Legally Brunette Presents: ‘Til Death Do Us Part - Regina Rowe-Hicks’ Decades Long Cold Case

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Legally Brunette Presents: ‘Til Death Do Us Part – Regina Rowe-Hicks’ Decades Long Cold Case

Podcast: Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present
Episode: Legally Brunette Presents: ‘Til Death Do Us Part - Regina Rowe-Hicks’ Decades Long Cold Case
Date: May 10, 2026
Hosts: Emily Simpson with Shane

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Episode Overview

This episode is a deep dive into the decades-old cold case of Regina Rowe Hicks, who disappeared in Ohio in 2001 and whose murder remained unsolved for nearly 24 years. Emily and Shane guide listeners through the twists and breakthroughs that led to the recent unmasking of her killer—her estranged husband, Paul Hicks—thanks in part to audacious criminal schemes involving arson, insurance fraud, and a bizarre silicone face mask. The hosts also give a brief (but darkly humorous) update on a different celebrity murder case before focusing the bulk of the episode on the Rowe-Hicks investigation.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Quick Update: The David Burke & Celeste Hernandez Case

[02:36–08:59]

• Grisly Details: David Burke, a singer, was arrested for the murder of Celeste Hernandez after her body was found in the "frunk" (front trunk) of his Tesla. His attempts at covering up the murder were amateurish and poorly thought-out.
  • “He decides that he should put her in the frunk. Well, he has to stab her first.” — Emily [04:15]
  • Burke ordered two chainsaws and an inflatable pool online, using someone else’s name, but had them delivered to his own address.
• Evidence Mounts: DNA was found in Burke’s garage; he amputated some of Celeste’s fingers to hide a tattoo of his name. There’s also alleged child abuse material found on his devices.
  • “Investigators believe that David Burke met Celeste when she was just 11 years old.” — Emily [08:28]
• Hosts’ Tone: Both Emily and Shane react with a mix of fascination and horror, adding caustic humor about criminal ineptitude and the psyche required to dismember a body.

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Main Case: The Murder of Regina Rowe Hicks

The Disappearance and the Cold Case

[13:15–18:41]

• Timeline: October 2001—25-year-old Regina Rowe Hicks fails to pick up her son from her estranged husband Paul. Four days later, her Camaro is found submerged in a pond, Regina inside and dead from drowning.
  • “In October of 2001...her car was found submerged in a pond...with her body in the passenger seat.” — Emily [13:58]
• Immediate Suspicions: Suspicion fell on ex-husband Paul Hicks, but no evidence linked him to the crime and the case went cold for years.

The Reopening: The Arson Plot Unravels It All

[18:41–26:16]

• 2015 Arson Attempt: Paul Hicks tries to frame his ex-girlfriend (mother of his child) for arson with a “mastermind” plan involving a full costume, security footage, and a custom-made silicone mask made to look like her.
  • “Investigators discovered that he had purchased a custom made, wearable silicone mask and wig designed to look like his ex girlfriend.” — Emily [22:16]
  • “What market is there for that?” — Shane [26:29]
• Criminal Sloppiness: The “accomplice” can be seen on security footage with recognizably uncovered hair and face, making the frame-up obvious to investigators.
• Digital Evidence: Police subpoenaed the mask company (that’smyface.com), found photo uploads from Paul’s phone and a digital paper trail.

The Break: Steve Gates, the Friend Who Knew All

[26:16–38:03]

• Case Reopened: The arson revealed Paul’s capacity for elaborate criminal plots, triggering renewed interest in Regina’s cold case.
• Community Pressure: A true crime podcaster becomes obsessed with the case, publicly naming Steve Gates (Paul’s longtime friend) as the probable key, prompting his change of heart.
  • “I think the pressure got to him because that was really the catalyst as to why they now had sufficient evidence to be able to indict Paul Hicks on murder.” — Emily [31:26]
• Witness Flip: Steve Gates confesses that, contrary to his original story, Regina DID come to his house; he witnessed an argument and returned to find her incapacitated in her car.
  • “He’s saying she did show up and I know what happened.” — Emily [32:33]
• Family Testimony: Paul’s own sister testifies about finding muddy clothes in her bathtub the night Regina disappeared.

Legal Proceedings & Outcome

[38:03–End]

• Trial Details:
  • The state’s key evidence was witness testimony — no forensic/DNA evidence survived.
  • The defense attacked Gates’ credibility due to immunity and his long-standing lies.
  • Notable: Ohio law allows witnesses to withhold their image from broadcast, so Gates’ testimony isn’t shown.
• Conviction & Sentence:
  • Paul Hicks found guilty of murder and kidnapping, sentenced January 9, 2026, to 25 years to life (eligible for parole after 25 years).
  • “This man is eligible for parole after 25 years. I don’t think this guy...someone like that deserves to spend the rest of their life in prison.” — Emily [38:36–39:06]
• Victim’s Son: The son, Montana, lost both parents. He issued a written statement expressing his belief in his father’s innocence, a detail the hosts find tragic.
• Hosts’ Takeaway: The episode closes with reflections on how cunning doesn't guarantee success in crime—and a PSA: “Divorce before death.”

