Small Town Murder — Surprising Serial Killer: Carmel, Maine
Podcast: Small Town Murder
Hosts: James Pietragallo, Jimmie Whisman
Episode Date: December 4, 2025
Episode Overview
In this episode, James and Jimmie head to Carmel, Maine, to explore the jaw-dropping case of an unassuming serial killer who haunted several small towns. They trace the interconnected disappearances and murders of three women over two decades, digging into Maine’s rural backroads, jaw-dropping police errors, and the manipulations of one of the state’s most notorious murderers. As always, the story is told with in-depth research, dark humor, and the hosts’ signature banter.
Setting the Scene: Carmel, Maine
[06:50-13:43]
- A tiny town 20 minutes from Bangor, Maine; population under 3,000.
- Town reviews highlight rural quiet, few amenities, and “outdated businesses.”
- A place where newcomers get little respect (“If you didn’t grow up there, nobody gives you respect or even treats you with decency.” – James, 11:57).
- Demographics: overwhelmingly white, slightly more men than women, median age 40, strong Catholic presence, above-average income, low cost of living.
- Local flavor: “If a 4-year-old and an 80-year-old are both looking at the same thing, it’s bad, it’s not fun.” (James, on Carmel Days, 18:50)
- Crime rates are low – “one third of the average for violent crime” – but this episode hones in on exceptions.
Case Introduction: The Disappearance of Geralyn (Jerry) Towers
[20:31-29:42]
- October 16, 1982: Jerry Towers disappears after an afternoon with her kids and bowling, later dropped at the Gateway Lounge.
- “She’s saving up her change in a mayonnaise jar so she can pay for this day of bowling with her children.” (James, 26:04)
- Family dynamics: estrangement from husband, boyfriend in jail, kids split between parents.
- Jerry’s quirks: always wore men’s tube socks and a penny in her shoe for luck.
Disappearance Details
- She was last seen at the Gateway Lounge around 6:30 pm.
- Never returned home; stepfather heard a loud car with headlights off pull into the driveway around 1 am.
- Police respond, find few leads, and follow up on an anonymous tip about a man named “Gary Hicks” spotted with Jerry at the bar.
Digging Deeper: The Shadows of James Hicks
[39:25-56:46]
- Investigators quickly realize “Gary” is likely “Jimmy/James Hicks.”
- First officer interview: Hicks is evasive, sweaty, and nervously pouring water down himself.
“He sat back down, getting ready to take a drink of the water, puts it up to his mouth and then just pours it all over himself.” (James, 45:08) - Hicks oddly volunteers: “Everyone thinks I murdered my first wife.” (James, summarizing, 44:14)
- Hicks’s background: rough upbringing, cruelty to animals, married young after impregnating a 16-year-old Jenny Cyr.
Marriage to Jenny Cyr
- Early high school romance leads to teenage pregnancy and a tumultuous marriage marked by infidelity and escalating violence.
- “She thought that getting married and having a child…everything would be better now because her parents aren’t telling her what to do. Not really.” (James, 55:21)
- Multiple affairs; at one point, Hicks makes advances on the 15-year-old live-in babysitter, Susan, who is paid in room, board, and cigarettes.
- “We’re going to pay a child in cigarettes. That’s crazy.” (James, 75:18)
The Disappearance of Jenny Cyr Hicks
[77:03-96:11]
- July 1977: After a major argument involving Hicks’s advances on the babysitter, Jenny vanishes.
- Susan reports seeing Jenny “in an awkward position” on the loveseat, possibly already dead.
- Jenny’s glasses and purse were left behind—strange, as she was nearly blind without them.
- “If you hear a woman yelling, ‘Stop, please stop, you are going to kill me.’ When the kill word comes in, that’s when you can go ahead and call the cops.” (James, 100:32)
- Hicks tells varying tales: Jenny ran off with a truck driver, is in Florida, New Hampshire, or just passed through town.
- Police conduct a shamefully lax investigation; locals and family suspect foul play immediately.
Break in the Case: Link to Multiple Women
[97:02-108:37]
- In connecting the disappearances of Jerry Towers and Jenny Hicks, officers re-examine both cases.
- Officer Ricker: “The case was not more rigorously pursued because, for lack of a better word, trailer trash. These were all trailer trash...drunks and trailer trash.” (James quoting Ricker, 107:05)
- Years later, in 1983, James Hicks is indicted for Jenny’s murder—the first Maine case to seek a conviction without a body.
