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Paul Edward Hicks became known in Ohio criminal cases after being convicted in 2025 for the 2001 murder of his estranged wife, Regina Rowe Hicks. The case remained unresolved for more than two decades before prosecutors finally secured a conviction, turning the investigation into one of the region’s most significant cold case homicide prosecutions. Born on July 18, 1955, in Willard, Huron County, Ohio, Hicks was accused of killing Regina during a period of marital separation and escalating personal conflict. Investigators later alleged he attempted to conceal the crime and avoid responsibility for years while the case remained unsolved. The eventual conviction drew major attention because of the extraordinary delay between the killing and the courtroom outcome, highlighting advances in investigative persistence, forensic review, and cold case prosecution strategies.
Paul Edward Hicks was born on July 18, 1955, in Willard, Huron County, Ohio, USA. Publicly available information regarding his early upbringing, education, and childhood background has remained relatively limited compared to many nationally publicized homicide offenders.
As an adult, Hicks lived in Ohio and later married Regina Rowe Hicks. According to prosecutors, the marriage eventually deteriorated, leading to separation and growing interpersonal conflict before Regina’s death in 2001. Investigators later examined the relationship closely while reconstructing the timeline surrounding the homicide.
Prior to the murder conviction, Hicks largely remained outside widespread public attention. That changed after the long-unsolved case was revisited by investigators and prosecutors pursuing renewed evidence and witness testimony connected to Regina Hicks’ killing.
In 2001, Regina Rowe Hicks was killed during a period of separation from Paul Hicks. Authorities later alleged the murder stemmed from escalating marital conflict and personal tensions between the estranged couple. The homicide initially remained unresolved, leaving investigators searching for answers for more than two decades.
Over the years, detectives continued reviewing evidence, re-interviewing witnesses, and reconstructing timelines connected to Regina’s death. Prosecutors later argued that inconsistencies in statements, investigative findings, and accumulated evidence increasingly pointed toward Paul Hicks as the offender responsible for the killing.
The case eventually moved forward as a cold case prosecution, culminating in Hicks’ conviction in 2025. The guilty verdict generated strong public reaction throughout Ohio because of the length of time between the homicide and the final courtroom outcome.
Prosecutors portrayed Paul Hicks as an offender motivated by deteriorating domestic conflict and relationship breakdown. Investigators alleged Regina Hicks was targeted during a period of estrangement, with the homicide occurring against the backdrop of ongoing marital instability.
Authorities also examined alleged concealment efforts and inconsistencies that emerged during the long-running investigation. Detectives worked for years to reconstruct timelines, statements, and physical evidence connected to the case. Prosecutors later argued the persistence of investigators ultimately helped establish the foundation for the conviction.
Paul Hicks believed he escaped suspicion after his wife Regina disappeared in 2001, but years later CCTV and new evidence exposed the truth. What began as a missing persons case involving a troubled marriage slowly transformed into a homicide investigation as detectives uncovered inconsistencies, suspicious behavior and critical evidence that pointed directly toward Regina’s husband.
Because the homicide became a cold case, investigative review and evidence re-evaluation played major roles in the prosecution. Witness testimony, timeline reconstruction, and accumulated case evidence became central elements used to secure the eventual guilty verdict decades after the killing.
The investigation into Regina Rowe Hicks’ murder remained active for years as authorities continued pursuing leads and reviewing evidence connected to the 2001 homicide. Detectives revisited the case repeatedly while attempting to identify the person responsible for Regina’s death.
Over time, investigators re-examined witness statements, timelines, and prior investigative findings involving Paul Hicks and the circumstances surrounding the estranged couple’s relationship. Prosecutors later argued the evidence increasingly supported charges against Hicks despite the lengthy passage of time.
Paul Hicks was eventually arrested and prosecuted in connection with Regina Hicks’ murder, leading to renewed public attention surrounding the decades-old homicide. The case became one of the region’s notable cold case prosecutions because of the long investigative timeline preceding the conviction.
Paul Edward Hicks stood trial in Ohio in connection with the 2001 murder of Regina Rowe Hicks. Prosecutors argued Hicks intentionally killed his estranged wife and avoided accountability for years while the case remained unresolved.
The state presented evidence developed throughout the cold case investigation, including witness testimony, reconstructed timelines, and investigative findings gathered over decades. Prosecutors emphasized the domestic conflict surrounding the estranged marriage and argued the evidence established Hicks’ responsibility for Regina’s death.
In 2025, Hicks was convicted for Regina Rowe Hicks’ murder. The verdict closed a homicide case that had remained unresolved for more than twenty years and became a major example of investigators continuing to pursue justice long after an initial crime occurred.
Paul hicks convicted of murdering and staging his wife's death.
The Paul Hicks case became notable because of the extraordinary gap between the homicide and the eventual conviction. Cold case prosecutions often depend heavily on investigative persistence, witness re-evaluation, and modern review of older evidence, all of which became major themes surrounding the Regina Hicks investigation.
Public discussion surrounding the case also focused on domestic violence and estranged relationship homicides. Investigators and prosecutors frequently emphasized how relationship breakdowns can escalate into deadly violence, particularly in cases involving separation and prolonged personal conflict.
The conviction also highlighted the emotional impact cold cases continue to have on surviving family members and communities even decades after a homicide occurs. Regina Hicks’ murder remained unresolved for years before investigators ultimately secured a conviction against Paul Hicks in 2025.
Regional Ohio crime coverage
Focused on the cold case investigation, renewed prosecution efforts and the 2025 conviction.
Court TV
Reported on courtroom proceedings and developments connected to the decades-old homicide case.
Law & Crime Network
Covered the investigation timeline, prosecution evidence and sentencing developments.
Law enforcement press conferences
Authorities discussed:
Courtroom analysis coverage
Media outlets examined:
Regional true crime podcasts
Covered:
Independent crime podcasts
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The Paul Hicks case received coverage from:
regional Ohio news outlets, Court TV, Law & Crime, local television affiliates, cold case reporting publications
Major themes included:
cold case homicide investigations, estranged spouse murder, delayed criminal prosecutions, domestic conflict killings, investigative persistence, witness timeline reconstruction, long-unsolved Ohio murders, justice after decades, courtroom cold case evidence