Updated: Cold case murder suspect indicted

NORWALK — State law enforcement on Wednesday said a man is in custody on murder charges relating to his ex-wife's disappearance nearly 25 years ago. Authorities arrested Paul Hicks, 50, of Sandusky, and booked him in the Huron County Jail. Hicks is being held on a $2 million bond. Hicks was indicted Tuesday on four charges: • Three counts of murder, each an unclassified felony • One count of kidnapping, a first-degree felony The charges relate to the death of Regina Rowe Hicks, 25, who was found deceased in her Chevrolet Camaro in a pond at Section Line Road 30 in Willard on Oct. 22, 2001, according to a release from the Ohio Attorney General's Office. Paul Hicks' indictment in Huron County's Court of Common Pleas details the allegations against him: Paul Hicks and (Regina Rowe Hicks) had a violent, turbulent relationship which resulted in separation: • On Oct. 18, 2001, (Regina) went missing. • On Oct. 19, 2001, Paul Hicks filed for divorce against (her). • On Oct. 22, 2001, (Regina) was found in her car in a pond in the Willard, Huron County, Ohio area. • (Regina) had been rendered unconcious prior to being placed into the passenger seat of her car by Paul Hicks. • Hicks then drove (Regina's) 1992 white Camaro into the pond with the driver's side window fully down, the lights off and the car in second gear with (Regina) alive, unconcious and hunched over sitting in the passenger seat of her car. (Regina) drowned. • Since 2013, Ohio (Bureau of Criminal Investigation) has been investigating the death of (Regina) • And since 2014 the Ohio Attorney General, special prosecution section, has been assisting the Huron County prosecutor with BCI in investigating the death of (Regina). The case was investigated by the state's Bureau of Criminal Investigation at the request of, and with assistance from, the Huron County Sheriff's Office, the release states. As of Wednesday morning, court records did not list the date and time of his initial court appearance. Arraignment hearing At a Wednesday afternoon arraignment, Paul D. Hicks, 50, of the 1500 block McDonough St., Sandusky, pleaded not guilty to four charges levied against him. Hicks wore jail scrubs, Crocs, handcuffs and ankle shackles in the courtroom. He did not show much emotion during the hearing and when asked by Judge James Conway to confirm his Social Security number, Hicks responded that he did not have it memorized or on his person. Each of the three murder charges carries a mandatory 15 years to life sentence. The kidnapping charge carries a maximum of 11 years. Under the Reagan Tokes Law, that could be increased to 16-and-a-half years. Prosecutors asked for a $5 million all-cash bond. Hicks' attorney, Craig Turson, said bond should not be only for the community's ultra rich, and that bond is merely meant to secure the defendant's appearance at all court proceedings. Conway set bond at $2 million all cash. Other conditions of his bond include: • Hicks will be subject to electronic monitoring as well as a laundry list of specifications. • He will be placed on house arrest with no work release provision. • He will not be permitted to drive a car. He may only enter a car as a passenger with the purpose to attend court proceedings or reporting to probation. • He is forbidden from entering the Huron County Building except for the Public Defender's Office. • He must surrender his passport and not leave the state. • He is forbidden from being on property in Huron County owned by CSX transportation, a railroad company. • Should he be released on bond he will be required to submit to drug testing. Huron County prosecutor James J. Sitterly also asked for no-contact orders for more than 25 people. One of the names on the list was reportedly Hicks' current fiancée. Special prosecutor Dan Kasaris claimed the fiancée has been subject to abuse by Hicks and that Hicks has a separate girlfriend who he has been on trips to Florida and Hawai'i with. Conway said if the fiancée wanted her name removed from the no-contact list that she would need to meet with a victim advocate to discuss the matter. Conway scheduled an initial pretrial for 1:30 p.m. on May 19 and a final pretrial for 10 a.m. on June 25. A jury trial is scheduled to commence at 1 p.m. on July 21.