Regina Hicks — cold for 24 years, solved in 2025. The detail that cracked it open is one of the strangest things I've ever read in a true crime case.
This case sat unsolved from 2001 to 2025. Twenty-four years.
Regina Hicks was 29 years old when she disappeared in Willard, Ohio on October 18th, 2001. She was on her way to pick up her four-year-old son Montana. Her estranged husband Paul told police she was suicidal and struggling with drugs. Without physical evidence, the case stalled and went cold.
The case only reopened because of something completely unrelated. In 2015, Paul was caught in an arson and insurance fraud scheme — and investigators discovered he had hired a woman to wear a custom-built mask and wig designed to resemble his ex-girlfriend, to frame her for a crime he committed himself.
That discovery sent investigators back to the cold case file. Paul's best friend, who had stayed silent for fourteen years, finally agreed to talk in exchange for immunity. He described driving behind Paul's car to the retention pond the night Regina disappeared. He watched the taillights disappear under the water. Regina was still inside.
Paul Hicks was convicted of murder in December 2025 and sentenced to 25 years to life.
The detail that haunts me: Regina told her mother before she died that if anything ever happened to her — Paul did it. Nobody listened in time.
For anyone who wants to go deeper on the case timeline and evidence, I put together a full breakdown that covers everything from the 2001 investigation to the 2025 trial. Happy to share if anyone's interested.