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On poor criminal planning:
  “‘Murder would damage your career also.’” — Shane [04:32]
• On the chainsaw “kit”:
  “That's a unique murder kit.” — Shane [05:03]
• On the mask company breach:
  “The fact that this prosecutor sends a subpoena and...just gets back, you know, the order, the photos...That's a win when you're a prosecutor.” — Emily [41:30]
• On the absurdity of the arson scheme:
  “...she also looks at the camera with her face, and her face is not covered...She’s probably—I'm surprised they didn't take her license and throw it down on the table.” — Emily [21:01]
• On the role of internet sleuths:
  “A podcaster...keeps calling [Steve Gates] out. I think the pressure got to him because that was really the catalyst...” — Emily [31:24]

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Key Segment Timestamps

• 02:36 – 08:59 | Celebrity Murder Update (David Burke & Celeste Hernandez)
• 13:15 | Introduction of Regina Rowe Hicks’ case
• 18:41 | 2015 Arson and Mask Plot
• 26:16 | Reopening of Regina’s Case
• 31:24 | True Crime Podcast Pressure on Steve Gates
• 32:33 | Gates flips and confesses
• 33:21–34:43 | Family Testimonies Against Paul
• 38:03 | Trial, Conviction, and Sentencing
• 43:04 | Montana’s (the son’s) Statement

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Tone & Style

The hosts blend genuine empathy (especially for victims) with dark, often irreverent humor and a casual, conversational style. They frequently riff on the incredulity and outlandishness of the schemes involved (“I wonder what the market is for that [mask]…”). Emily’s passion for true crime and forensic detail comes through, while Shane plays a mix of comic relief and skeptical observer.

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Final Thoughts

The episode underscores the role of sheer chance and criminal incompetence in solving long-cold cases, alongside the persistence of investigators—and sometimes, the catalytic role played by the true crime community. It’s also a meditation on the emotional wreckage left behind for families and children in the wake of such crimes, and a strong (if grim) reminder: “Divorce before death.”

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For more detailed case coverage, check out ABC’s 20/20 episode “The Secret in the Water,” which the hosts reference throughout.

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Transcript

[Emily Simpson]

This is an iHeart podcast.

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[Emily Simpson]

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[Shane]

Which one's this one?

[Emily Simpson]

This is the singer David, that, remember, they found his Tesla and then they had a body in the back and it was a long time.

[Shane]

It was in the front.

[Emily Simpson]

That's right.

[Shane]

The, the, the front.

[Emily Simpson]

Front. The front. Is that what it's called?

[Shane]

That's what people call it, yeah.

[Emily Simpson]

Oh, front trunk. The front trunk. The front. And then there was a long period of time between when the body was found and then actually arresting him. But now that he's been arrested, there's a lot more information that has been coming out, which is, is he still in custody?

[Shane]

Is he just, like, detained this whole time?

[Emily Simpson]

So prosecutors allege that David Burke. Oh, I also did read that his music label dropped him. So.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane]

Really?

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah. David Burke arranged for Celeste to be transported to his Hollywood hills home on April 23, 2025, and stabbed her to silence her, claiming that she was threatening to expose their relationship, which would have damaged his music career.

[Shane]

Murder would damage your rel. Your career also.

[Emily Simpson]

But instead of just, you know, trying to do the right thing and break up and take accountability for it, he decides that he should put her in the frunk. Well, he has to stab her first. So he has her come over to his home on April 23. Allegedly, Burke also bought two chainsaws online, and he used the chainsaws to dismember Celeste's body. What, in an inflatable pool? He also ordered the pool. One of those plastic.

[Shane]

That's a unique murder kit.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah. Her DNA was found in his garage. He. He used someone else's name to purchase the chainsaws and the inflatable pool. But the. But they were delivered to his home, so that's, like, as far as he went. And this, like, mastermind of, like, getting rid of this body is, I'll just use someone else's name to purchase it, and then it just gets delivered to my home address.

[Shane]

Why did. And why do you want two chainsaws?

[Emily Simpson]

I guess he thought maybe if the first one broke, he had a backup. I don't know. But he ordered two chainsaws and one of those little plastic kitty inflatable pools, and that was.

[Shane]

So does he have any kids?

[Emily Simpson]

No, but he put the. He clearly put her body into the pool and then dismembered her inside of this plastic pool in order to keep, you know, all the blood and everything, you know, within this plastic pool. Her DNA was found in his garage. The court filing claims that Burke amputated her left ring and pinky fingers because her ring finger contained a tattoo of his name. Her fingers have not been recovered. They say that Celeste was killed with two penetrating torso wounds consistent with sharp force injuries, per the autopsy report that was unsealed on April 22nd of 2026. Prosecutors have also alleged that David Burke did a radio interview the morning after the killing. A widely recirculated clip shows him previously explaining a foul smell in his. I saw that clip on Instagram. It was him with some friends at his house, and he was, like, joking around, making reference to, like, just ignore that smell. Like, he claimed it was because he just went to the bathroom or something. But I believe that clearly he was, like, indicating that.

[Shane]

It's video of him saying that.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah, that it was around the same time that she.

[Shane]

What is his plan? His plan is to keep her in the car until he sells it or what?

[Emily Simpson]

I don't know. I don't understand. I don't understand.

[Shane]

It's like the kid that hides the underwear in the drawer, and they think no one's gonna see it.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane]

It's like, eventually you gotta do something, right?

