Regina Hicks' murder: Estranged husband convicted decades after body found in pond

Regina Hicks was supposed to pick up her 4-year-old son, Montana, from the home of her estranged husband's friend in Willard, Ohio -- but he said she never showed.

Soon after her disappearance on the evening of Oct. 18, 2001, investigators found the 25-year-old's dead body in her white Camaro, submerged in a nearby pond, beginning a decades-long search to unmask her killer.

A new "20/20" episode, "The Secret in the Water" airing Friday, May 1, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC and streaming the next day on Disney+ and Hulu, examines the case. 

You can also get more behind-the-scenes of each week's episode by listening to "20/20: The After Show" weekly series right on your 20/20 podcast feed on Mondays, hosted by "20/20" co-anchor Deborah Roberts.

Regina first started dating Paul Hicks when they were in high school, eventually marrying. He filed for divorce the day after she went missing, according to court documents.

In an exclusive new interview with "20/20," Regina's cousin Lisa Hersha said that their relationship was toxic.

"Before Paul, she was loud, happy, and more vocal. Paul made her more silent, more small," she said.

On the night of her disappearance, Regina had promised to pick up their son from Paul at a property owned by his best friend, Steve Gates.

However, she would instead be found dead four days later with three strikes on top of her scalp, according to authorities.

Authorities began looking into suspects and brought in Paul for a polygraph, but the test did not proceed after he told them he took three Xanax pills and two shots of Jim Beam before the exam.

Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations Special Agent John Saraya told "20/20" that the lack of direct evidence tying Paul Hicks to Regina's death made the case difficult to move forward.

"But there was nothing to definitively link him to the crime. No admissions," Saraya said. "It's a hard case."

While the murder case sat unsolved, investigators alleged that Paul executed an elaborate scheme that included the purchase of a wig and a custom wearable mask of another ex-girlfriend to try and frame her for arson at a property he owned.

Hicks denied the allegations, but was eventually indicted on aggravated arson, perjury and insurance fraud charges. He ultimately pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of insurance fraud, receiving probation.The other charges were dismissed.

The Regina Hicks murder case remained unsolved for decades until a cold case team from the Ohio Attorney General's Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation took over and began re-interviewing key witnesses.

One of those witnesses, Steve Gates, was granted immunity in exchange for testimony about what he witnessed the night Regina went missing.

Gates told authorities that Regina got into an argument with Paul when she came to pick up Montana on the night of her disappearance.

According to Gates, he found Regina unconscious and was told by Paul that she was dead. Gates told investigators that Paul then drove the car into a pond and exited the vehicle, leaving Regina behind to drown.

After 24 years, Paul Hicks was indicted on three counts of murder and one count of kidnapping in 2025.

When his trial began later that year, he pleaded not guilty, with his defense attorneys arguing that there was nothing found at the crime scene linking Paul to the murder.

"Their whole case is based upon speculation and conjecture," defense attorney J. Anthony Rich said during the trial, adding that there was "zero forensic evidence to corroborate" the allegations against him.

However, the prosecution alleged that Paul murdered Regina because he did not want to pay child support.

"Motive. Motive. Motive. That's what it's about here," prosecutor Dan Kasaris said at the trial. "Regina's independence. Regina wanted child support. Regina wanted custody. Regina fought back. You don't fight back against Paul Hicks."

However, after a two-week trial, Paul was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. He is appealing his conviction.

At the sentencing in January, Regina and Paul's son Montana, 28, released an impact statement in which he described not feeling a sense of closure due to the "lack of evidence."

"Now I have to hear what has to be decided for my dad. Do I feel like he should be punished? No, but anyone who committed a crime should pay. I lost my mom, and now I'm losing my dad," the letter continued.

Hersha, Regina's cousin, said she still remembers her warm character.

"You would feel protected around Regina. She would always make you feel safe, wanted and loved," she said.