08:20making it seem like Regina had some shady drug deals that could have led to somebody murdering her.
08:25What Paul isn't mentioning is that his best friend, Steve Gates,
08:29was actually the person who called the police on Regina.
08:32When Regina was pulled over and arrested,
08:34she said that Paul and Steve had planted these drugs in her vehicle and were trying to set her up,
08:40in order for Paul to gain full custody of their son, Montana.
08:43You're involved in custody as well?
08:45Yep.
08:46Because if you give me joint custody, I'll give you everything you want.
08:49The furniture, everything.
08:51And she said, okay, I'll do that.
08:53She decided to change her mind.
08:54She happened to give me joint custody.
08:55Somebody told her she's not going to be a child support if I get joint custody.
08:59That's been a pretty nasty affair, huh?
09:00Yep.
09:01She's got a...
09:04a...
09:04a...
09:04a...
09:05a...
09:05a...
09:05a...
09:05a...
09:05a...
09:05a...
09:05a...
09:05a...
09:05a...
09:10Some important context is that according to Regina's family and friends,
09:14Paul was a controlling and abusive husband,
09:16and Regina had been considering leaving him for a while.
09:20Six months before her death, their house was destroyed in, you guessed it, a house fire,
09:25and she and Paul split the insurance money.
09:28Suddenly, Regina had money in the bank and decided it was a good time to break free from her abusive
09:33marriage.
09:33So, she filed for a divorce.
09:35Paul did not want to pay child support, so he made it clear that he wanted full custody.
09:40However, in less than two months, Paul had blown through most of the insurance money,
09:45lost his job, and was soon due to start paying child support.
09:49Despite this clear motive to want Regina out of the picture,
09:52Paul insisted that he didn't try to set her up back in September.
09:56And more importantly, he vehemently denied killing her.
09:59The detectives interviewing Paul asked him to do a polygraph test.
10:03Paul agreed.
10:04However, when he came in the next day to do the test, they ran into a problem.
10:08Hey, first of all, I'm going to ask, are you willing to take the examination?
10:12Yeah, I'm going to ask.
10:13Sure, absolutely.
10:14Does it matter if we're doing a drinking matter series?
10:16No, we need to have pills or something.
10:17Well, let's have a pill here to you.
10:19At this point, the polygraph examiner decided not to go through with the test,
10:23since the alcohol and pills in Paul's system could mess up the results.
10:27However, the examiner went forward with the pre-test interview anyway.
10:31During the interview, he made up a fake scientific test, called the ozone atomic test.
10:36Amazing.
10:46He was trying to make Paul think that the crime lab had overwhelming evidence against him,
10:52which would hopefully elicit a confession.
10:54However, the examiner was only able to get basic information out of Paul
10:58before the interview was concluded, and Paul was free to go.
11:01Following this interview, the detective struggled to find any new evidence or leads,
11:05and the investigation eventually fizzled out.
11:09We just want justice.
11:10LaSella Holbrook's dining room table speaks volumes about what she's been doing in the year
11:14since her daughter Regina Hicks' murder.
11:16Clippings, posters, and handbills, all designed to keep the case in the public eye.
11:20Somewhere, somebody knows something.
11:22It's just a matter.
11:23Is the people afraid to speak up?
11:25But no one has spoken up.
11:27Just how did Regina end up beaten in the head inside of her car in this pond where she died
11:31of drowning?
11:32Worst of all, she left a five-year-old son Montana.
11:35Tell me about your mom.
11:38Um, she used to buy me toys a lot.
11:42You miss her, huh?
11:43I know Paul didn't do this.
11:45I raised Paul.
11:45I know what kind of child Paul is.
11:47So I know Paul didn't do this.
11:51Eighteen years later, in January of 2019,
11:54Paul was facing six criminal charges related to the 2015 house fire.
11:58Two counts of aggravated arson, three counts of perjury, and one count of insurance fraud.
12:03He was offered a plea deal which eliminated five of the charges
12:06and reduced the remaining insurance fraud charge to a misdemeanor.
12:11He accepted the deal in 2022 and received three years of probation.
12:15As for his civil suit against Allstate Insurance,
12:18He ultimately lost that case and was forced to pay $400,000.