[Emily Simpson]

I mean, his plan was nothing other than she's Going to expose me for an inappropriate relationship, which is going to ruin my music career. So let me have her come over to my house. I'm going to murder her. And then I'm going to dismember her in my garage. And then I'm going to take the remains, I'm going to put them in my Tesla, and then I'm just going to leave my Tesla parked on the side of the road. Like, that's as far as he got. First of all, to be able to dismember a body, that takes a special kind of psychopath. I'll never understand that. I can't even. I can't even like, when my nail breaks and I have to like. And it breaks up high and you have to like, rip it off. Like, that just is disturbing to me.

[Shane]

That's not entirely accurate. You watch all those surgery videos and nasty stuff like that. I no problem seeing someone get cut up.

[Emily Simpson]

What you.

[Shane]

When you watch the surgery videos, it

[Emily Simpson]

is completely different to watch a flower.

[Shane]

I can't watch that stuff. I can't watch that stuff.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah, but I know that the person's gonna look better in the end and be happy and they're gonna be hot with their new breasts. Not that they're being dismembered. That's vile.

[Shane]

Well, clearly one's violent and one's not, but they're both cutting someone up and you have blood and guts everywhere. Fair statement.

[Emily Simpson]

No surgery. Surgery is very controlled. It's very precise.

[Shane]

This is. It's a science.

[Emily Simpson]

This is a chainsaw. They're not the same. All right. Digital evidence. At an April 23 hearing, prosecutors disclosed that investigators found a significant amount of child abuse material on David Burke's phone. Investigators believe that David Burke met Celeste when she was just 11 years old. This is what the court filing says. So anyway, that's where we're at with that. We'll continue to follow that case and give updates on it.

[Shane]

That is insane.

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[Emily Simpson]

The Case of Regina Rowe Hicks and this actually takes place in Ohio. A lot of cases in Ohio. A lot of things happen in Ohio. I don't know why we've even talked about this before when you talk about Forensic Files for so I don't know,

[Shane]

but it worries me. Because you're from Ohio.

[Emily Simpson]

I am from Ohio. But for some reason I don't know if anyone else out there is obsessed with Forensic Files like I am now. You will notice if you go back and watch it, it's on Hulu. All the old episodes. If you go back and watch it, I nine times out of ten, I

[Shane]

don't know if it's that much.

[Emily Simpson]

Okay, eight times out of ten if you watch an episode, it'll start out in Ohio. I don't know why. All right, so let's get to this case. So In October of 2001 we're going to go back in time to 2001, 25 year old Regina Ro Hicks was reported missing in Huron County, Ohio after failing to pick up her four year old son from her estranged husband Paul Hicks. Four days later her car was found submerged in a pond in Willard, Ohio with her body in the passenger seat. The case went cold. For nearly 24 years, suspicion had long centered around her husband or Ex husband Paul, but no formal charges were ever placed against him. A key breakthrough in this case came when Paul was arrested for a separate arson incident that occurred in 2015. Regina's case was reopened shortly after and investigators were finally able to solve the cold case after two decades. This was also. I watched this. It was a 2020 episode that aired recently. Yeah, it aired on May 1st. It's a 2020 episode. It's titled the Secret in the Water. It aired on May 1st of 2026. All right, so let's go back in time a little bit before 2001. Talk about the marriage and separation of Regina Paul Hicks. So they were high school sweethearts and they were married and they had a son together in 1997 named Montana. By 2001, the marriage had deteriorated and Regina was estranged from Paul. Their son was four years old at this time. Then in October 18th of 2001, this is when she disappears. Regina dropped her four year old son Montana off at the home of six, Steve Gates. Steve Gates is very important, so we need to remember his name because he will come up later. But he was Paul's best friend. His name's Steve Gates and he lived in Huron County, Ohio. Regina was supposed to return around 8pm to pick up her son Montana. He's at Steve Gates house.

[Shane]

Yep.

[Emily Simpson]

I. The way I understand, I don't know if they clarified this or not, but I assume because their divorce or custody and everything that was going on was so contentious that Steve Gates was probably. His home was probably the drop off pickup place for. For custody exchanges. Regina was then supposed to return around 8pm to pick up her son, but Paul and Steve claimed that she never showed up. All right, so then on October 22nd of 2001, so that's four days after she went missing. Regina's Camaro was found submerged in a pond in Willard, Ohio. Her body was found inside in the passenger seat and she was covered in mud.

[Shane]

Was. Maybe you'll get into it. But how was the body, Was it drown? Was it a result of drowning?

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah, the cause of death was drowning. But she had also suffered three head injuries before going into the water, which were enough to knock her out, but were not deadly. There was no DNA evidence present at the scene. So between 2001 and 2017, the case goes cold, despite a lot of suspicion falling on her ex husband Paul. That.

[Shane]

Wait, sorry. That's interesting. So she's in the passenger seat. It's clearly murder, right? Foul play. Right. And yet they had. And you'd think they'd have something, you think there'd be a lot of some evidence on the car, whereabouts, something. And there was nothing?

[Emily Simpson]

Nothing. No. And again, when she was supposed to pick up the son from Steve Gates house, Steve Gates always claimed that she never showed up that night. So basically, they don't have any indication as to where she was from on that during that time period. So despite suspicion falling on Paul, her husband, early on, investigators lack the evidence to charge him, and the case sat cold for over a decade and a half. Paul moved on, eventually relocating to Claremont county in southern Ohio. All right, so he's just living his life now.

