Dateline NBC “Secrets Unmasked” June 19 2026

Dateline NBC closes out its Friday night season with “Secrets Unmasked,” airing Friday, June 19, 2026, at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Reported by Keith Morrison, the episode examines the murder of Regina Rowe-Hicks, a young Ohio mother whose death remained unsolved for nearly a quarter century before a dramatic breakthrough finally led investigators to the man they believed was responsible.

Regina was 25 years old when she disappeared on October 18, 2001. She had left to pick up her four-year-old son, Montana, from the home of Steve Gates, a friend of her estranged husband, Paul Hicks. When Regina failed to return, concern quickly spread among family members. Four days later, authorities made a grim discovery. Her white Chevrolet Camaro was found submerged in a pond near Willard, Ohio, with Regina’s body inside.

Investigators soon determined that Regina’s death was not an accident. An autopsy revealed blunt force injuries to her head, indicating she had been attacked before ending up in the pond. Suspicion quickly centered on Paul Hicks, from whom Regina had separated. Family members described their relationship as troubled, and investigators noted that Paul filed for divorce and sought custody of their son the day after Regina disappeared.

Despite suspicions, detectives lacked the evidence needed to make an arrest. For years the case remained stalled. Investigators conducted interviews, examined forensic evidence, and pursued leads, but nothing provided a direct connection between Paul and Regina’s murder. The case eventually became one of Ohio’s lingering cold cases.

The investigation gained new momentum decades later when the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s cold case unit revisited the evidence. Detectives re-interviewed witnesses, including Steve Gates, whose account of the events changed significantly. Gates ultimately received immunity in exchange for testimony that prosecutors argued finally explained what happened on the night Regina disappeared.

According to Gates, Regina and Paul argued when she arrived to pick up their son. He testified that Paul assaulted Regina, rendering her unconscious. Gates claimed Paul then placed Regina inside her vehicle, drove it into a pond, and escaped before the car became submerged, leaving Regina trapped inside. Prosecutors argued the motive was financial, claiming Paul wanted to avoid child support obligations and maintain control over custody arrangements.

The case against Paul Hicks was largely built on witness testimony rather than forensic evidence. Defense attorneys argued there was no physical evidence linking him to the crime and characterized the prosecution’s case as speculation. Prosecutors countered that the totality of the evidence, combined with Gates’ testimony and Paul’s behavior before and after Regina’s death, pointed to his guilt.

In December 2025, after a two-week trial, a jury convicted Paul Hicks of three counts of murder and one count of kidnapping. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Paul continues to maintain his innocence and is appealing the conviction.

“Secrets Unmasked” follows the decades-long fight for justice by Regina’s family, particularly her mother, who spent years advocating for answers before her own death. The Dateline broadcast explores how persistence, renewed investigative efforts, and witness testimony finally brought resolution to a case that had haunted a family and community for nearly 24 years.

Through interviews with investigators, family members, and others connected to the case, Keith Morrison examines how a murder hidden beneath the surface for decades was eventually brought into the light, revealing secrets that had remained buried almost as long as the truth itself.