12:23Regina's family, who still believed Paul was responsible for Regina's death,
12:27saw these punishments as a slap on the wrist and urged authorities to reopen Regina's case.
12:32For years, her mom, Lacella Holbrook, spent thousands on billboards,
12:37rewards, newspaper ads to keep people talking about the case
12:41and conducting her own interviews on her daughter's death.
12:44My mom ended up getting cancer and passing away.
12:48For over two decades, the family has lived with one question.
12:52Who killed Regina?
12:54That was until Ashley Ford, who hosts her own true crime podcast,
12:58began looking into Regina's case.
13:01I wanted to see if we could get some attention to a cold case that definitely deserves justice.
13:06As she dove into the evidence,
13:08she quickly realized that there was one person that could hold the answers the family was looking for.
13:13Paul's friend, Steve Gates.
13:15As we mentioned earlier,
13:16Steve had called 911 to report Regina for the illegal possession of drugs in her vehicle.
13:21Also, Regina was on her way to Steve's house right before she disappeared.
13:25It seemed possible that after their ploy to get Regina arrested for possession didn't work.
13:31Paul and Steve decided to take things to the next level and get rid of her themselves.
13:35Ashley and the family raised enough awareness about the case that it was reopened by the Huron County authorities.
13:42An interview was set up with Steve,
13:43and the first thing he said to the investigators was that he was ready to tell them everything,
13:48as long as he had immunity.
13:50The prosecutors agreed,
13:52and Steve began telling them what happened on the night of October 18th, 2001.
13:57Steve said that Regina pulled into his driveway.
14:00She was there to pick up Montana,
14:02her and Paul's four-year-old son.
14:04Paul walked up to her car,
14:05and the couple got into an intense argument.
14:07Steve didn't want to get involved,
14:09so he went to his garage,
14:11turned on the radio,
14:12and tinkered around for a bit.
14:13When he came back outside,
14:15Regina's car was now parked near the road,
14:17and Paul was standing at her passenger side door.
14:20He went over and noticed that Regina was unresponsive.
14:23He asked Paul what was wrong with her,
14:25and Paul said that she was dead.
14:27At this point in the interview,
14:28Steve broke down in tears,
14:30but he eventually composed himself and finished his story.
14:33Steve told Paul to call 911,
14:35but Paul refused.
14:36They argued for a bit,
14:37before Paul said to Steve that he was now an accomplice,
14:40and he had to help get rid of the body.
14:43Paul got into Regina's car,
14:44and started driving toward a pond several miles away.
14:47Steve followed behind in Paul's truck,
14:49with their son Montana in the back seat.
14:52They eventually made it to the pond,
14:54and Paul drove straight in,
14:56Regina still in the passenger seat.
14:58Paul then escaped the vehicle out of the window,
15:01and hopped into the car with Steve.
15:03During their drive home,
15:04Paul called Regina's cell phone,
15:05to make it seem like she had never showed up.
15:13Steve drove Paul to his sister Crystal's house,
15:15since he was living with her at the time.
15:17Paul thought she wouldn't be home for a while,
15:19but that day,
15:20she just so happened to get off of work early.
15:22I came home to a mess in my house,
15:24and I was headed to the bathroom,
15:26and he tried to cut me off.
15:28Who's he?
15:29My brother.
15:30And he said,
15:30it was a mess I would be mad.
15:32And when I proceeded to go to the bathroom anyhow,
15:35and his muddy clothes were floating in the bathtub,
15:37we'd been trying to clean them.
15:38Steve was sitting on the couch,
15:39and like I said,
15:40I think I surprised him both,
15:42because I got off earlier than normal.
15:43He had scratches on his,
15:45I believe it was his neck,
15:46or part of his face,
15:47somewhere in this area.
15:48He said a tree had fallen on him,
15:50scratched him.
15:50Steve said that in the years following this incident,
15:53Paul threatened him and his family,
15:55telling him to keep his mouth shut.
15:57Following his interview,
15:59Steve and the investigators drove to his property,
16:01where he gave them a more thorough walkthrough
16:03of what happened that night.
16:05And then I come around the corner.
16:07They were like standing maybe here somewhere.