[Shane]

He's like, that was easy.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane]

So he's just, I didn't have to use my own car.

[Emily Simpson]

So then we get to June of 2015. This is where he messed up. This man would have never gotten caught if he would not have tried the scheme that he tries right now. So June of 2015, he.

[Shane]

Oh, wait, wait, wait. Before you get further, I just want to get the. The basic time. So this is an O1 murder.

[Emily Simpson]

Yes.

[Shane]

Right, right. It goes cold.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane]

Like they don't have anything. Right, right.

[Emily Simpson]

Nothing. And then he goes on and is living his best.

[Shane]

I mean, I even know what day she. How long till they found her in the pond.

[Emily Simpson]

Four days.

[Shane]

Okay, so really soon after.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane]

And it goes cold. And then what year are we in now?

[Emily Simpson]

So then in June of 2015.

[Shane]

Okay, so 15. Basically, 14. 15 years later.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. So he's just been living a normal life, doing his own thing.

[Shane]

That was easy.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. So he has. I think it's an investment property, because it says that he bought a property, but it's. I think it's supposed to be an investment property. But a fire breaks out at this property he owns in Claremont County. Now, this is the catalyst for him getting charged.

[Shane]

Right.

[Emily Simpson]

So I was saying, if he would not have tried to defraud the insurance company, then he would have never gotten caught. So there's a fire that breaks out on his property owned by him. And Paul immediately blames a former girlfriend, claiming that she had set the fire. They actually. So there's a fire. The ple. The fire. The fire department shows up. It's a. It's a. A explosive fire. Then they bring Paul in because they're like, you know, your house is on fire, and it looks like arson. Because immediately, I think when they're walking

[Shane]

around, I was gonna say, is it. Was it purposeful, you think?

[Emily Simpson]

Well, yeah, it was immediately known that it was arson because there were gas cans laying around. Then Paul says, oh, I have security footage. And so they pull up security footage of the inside. It shows two people pouring gas everywhere, walking around the house, masks or anything. It's so interesting that you ask about a mask, because this is the most interesting thing I think I've ever seen in any story or any true crime. This literally blew my mind when I was watching this. So he says, hey, I've got security video. Let's pull it up. So they pull up security footage, and they see two people, a man and a woman, enter the house with gas cans. And they're just pouring gas everywhere, and they're just. Just gonna light this house on fire. They have. I forget what they called the suits, but they had the suits on, you

[Shane]

know, like the hazmat suits or something.

[Emily Simpson]

They called it something else, but yeah, something like that, where they're fully covered. Now, the man, you can't tell who he is, right? But the woman has curly blonde hair that is very evident. She didn't pull it.

[Shane]

She got glammed up before.

[Emily Simpson]

The curly blonde hair that's, like, hanging down out of the. Out of her, you know.

[Shane]

Well, yeah, but hold on. If you're gonna be disgu. You would hide your hair, right? You would put in a ponytail or put it back, right?

[Emily Simpson]

No, this hair is.

[Shane]

She's showing it, is what you're saying. She's wearing this beekeeper suit, and she's still showing her hair.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. And she also has. She also looks at the camera with her face, and her face is not covered, so it's very.

[Shane]

She flash her id.

[Emily Simpson]

It's very. Yeah, she. She's probably. I'm surprised they didn't take her license and throw it down on the table. But she also looks into the security camera to make sure that her face.

[Shane]

Right.

[Emily Simpson]

Shows up. Up on the camera.

[Shane]

And it does.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah. So then Paul is like, that's my ex girlfriend, who he has a child with, by the way. And he's like, blaming her. That's her. That's what she looks like, you know, that's her face. That's her hair. So according to investigators, Paul had constructed an elaborate scheme to frame her, allegedly motivated by a desire to gain custody of the child he shared with her and to collect insurance money.

[Shane]

My goodness.

[Emily Simpson]

So this scheme was not only to make her end up arrested. Right. For arson, but then to have custody of the child. Then he doesn't have to pay child support. He gets insurance money, and he. And she goes to jail. So this scheme is like. I mean, he's. He's a mastermind, right? He wants her to go to prison. He wants custody of the child, and he's going to get insurance money out of all this scheme. So investigators. This is my favorite part. Investigators discovered that he had purchased a custom made, wearable silicone mask and wig designed to look like his ex girlfriend.

[Shane]

They have record of him buying this?

[Emily Simpson]

Yes. There's a company I want to find. I need to find the name of this company. I don't remember what it was called. It's like, I don't know, some face mask company where you can upload photos of a face and then they make a custom mask to look exactly like that face.

[Shane]

Oh, so he ordered like a Good Housewives episode. Right?

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah, I know, right?

[Shane]

You can wear each other's masks.

[Emily Simpson]

Right?

[Shane]

And then you'd go visit Shannon with her and say you're Gina. Oh, pretend you're Gina.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. So he orders this custom mask to look like his ex girlfriend and then has. I don't know who was wearing it. Probably some friend or might have been him. I don't know, because I think he's the other. I think he's the man.

[Shane]

Oh, yeah, but it was. Wait. And the man has a mask, a regular mask on to cover his face?

[Emily Simpson]

No, the man is covered. You can't tell.

[Shane]

But how is his face? I. Disguised.