Jenny Hicks Trial & Aftermath
[108:14-125:13]
- Prosecution relies on circumstantial evidence: neighbor hears Jenny scream “You’re going to kill me,” Susan testifies about her odd position, and the victim’s dependence on her glasses.
- Hicks himself testifies: “I am not guilty, but someday it will be proven. I’ll accept what the court gives me for now.” (James, 123:35)
- He’s convicted of fourth-degree murder (reckless intent) and sentenced to 10 years.
- Despite being convicted for Jenny’s murder, Hicks can’t remarry due to no death certificate, resulting in a bureaucratic farce with the state (128:23).
- “The state has convicted him of murder and then said ‘You can’t marry this other person because we don’t know that she’s dead.’” (James, 129:15)
While Out and After Prison: Hicks’s Twisted Trail
[144:38-152:26]
- Hicks’s life post-conviction is a whirlwind of new relationships, all bearing a disturbing pattern: jealousy, violence, controlling behavior, and fathering children.
- Ex-wives and ex-girlfriends eventually confess: they lied for him, were abused, or lived in fear.
- Hicks strips the interior of a car “including the carpet and headliner” (152:04) after Jerry disappears.
Another Victim: Lynn Willette
[152:26-162:59]
- By mid-1990s, Hicks is with Lynn Willette—but the controlling, abusive pattern repeats, and she attempts to leave.
- May 1996, Lynn disappears; Hicks reports her missing, says she left with her car.
- Her car is found abandoned at a truck stop—again, Hicks claims she ran off with a trucker.
- Investigators surveil Hicks but can’t make a move; meanwhile, he moves in with an 18-year-old, abuses her, and fathers more children.
The Texas Incident, Hicks Confesses
[167:29-177:38]
- 2000: In Texas, Hicks commits aggravated robbery of a 67-year-old woman, tells her, “I killed my second wife and did 10 years in Maine, and I’m not going back there.” (James, 170:07)
- Arrested, he bargains: if extradited to Maine, he’ll confess to multiple murders.
- He finally details how he murdered, dismembered, and buried the remains of Lynn Willette, Geralyn Towers, and Jenny Hicks.
- “If you’re going to do a crime, do it alone.” (James quoting Hicks, 177:00)
Confession details:
- Dismembered bodies, heads and hands in concrete buckets; bodies hidden in remote woods, motel maintenance shops, and grain bags.
Discovery, Final Justice, and Sentencing
[180:59-192:08]
-
Based on his directions, police recover human remains across Maine’s wilderness—dense with “fields, rocks, and dump sites.”
-
In court, the victims’ families finally get closure:
“You killed my mother. Cut her up and discarded her like garbage. I won’t let you destroy my life, James Hicks. Today my roller coaster ride stops and I get off leaving you behind.”
—Geralyn’s daughter, [191:28] -
The judge: “You, sir, may fuck off.” Two consecutive life sentences, no parole.
“Eat all the dicks.” (James, 192:09)
Notable Quotes & Moments
-
On Hick’s Evasiveness:
“When he doesn’t have an answer, he just stares. That’s his game. Which works. Honestly, it’s better than giving a bad answer.” (James, 50:32) -
On Paying the Babysitter:
“We're going to pay a child in cigarettes. That’s crazy.” (James, 75:18) -
On Fourth-Degree Murder:
“I think that is…you sold someone a hamburger 10 years before they had a heart attack. I believe that’s fourth degree murder.” (James, 122:17) -
On Bureaucratic Absurdity:
“The state has convicted him of murder and then said, ‘You can’t marry this other person because we don’t know that she’s dead, even though the state convicted him of killing her.’” (James, 129:15)
Timeline & Key Timestamps
- 06:50–13:43: Carmel, Maine—demographics, local reviews
- 20:31–29:42: Geralyn Towers’ disappearance
- 39:25–56:46: James Hicks interview and background
- 77:03–96:11: Disappearance and investigation into Jenny Cyr Hicks
- 108:14–125:13: Jenny's trial, conviction, and aftermath
- 128:23–129:43: Marriage and death certificate absurdity
- 152:26–162:59: The case of Lynn Willette
- 170:07–175:09: Texas robbery, Hicks’s confession prelude
- 177:43–192:08: Full confession, recovery of remains, sentencing
Conclusion
This episode unpacks a harrowing case of unchecked abuse and serial murder amid small-town neglect and police oversight, ultimately exposing how a bumbling, disarming local could hide monstrous crimes. The hosts balance horror with humor, illuminating why even in “safe” rural towns, evil can thrive in plain sight—often dismissed until it’s far too late.