16:10I just remember this little swale,
16:12they were in this little,
16:13and they were like,
16:15they were like yelling at each other.
16:17And you were over there.
16:18So when you came out of the garage,
16:20where were they at?
16:21Down there,
16:22down by the fence,
16:23or behind the dump chamber.
16:25I just remember being like amped up,
16:28and just not thinking clear at that point,
16:31because I'm like,
16:33Right.
16:34You're involved,
16:35and everything else,
16:36you know,
16:36and just...
16:37How long do you think
16:38you were standing by the car with hits?
16:40Minutes.
16:41And then you get in his car and follow.
16:43With Steve's cooperation on their side,
16:46the prosecutors finally felt confident enough
16:48in their case to arrest Paul.
16:50They followed his movements for a while,
16:52before pulling him over on a country road.
16:55All right,
16:55we're lighting him up.
16:58All right,
16:58here we are.
17:02Come on,
17:03step on.
17:05We're going to go over here to the cruiser.
17:07Sure.
17:17Paul was transported back to the station,
17:19where the detectives tried to interview him.
17:21But as far as Paul was concerned,
17:23an interview wasn't on the agenda.
17:25It's not disrespectful to me because
17:27you can give what you need to do
17:29and show me the charges
17:30so I can make my call.
17:31Do you want to know what the indictment is?
17:32No,
17:33I want to make my phone call.
17:34Okay.
17:34Yeah.
17:35So,
17:35we would like to talk to you
17:36about what that means.
17:37I heard any sign.
17:38I don't want you to talk to me about nothing.
17:39So,
17:40you don't have anything to say?
17:41I have nothing to say to you.
17:42Okay.
17:42I want my phone call.
17:43They were supposed to bring my phone,
17:44which I know is a lie,
17:45but not going to.
17:46Well,
17:47you'll get your phone call
17:48when you get into the jail.
17:50Oh,
17:50I'm not in the jail?
17:51No,
17:51this is an interview room.
17:53you're taking me to jail.
17:54So,
17:55yeah,
17:55you're cool with this.
17:57Let's go with it.
17:57So,
17:58yeah,
17:58you're not running the show here.
18:00Why don't you remain silent?
18:01Well,
18:01then that's fine.
18:02That's fine.
18:03And they'll get to you
18:03when they get time to get to you.
18:05Oh,
18:05I know.
18:06I said in the horse.
18:07Well,
18:07I know you don't.
18:09Yeah,
18:09you don't.
18:10Well,
18:11it's all about you,
18:11Paul.
18:12Yeah.
18:12Since Paul was being stubborn,
18:14the interview was concluded
18:15and Paul was taken to the county jail.
18:17He was charged with murder and kidnapping.
18:20Paul pled not guilty
18:21and was denied bond.
18:22We continue to follow huge developments
18:24in a 24-year-old cold case.
18:26A mother found dead in her car.
18:29Now,
18:29her estranged husband
18:31has been indicted for murder.
18:33Recent developments
18:35have opened a door
18:36and led to,
18:38at long last,
18:39an indictment.
18:41Now,
18:41it's up to us to prove the case
18:43beyond a reasonable doubt
18:44in a court of law.
18:45Paul's trial began on December 10,
18:472025.
18:48The state had no physical evidence
18:50to directly link Paul to the murder,
18:52so they mainly had to rely
18:54on witness testimony
18:55in order to convince the jury
18:56of Paul's guilt.
18:58More specifically,
18:59they had to make sure
18:59that the jury believed
19:01Steve Gates' story.
19:02The same Steve Gates
19:03that helped dispose
19:04of the victim's body,
19:05lied to the authorities,
19:06and kept Paul's horrific secret
19:08for 24 years.
19:10Steve Gates discussed
19:11what happened
19:12on October 18,
19:14but he lied.
19:16And he's going to get up
19:17on the witness stand
19:18and he's going to admit to you
19:19that he lied.
19:20He lied to the sheriff's department.
19:22He lied for 24 years.
19:25He could have continued lying.
19:27Nothing would have happened to him.
19:29He had nothing to gain
19:30by coming clean.
19:31Steve Gates will tell you that.