[Emily Simpson]

I don't remember. I think he's just. Just. You can't or. He never looks at the security camera. You just can't tell who that man.

[Shane]

He didn't have his flashy hair.

[Emily Simpson]

No. But the woman that's dressed up like his ex girlfriend clearly had instructions to not cover her face and to look directly into the security camera.

[Shane]

Right.

[Emily Simpson]

So, you know, the investigators end up questioning the ex wife, and she. She was cooperative or she wasn't an ex wife. She's a girlfriend that he had a child with. But she's cooperated, cooperative.

[Shane]

She.

[Emily Simpson]

There's no digital evidence on her phone that, you know, she's.

[Shane]

There's nothing else that leads her to this crap.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. And she's has an alibi, I believe. And also the investigators are like, if you're gonna go set a house on fire, why would you not cover your hair and your face? And why are you looking directly into the camera?

[Shane]

Right.

[Emily Simpson]

So then they find, you know, obviously

[Shane]

this digital footprint that forensic files remember where it was. It was like, female had died, and it was violent. So she's on the floor, bloody and stuff. And in the. On the wall was written, like, the initials or the name of her ex boyfriend.

[Emily Simpson]

Oh, it was in the kitchen on the cabinet.

[Shane]

Right.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane]

And. And her finger was pointing to it as well.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane]

You know, unfortunately was deceased. And then it turned out she's left handed, not right handed.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane]

And. And the blood and everything was used with a right hand. Right. Because he had blood on her right hand.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane]

So what was this case?

[Emily Simpson]

I forgot.

[Shane]

Oh, the mask. Yeah. Yeah. So you're. You're throwing them off. Well, supporting the investigation.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. Well, that was his attempt. And they also found on his phone. So they could see they. They sent a subpoena to this company to get the order. And I. The.

[Shane]

The investigator mask company's name.

[Emily Simpson]

So I think the company is called something like that's my face. So I don't know, you can try and google it. But

[Shane]

anyways, my face dot com.

[Emily Simpson]

Oh, you found it. That's myface dot com. So anyway, on his phone, investigators found all of the photos of his ex girlfriend that he used to upload to order this mask. So, you know, everything's being corroborated. Right. Then in 2017, this is Regina's cold case reopens because investigators now know that he's, you know, he. He burned down his own house to try to blame her and to try to send her.

[Shane]

Creepy.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah. And then to try to get the insurance money. So what happens is they end up reopening the cold case with Regina and. And her murder. So the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation takes over Regina's case. The arson case helped reframe Paul as someone capable of constructing elaborate criminal plots and lying to investigators. All right, then. On January 16th of 2019, Paul is indicted for arson. Paul surrendered to authorities and was indicted on two counts of aggravated arson, insurance fraud, and three counts of perjury. And the perjury was. Was related to the lies that he told during the arson investigation. Are you looking up the mass company? Did you find it?

[Shane]

Yeah, but there's a lot more to it and looking it up and stuff.

[Emily Simpson]

Well, yeah. You have to upload a lot of photos.

[Shane]

Well, yeah, no, I mean, it's pretty. It's pretty high tech stuff.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane]

I don't know what the market is for that though.

[Emily Simpson]

I don't know, but I believe he paid like 350 or something for the mask.

[Shane]

I just wonder what the. I. I could have gone down a rabbit hole. I had a good stop. Yeah. But I'm wondering what the market is for that.

[Emily Simpson]

Like why someone would want a mask of someone else's face. Yeah, I don't know.

[Shane]

I mean, I want one now. I want to try it. I want to see how real it looks. All right, well, I want to get you a mask.

[Emily Simpson]

Okay, well maybe for another mask of

[Shane]

you smiling, so I'll just put it on you all the time.

[Emily Simpson]

Oh my gosh.

[Shane]

Like oh, Mom's happy today. Yay.

[Emily Simpson]

So I should get up every morning, just put my smiley mask on?

[Shane]

Yes.

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[Kal Penn]

I'm the host of Irsay, the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club. This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Ray Porter, the narrator of Andy Weir's audiobook project, Hail Mary, Massive sci fi adventure about survival and science and what happens when you wake up alone, very far from Earth.

[Ray Porter]

I really had to make a decision because I caught myself getting that frog in my throat and starting to get teary as I'm narrating some of these sections and it's like, okay, yo, yo, yo, is this indulgent? And I really thought about it.

[Shane]

I was like, no.

[Ray Porter]

At this point it would kind of be betraying the trust the author and the listener have in telling this story if I don't go through it. But there's places in this book that deeply, emotionally affected me and I left it on the mic. That's great because it served the story. People will say like, oh my God, I cried at the end. It's like yeah dude, me too.

[Kal Penn]

Listen to Irsay, the Audible and iHeart audiobook club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Emily Simpson]

So then in 2022, Paul pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor count of insurance fraud. The aggravated arson and perjury charges were dropp. Sentenced to probation. Regina's family voiced their disappointment for this lenient outcome, as most of them believe Paul was also responsible for Regina's death and wanted to see him punished. All right, then we're going. Three years later we get to April of 2025 when he finally gets indicted for murder. A Huron county grand jury indicted Paul Hicks on three counts of murder and one count of kidnapping in Regina Ro Hicks death and he pleaded not guilty. I'll tell you, I believe from watching the 2020 episode they There was a podcaster who did True Crime and she became very obsessed with this case with Regina and she went back and she dug through the case. She did multiple episodes on it and she was talking about the case. Then she starts naming the longtime friend Steve Gates and her podcast. Like she keeps calling him out. So I believe that my takeaway was

[Shane]

that like as an accomplice to all

[Emily Simpson]

this, yes, that he was lying. That he really knows what happened. Like he's the key to solving this case. And she's doing this on a podcast and she's naming him and I Think the pressure got to him because that was really the catalyst as to why they now had sufficient evidence to be able to indict Paul Hicks on murder.

[Shane]

Well, what evidence surfaced?

[Emily Simpson]

So Steve Gates, Paul's longtime friend, was the centerpiece of the state's case case. He was testifying under a grant of immunity. And Gates said that Regina did come to his house to pick up Montana. So I think the catalyst was his podcast calling him out. And I think maybe people, it had been many years, we're talking, you know, 20 years later or whatever. So I think he had a change of heart. He finally decides to come clean. So he is the prosecution's key witness. He came forward and said that he was there and he knows what happened that night because remember originally he was saying that Regina never showed up at his house.

[Shane]

Oh, yeah, that's right.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. Because he's the friend where Montana. The son, four year old son.

[Shane]

Now it's not just he's staying at home and she's not showing up like he was a part of it.

[Emily Simpson]

He's saying she did show up and I know what happened.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Emily Simpson]

So that's the evidence that they have now. So Steve Gates, his new story. He now claims that he saw Paul and Regina arguing outside her Camaro. So he briefly stepped inside to his garage. He said also that they argued all the time, that their relationship was only always volatile. So he steps into the garage, then he returned. He leaves the garage to find Regina crumpled up in the front passenger seat.

[Shane]

So he's saying he stepped away from the argument and then when he came back, she's now in the passenger seat.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. And if you recall, based upon the medical examiner, she had three kind of like blunt force trauma injuries on top of her head, but not enough to kill her, but enough to incapacitate her.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Emily Simpson]

Crystal Hicks, Paul's sister, testified against him in court that that evening she saw muddy clothes in her bathtub after Regina's disappearance. And a former girlfriend of Paul's testified about conversations in which he discussed manipulating polygraph tests and a scheme to plan

[Shane]

everyone come up with this stuff.

[Emily Simpson]

Now I know. And also that he had spoken about a scheme to plant drugs in Regina's car in order to gain leverage in their custody dispute. So the sister. Yeah, you know, the sister comes forward 20 years later and says, hey, the night after Regina disappeared, I came home. She said she came home from work early. So he wasn't expecting her to come home at that time. And that the bathroom bathtub was filled with muddy clothes and that he Was trying to clean up stuff. I mean, how suspicious is that when they know that Regina disappeared in a

[Shane]

Camaro home and I had muddy shoes or whatever it was.

[Emily Simpson]

In a bathtub.

[Shane]

In a bathtub. What would be.

[Emily Simpson]

Your first thought would be like, what the hell were you doing?

[Shane]

Yeah, well.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane]

Yeah. Well, do you see how angry Emily gets? All you have to do is say, what. What were you doing today? Instead, you act mad.

[Emily Simpson]

Well, if you. If you had muddy boots and clothes, why.

[Shane]

Why do you have muddy clothes?

[Emily Simpson]

Yes.

[Shane]

Well, no normal spouses would say, why do you have money clothes? You say, what was it?

[Emily Simpson]

What the hell are you doing?

[Shane]

Yeah, exactly.

[Emily Simpson]

Well, because you're not. You're not a muddy guy. I've been married to you for 17 years, and you've never come home.

[Shane]

It's not like I fish every weekend. So it's like, oh, you went fishing. Those. There's galoshes. No, you would be like, what did you say?

[Emily Simpson]

Galoshes.

[Shane]

Isn't that what they're called? Galoshes.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah. This is funny to hear you say

[Shane]

galoshes because, I mean, because I don't normally use it in my vocabulary.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah. I've never heard you say galoshes before.

[Shane]

Have you ever heard me say fishing before? Well, probably Mighty boots in a bathtub.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane]

So, anyway, thanks for making me lose my train of thought.

[Emily Simpson]

No, you're welcome. All right, so the defensive strategy. What's the defense strategy going to be? You've got. Got Steve Gates. First of all, again, let's just reiterate, there is no DNA evidence. They still had the car in the exact same condition as it was when they pulled it out of that pond back in 2000.

[Shane]

Yeah, because do you know how long you're supposed to preserve the evidence of a murder case?

[Emily Simpson]

How long?

[Shane]

Forever.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. So the car is still preserved. It's not. It's still as muddy as it was when it came out. No DNA.

[Shane]

The mud is important.

[Emily Simpson]

It could, you know, but they found. For this murder trial.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Emily Simpson]

Against him. There's no DNA, no forensics, no hair. No. There's nothing.

[Shane]

None that survived.

[Emily Simpson]

There's nothing.

[Shane]

Camaro being inside.

[Emily Simpson]

There's nothing linking him. So the only evidence that they have against him in this trial is Steve Gates.

[Shane]

Testimony.

[Emily Simpson]

Testimony.

[Shane]

That's evidence.