19:32To everybody's surprise,
19:34the defense decided
19:35not to give an opening statement,
19:36so the state started
19:37calling their witnesses.
19:39They called several members
19:40of Regina's family
19:41to tell the court
19:42what they knew
19:42about her relationship with Paul.
19:44Was he controlling
19:45as far as her relationship went?
19:47Yes, like she would only
19:48talk to her mom
19:49when he wasn't home.
19:51Towards the end,
19:51she was kind of on end things
19:52because she knew he was with Jason.
19:54He pretty much told her
19:54that nobody would want her.
19:56If he couldn't have her,
19:57nobody would kill.
19:57Please read what you heard
19:58the defendant say.
20:00I think you died.
20:02You're a f***ing ball and chain.
20:04Holy, dumb a**.
20:06You're worth more to me dead
20:08than you are alive.
20:09Steve Gates requested
20:10that his identity
20:11be kept hidden
20:12during the trial,
20:13so no cameras
20:14or audio recording devices
20:15were allowed
20:16during his testimony.
20:18The state's next few witnesses
20:19corroborated Steve's story,
20:21like Jimmy Patrick,
20:22Regina's uncle,
20:23who had apparently seen her car
20:25at Steve's house
20:26on the night of the murder.
20:27I was driving by Gates' house.
20:30I just glanced over
20:31and looked
20:32and I said,
20:33that looks like her car.
20:35When you'd seen that car,
20:37you said it was getting dark?
20:38Yeah, dusty dark.
20:40Paul's sister, Crystal,
20:41also corroborated Steve's testimony
20:43with her story
20:44about coming home
20:44to a muddy bathroom
20:46and Paul's scratched up face.
20:48Jansen Phipps,
20:49Paul's ex-girlfriend
20:50at the time of Regina's death,
20:52told the jury
20:52about the days
20:53following her disappearance.
20:55She said that
20:55after Paul left
20:56his sister's house,
20:57he came over
20:58to stay the night,
20:59but he snuck out
21:00while she was sleeping.
21:01What happened
21:01after you went to bed?
21:02I went to sleep,
21:04I woke up,
21:06and Paul was gone,
21:07but I didn't think anything of it
21:10and I went back to sleep.
21:10When he got back,
21:11he told Jansen
21:12that he had accidentally
21:13left a pair of boots
21:14at his sister's house,
21:15so he went there
21:16to grab them.
21:17What did he tell you
21:18about muddy boots?
21:20That he had a pair
21:22of muddy boots
21:24from the day
21:25that Regina went missing
21:26because they were
21:27digging the pond
21:28and he put them
21:29on his sister's back porch
21:31and somebody stole them.
21:32She soon learned
21:33of Regina's death
21:34and she noticed
21:35that Paul had
21:36a sudden interest
21:37in true crime
21:37and polygraph tests.
21:39Did he also
21:40watch crime shows?
21:41We watched a lot
21:42of like forensic files
21:44and just shows
21:47about how people
21:49would get rid of evidence
21:51and things like that.
21:53He told me that
21:57that there were
21:58ways to beat
21:59a lie detector test.
22:00Did he talk to you
22:01about things like
22:02breathing techniques,
22:03things like that?
22:04Yeah, he had a book.
22:05I feel in my memory
22:08like it had a yellow covering.
22:10It was a softback,
22:11it wasn't a hardback book.
22:14But yeah,
22:14it was how to beat
22:15a lie detector.
22:17He told me he was just
22:17trying to protect himself.
22:18She also testified
22:20that Paul had admitted
22:21to planting drugs
22:22in Regina's car
22:23as an attempt
22:23to get her arrested.
22:25He told me
22:27that he and Steve
22:29worked together
22:30to plant drugs
22:33in Regina's car
22:34to keep her
22:36from getting custody
22:36of Montana.
22:37Throughout this trial,
22:39the defense leaned
22:39into the lack
22:40of physical evidence
22:41to plant reasonable doubt
22:42into the jury's minds.
22:44There's nothing
22:44that you found
22:45when you reviewed
22:46the DNA
22:47to implicate Paul Hicks.
22:49Isn't that true?
22:50There's nothing at all
22:51that I can compare
22:52to anybody.
22:53It's just simply
22:53not sufficient
22:54for comparison purposes.
22:55They also questioned
22:56Steve Gates' credibility.
22:58They suggested
22:59that he was using
22:59Paul as a scapegoat
23:01by lying about
23:01his involvement
23:02in order to gain immunity.
23:04The state conceded
23:05that Steve Gates
23:07has lied for 24 years.
23:09Is that your position?
23:10That's what I've been told you.
23:12And you can't rule out
23:14as you sit there
23:15that he is going
23:16to lie tomorrow?
23:17I can't.
23:18No, sir, I can't.
23:18They then called out
23:19the former sheriff
23:20for having tunnel vision
23:22on Paul
23:22from the very beginning.
23:24You testified
23:24you're trying
23:25to rule people out.
23:26You got her best friend
23:27telling you
23:27she's having relations
23:29with four guys
23:30and you don't send
23:31anything to BCI
23:32in regards
23:33to those four men.
23:34We did not send anything
23:35in regards to those four men.
23:36That's right.
23:37So then as you sit here today,
23:38you didn't rule out
23:39those four potential men
23:41as suspects
23:41in this case.
23:42Nothing led us
23:43to believe
23:43those four people
23:44were suspects.
23:45After a two-week trial,
23:46it was time
23:47for the closing arguments.
23:48Paul Hicks
23:49assaulted his wife
23:50Regina Hicks.
23:51Hit her over the head,
23:53stopped her into
23:54a passenger seat
23:55over 1994 Camaro.
23:58We are fully confident
24:00you will find
24:01beyond a reasonable doubt
24:02that the defendant
24:03Paul Hicks
24:04is guilty
24:04of murdering
24:05Regina Hicks.
24:07To find Paul
24:08guilty,
24:09you have to find him
24:10guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,
24:12the absolute highest standard
24:14in our legal system.
24:16Their whole case
24:17was based upon
24:18speculation
24:19and conjecture.
24:21Remember back
24:22in the 70s or 80s
24:23with the where's
24:23the beef commercials,
24:24where's the beef,
24:25where's the beef?
24:26Well, let's get
24:26to the beef
24:27that had been the case.
24:30Zero forensic evidence
24:33linking Paul
24:34to the alleged crime scene.
24:37zero.
24:38Now,
24:39now,
24:39zero forensic evidence
24:41to corroborate
24:43the scientifically
24:44unverified fiction
24:46of Charlottes and Gates.
24:48They checked
24:49for blood,
24:51hair,
24:53skin,
24:54body fluids.
24:55Nine.
24:56There's also
24:57four other men
24:58that were detention suspects
25:01that they didn't send
25:02any testing here on.
25:04Motive?
25:05Motive?
25:07Motive.
25:07That's what's about you.
25:10Regina's independence.
25:11Regina wanted child support.
25:13Regina wanted custody.
25:15Regina fought back.
25:17Don't fight back
25:18against politics.
25:20At this time,
25:21then,
25:21we will take
25:22a time for the jury
25:24to begin their deliberation.
25:25After just three hours
25:27of jury deliberations,
25:28a verdict was reached.
25:29On the indictment
25:30for count one
25:31being murdered,
25:33the jury finds
25:34the defendant guilty
25:35of murder
25:36and unclassified
25:37of the felony.
25:38It's dated
25:39December 19,
25:402025.
25:41Paul continued
25:42to shake his head
25:43as he was found guilty
25:44on all of his charges.
25:46His sentencing
25:47took place the next month
25:48on January 9,
25:492026.
25:50Before Paul learned
25:51his fate,
25:52Regina's family
25:53gave their impact
25:54statements,
25:54expressing the depth
25:56of the pain
25:56and grief
25:57Paul had caused them.
25:58Regina was intelligent
25:59far more intelligent
26:00than you.
26:01She had a rare kindness
26:02and a heart
26:03that would have only
26:03grown stronger with time.
26:05She brought light
26:05into the lives of others
26:06simply by being herself.
26:08She would have made
26:09a real impact
26:10on this world.
26:11This was a calculated
26:12act of control
26:13by a man who believed
26:14he had the right
26:15to decide whether
26:16his wife lived
26:17or died
26:17and you made that choice.