[Emily Simpson]

It is, but what's the defense going to do? They're going to say, why did he. He lied in the beginning. So what? Why would the jury believe him now? Right. That's the. That's the whole defense strategy. He's a known Liar. He lied before. He lied to prosecutors, he lied to the police. He lied to everyone. Why should we believe him now? So the defense attacked the credibility of Steve Gates, who had been granted immunity, raising obvious bias questions. Right. Because he's. He's now granted immunity from having anything to do with this and pointed to the absence of forensic evidence. They also floated the idea that someone else could have been responsible. So that's the defense, right? They're going. They just want to plant reasonable doubt in the jury's minds. They want to say, why are you guys going to believe him? He lied all the time. What makes you think that he's not lying now? Also, they did not show Paul Gates testimony. So in Ohio, you can record trials and you can publicly disseminate them.

[Shane]

Okay.

[Emily Simpson]

However, if you do not want. If you testify and you do not want your image out there, you can request that your image not be shown.

[Shane]

So the default is. It's. It's public. It's public, but you can make a request.

[Emily Simpson]

But you can make a request. So.

[Shane]

So who made the request?

[Emily Simpson]

The star witness who is testifying now, changing his story and saying that he does know what happened. He requested that his image and his testimony not be shown own. So they. So in this episode of 20 20, they show his sister testifying against him, they show an ex girlfriend testifying against him, but you do not see Steve Gates testimony or I wonder why that is at all. I don't know. He probably. I don't know, I think he wanted to do the right thing, but he probably doesn't want to.

[Shane]

Maybe the reason why he lied from the beginning. He just wants to stay out of it, probably.

[Emily Simpson]

Okay, so Paul's trial lasted approximately two weeks, and then he was found guilty of murder and kidnapping.

[Shane]

Okay.

[Emily Simpson]

Okay.

[Shane]

This is like 20 years later then, right?

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah. So January 9th of 2026. So this was actually fairly recent. Paul Hicks was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, which the way I understood it and the way they explained it was he has to spend a minimum of 25 years in prison before he's eligible for parole.

[Shane]

Yes, he will.

[Emily Simpson]

No, but he will be eligible for parole after 25 years. I don't think this guy.

[Shane]

25 to life is. It means 20. Well, it means 25 years minimum.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane]

And up to life.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. But at 25 years, he will.

[Shane]

Then life without parole is what we think of as life.

[Emily Simpson]

I know. I guess I just wanted to clarify that in 25 years, this man is eligible for parole.

[Shane]

Right.

[Emily Simpson]

Which I don't Think is enough time because considering not only did he already

[Shane]

had 20 years out in the public and he was free.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. But he's also also a killer. Right. But he's also just. Even with the arson and the insurance fraud and you know, trying to frame the ex girlfriend.

[Shane]

Oh yeah. It's just killing his baby's mama and keeping that child from having a mother. It's horrible. Would you ever have thought you could go online and order a mask to look like me?

[Emily Simpson]

No. But he did now.

[Shane]

I know, I know he did.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane]

I mean that guy is. Did you see that video?

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah. It shows that. You should watch it.

[Shane]

Does she look like a female like this? Her mannerisms and stuff?

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane]

Could it be him?

[Emily Simpson]

No, I know it's. No, it's. I mean this, this woman is short and.

[Shane]

Oh, it's not him.

[Emily Simpson]

And kind of bigger.

[Shane]

Yeah. So it's not him.

[Emily Simpson]

No. There's a man that's tall and thin and then there is a short woman.

[Shane]

Does it look like her? The X, the, the face mask, does it.

[Emily Simpson]

It. It's hard to tell because the security video is black and white, so.

[Shane]

But is it enough to kind of think it could be?

[Emily Simpson]

Well, I think yeah, if. But it's also. Again, you're watching it going, why does this woman have like all her hair down and out and her face, you know, uncovered? I mean, it's, it is kind of ridiculous when you watch it.

[Shane]

Is it? She has a necklace with her initials on it.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah, I mean it's. Yeah, exactly. It's. It's kind of ridiculous looking at it. But I mean, you should watch it just because it's. Now I'd rather just order a mask.

[Shane]

I want a mask now that you

[Emily Simpson]

know that the woman's wearing a, A, A mask to look like his ex girlfriend in order to frame her. You watch it and you're like, this is what these two are. It's just ridiculous.

[Shane]

So, yeah, I'd love to see like, like the, like the behind the scenes footage of them like prepping for this crime.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. Like putting, like getting dressed. Yeah, that looks good.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Emily Simpson]

Pull your hair out like that. Yeah, pull your hair forward so they can see it now. Make sure.

[Shane]

And which photos did they upload of her? You know, to get the mask?

[Emily Simpson]

They show the photos, they show the order form.

[Shane]

Oh, that's right. Because they have it all. It's all digital.

[Emily Simpson]

Because they said. The prosecutor said that in like all of his existence of prosecuting, he never had someone fully comply with a subpoena like that. Because they subpoena the company and then

[Shane]

probably have a whole department where they handle subpoenas.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane]

For all the homicide investigations.

[Emily Simpson]

So then he was like, like they. The information he got back from the subpoena, he's like, they got the order, they got the photos, they. They got the everything.

[Shane]

Oh, yeah. It's not their first rodeo.