26:19You erased her
26:20from her son's
26:20daily existence.
26:22You silenced the voice
26:23that would have guided him.
26:25You stole the mother
26:26who would have comforted him,
26:27protected him,
26:28corrected him
26:29and loved him
26:31through every stage
26:32of his life.
26:33He grew up
26:34without her wisdom,
26:35her reassurance
26:37and her presence.
26:38Regina will be remembered
26:39forever.
26:39You will be held
26:40accountable
26:41and forgotten.
26:42Paul Hicks,
26:44you are a monster.
26:45I hope Paul Hicks
26:47and Jewel Hicks
26:47see Regina's face
26:48every night
26:49of their lives.
26:50I hope you,
26:51Paul Hicks,
26:52get a disease
26:53that eats you away
26:53slowly and very
26:55painfully.
26:56I hope you rot in hell,
26:57Paul Hicks.
26:58You think you're above the law
26:59but they finally got you.
27:01Paul was not born a monster.
27:04Monsters are made.
27:05They are created
27:06through choices,
27:08through entitlement,
27:09through being enabled
27:10and never held accountable.
27:13Over time,
27:14Paul was allowed
27:15to believe
27:15he had power
27:16over others
27:17and that he could
27:18have control,
27:20harm,
27:20and destroy
27:21without consequence.
27:22and that belief
27:24turned him
27:25into exactly
27:26what we see today.
27:28Regina was everything
27:29he was not.
27:30She was a beautiful spirit.
27:32She carried light,
27:34kindness,
27:35and warmth
27:35into the lives
27:36around her.
27:37Your Honor,
27:38this case could have been
27:39solved 24 years ago
27:40if the hearing
27:41accounting shift department
27:42and Dane Howard
27:42would have done their job.
27:44But they didn't.
27:45So I want to thank you,
27:46this court,
27:47and the jury
27:47for getting justice
27:49for Regina
27:49and my family.
27:50As far as saying
27:51anything to Paul,
27:52he don't care.
27:53I'm not going to say anything.
27:54Only thing I got to say
27:55to him is
27:56get used to prison food
27:57and don't drop the soap.
27:59Thank you, Your Honor.
28:01Montana,
28:01Paul and Regina's
28:02now 28-year-old son,
28:04gave a written
28:05impact statement
28:06which was read
28:06to the court
28:07by a victim's advocate.
28:09I stand before you
28:10as the biggest victim
28:11of this tragedy.
28:12I grew up
28:12without a mother
28:13and was shunned
28:14by my mother's family
28:15and treated
28:15like an outsider.
28:17My whole life
28:17has been affected by this
28:18and is still being
28:19affected today.
28:20I can't escape this.
28:22During this impact statement,
28:23it became clear
28:24that Montana
28:25wasn't fully convinced
28:26that his father
28:27had killed his mother.
28:28To me,
28:29there is no justice
28:30as to lack of evidence.
28:31Nothing has been solved
28:32and nothing will be
28:33until the truth comes out
28:34about who really
28:35did this to my mother.
28:37Do I feel like
28:37he should be punished?
28:39No,
28:39but anyone who committed
28:40a crime should pay.
28:41I lost my mom
28:42and now I'm losing my dad.
28:44Montana then asked
28:45the judge for leniency,
28:47urging mental health
28:48treatment for his dad
28:49rather than incarceration.
28:51After taking everything
28:52into consideration,
28:53the judge handed down
28:54Paul's sentence.
28:55There is no reason
28:56for any leniency
28:57in this case.
28:58The defendant had the benefit
28:59of roaming free
29:00for the last quarter
29:01of a century
29:02before facing justice
29:04here today.
29:05The court's total sentence
29:06then would be
29:0725 years to life.
29:08Paul sat emotionless
29:10as he learned his fate.
29:11He was taken
29:12to the Lake Erie
29:13Correctional Institution
29:14in Conneaut, Ohio
29:15where he will spend
29:16the rest of his life
29:18behind bars.
29:44But if you're in those
29:45the judge has said
29:45where there's no
29:45devil's containing
29:45who did not
29:45at the end of the day.
29:45of the women.
29:45to the men
29:46in the WWE
29:46of the men
29:46and the men
29:46one
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