[Emily Simpson]

No, he's just like, you know, I mean, can you imagine, though, that's a win when you're a prosecutor and you're. You're prosecuting someone and you're trying to build a case against them, and you send a subpoena and, you know, when you send a subpoena, nine times out of 10 out, they toss them out, they block them, they. They do everything possible.

[Shane]

Everything.

[Emily Simpson]

They don't reply. They do everything possible to. To not comply with a subpoena.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Emily Simpson]

So the fact that this prosecutor sends a subpoena and then he just gets back, you know, the order, the photos that were used, Paul Hicks's, you know, email address or like, whatever he used to order and the amount and probably his credit card.

[Shane]

He probably also signed a form or agreed to some terms that he wouldn't use it to commit crimes, probably.

[Emily Simpson]

So, I mean, that was. That was pretty interesting. Anyway. All right, so he's sentenced to 25 years to life. I guess us will follow this case if we're alive in 25 years.

[Shane]

Let's see how his parole goes to

[Emily Simpson]

see if he's paroled. So hopefully not he. Someone like that deserves to spend the rest of their life in prison. So that's my thought. Oh, also, one last thought on this. They did. They never showed the son, Montana, who was 4 at the time, but now he's obviously an adult in his late 20s. It did show a statement. He wrote a statement that they read in court. He did not go to court. He did not appear in the. The documentary or in this episode of 2020 at all. And I. I don't know how I felt about what he wrote. I did feel badly for him, but he wrote something to the effect of, like, you know, he'd lost his mom, but he also, he did not believe that his dad had anything to do with it. And now he lost his father, too. So he has. He has no parents, which is sad for him. But I. I just felt like it was also sad that it seemed like he wasn't fully grasping, like, his dad's involvement. I don't think he was on board with believing that and believing that.

[Shane]

Well, I imagine it's different if you grow up and you have parents, and you're of an age where you maybe have a good memory, like you're in your teens or something, where you have experience a lot of experiences with your parents and memories, and then you come to learn maybe even in real time, that, you know, one parent killed the other.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane]

But then when, you know, at age 4, he's gonna have very little memories of his mother, just maybe some images. Right. And whatever he was told after he was 4 about her. So then he grows up never really knowing her, sadly, and then come to learn that, like, oh, this person that was never in my wife, my life, they say, my father killed. And he's telling me, no, you're just probably not as invested in it. I mean, you could be, but it could be in a situation like this where he's not emotionally investing because he. It wasn't in real time. It was a long time ago. He doesn't. He never got to know his mother to be sad that she's dead, other than just the fact that he doesn't have a mother. So that might have kind of set him back a little bit, not being so emotionally, well, reactive.

[Emily Simpson]

I also wish in this.

[Shane]

I don't know if that made sense, but a little. But made a lot since.

[Emily Simpson]

Okay, so this was called ABC's 2020 episode. It's called the Secret in the Water, if you're interested in watching it. Also, if you have any thoughts or information or more information on this case, I love to hear it. So make you DM me on Instagram. Also, please be sure to follow Legally Brunette. All of our episodes go into the Legally Brunette feed. So if you're listening to us on two T's, that's great, but not every episode goes in there, so make sure you follow us on Legally Brunette. Also, please be sure to tell your friends and family to listen. And again, thank you so much for your recommendations and for listening. We appreciate you.

[Shane]

And then you're. You always forget. You got to tell people, advise them.

[Emily Simpson]

Oh, go ahead.

[Shane]

Divorce before murder. Death.

[Emily Simpson]

Divorce before death. That is our psa. Up till death do us part. I don't care what your religion is, or I don't care how bad you're going to look, or I don't care what your custody arrangement is.

[Shane]

Murder is always bad.

[Emily Simpson]

That is the bad choice. All right, so make good choices, people.

[Shane]

Yeah. Honesty is the best policy.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. Thank you for listening.

[Shane]

So is not murder.

[Emily Simpson]

Okay, you have to stop talking. I'm trying to end this episode. You just keep adding things at the end. Thank you.

[Kal Penn]

Hey everyone, it's Kalpen. I'm inviting you to join the best sounding book club you've ever heard with my podcast, Hearsay, The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club. Every episode, I nerd out with amazing guests and dive into the best new audiobooks available on Audible. It's the book club for your ears. Listen to Hearsay, the Audible and I Heart Audiobook Club on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts

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[Shane]

This episode is brought to you by Bobcat.

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[Shane]

Watch us.

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[Shane]

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deeper, to make the impossible possible.

[Shane]

We've all been there with doubters telling us what we can't do.

[Public Ad Announcer]

Who cares what they think?

[Emily Simpson]

We don't need their permission or forgiveness.

[Public Ad Announcer]

We just get things done.

[Shane]

So go ahead and doubt me, judge me, challenge me. But when the time comes, watch me.

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Bobcat

[Emily Simpson]

this is Sophia Donner from OK Storytime this summer. Find your next obsession on Prime Video and listen. We're not saying you need another obsession, but there could be a lot worse ones. Steamy romance, addictive love stories, and the book to screen favorites you've already read twice, so why not watch them a third time off campus. Elle, the Love Hypothesis and More Slow Burns, Second Chances chemistry you can feel through the screen and it makes you wish you were actually in that movie. We've got binge worthy series, can't miss movies perfect for when you're ignoring your own problems or procrastinating as one does, your next obsession is waiting. Watch only on prime. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.