Phone records, forensic testing highlighted

NORWALK — Testimony Monday in the murder trial of Paul Hicks shifted jurors' attention from the physical recovery of Regina Hicks' submerged car to what investigators did and did not uncover during the years-long investigation that followed her disappearance. Paul Hicks is on trial for the Oct. 18, 2001, disappearance of 23-year-old Regina Hicks, his estranged spouse who was later found dead in her vehicle, found submerged in a Willard-area pond. Hicks faces three counts of murder and one count of kidnapping. Analysts, forensic specialists and law enforcement officers testified about cell phone records, DNA testing, evidence handling and an aborted polygraph examination, with questioning repeatedly highlighting investigative limitations and the methods used by police during interviews. A juror was excused from the case over the weekend. The reason for the excusal wasn't clear, and it wasn't clear which alternate juror would be selected to replace them. Cell phone records outline final hours Much of the day centered on cell phone activity from the night Regina Hicks disappeared. Lori Braunschweiger, a criminal intelligence analyst with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation — also known as BCI — testified that her role is to organize investigative materials, run database searches and compile timelines for detectives. She emphasized that she does not conduct interviews or interrogations. Braunschweiger testified that BCI was first asked to assist the Huron County Sheriff's Office in 2013, but only in a support role. BCI did not become the lead agency until 2017, when Sheriff Corbin requested that it take over the case. Once BCI assumed that role, investigators reorganized the case file and reviewed roughly 100 interviews. She said new information provided by Hicks' friend Steve Gates at his attorney's office earlier this year led to the indictment in the case. When asked by assistant Ohio attorney general Dan Kasaris, the lead prosecutor, she agreed it was this information that led them to solving the case. Using phone records, Braunschweiger testified that Regina Hicks made her final outgoing calls at 7:26 p.m. and 7:53 p.m., both to Paul Hicks. After that, her phone received incoming calls only. She also testified that Paul Hicks' phone showed no outgoing calls during an approximately three-hour window between about 6:15 p.m. and 9:04 p.m. that evening. Braunschweiger testified the records do not support claims that Regina repeatedly called Paul Hicks dozens of times per day, a claim he has made throughout the years to investigators. On cross-examination, Braunschweiger acknowledged that phone records show only timing and duration, not content. She testified that nearly all conversations reflected in the records are unknowable unless remembered by the participants. DNA and hair testing fail to link evidence to Hicks Forensic testimony that followed underscored the limits of physical evidence in the case. Steve Wiechman, a BCI DNA analyst, testified that in 2015 he tested several items for DNA, including Regina Hicks' keys, cell phone, jeans, belt and sweatshirt. While DNA was detected on some items, Wiechman said the amount was insufficient for comparison and did not link Paul Hicks to the evidence. Hair examiner Donna Rose later testified that some hairs recovered from the vehicle were consistent with Regina Hicks and others were not, but none matched Paul Hicks. Defense questioning emphasized the absence of forensic evidence directly tying Hicks to the car or its contents. Evidence handling and unanswered questions BCI Special Agent John Saraya testified about processing the scene after Regina Hicks' car was found submerged in a pond on Oct. 22, 2001. Saraya said the vehicle was examined at the scene, transported to the Willard Police Department and treated with chemicals in an attempt to recover fingerprints from wet surfaces. He detailed the wide range of items recovered from the car and through the autopsy, including clothing, paperwork related to the Camaro's purchase, beer cans and personal effects. Saraya testified the steering wheel was tilted fully upward and the passenger seat was positioned several inches farther back than expected, leaving approximately 19 inches between the seat and steering wheel. On cross-examination, defense attorneys focused on what was not examined. Saraya acknowledged no effort was made to determine whether the Camaro contained a data recording device that could have provided information about speed or braking. Polygraph examiner explains interrogation techniques Mike White, a former law enforcement officer with 30 years of experience and now a private polygraph examiner, testified about an attempted polygraph examination involving Paul Hicks and explained common interrogation techniques used by investigators. White testified that polygraph subjects must be sober and that Xanax is the most commonly used drug to interfere with polygraph results. He said Hicks told him upon arrival that he had taken three Xanax pills and consumed alcohol, leading White to decide not to administer the test. Video of the pretest interview was played for the jury. White testified that during such interviews, investigators may intentionally make statements that are not literally true as part of recognized interrogation techniques. He explained that those tactics are used to build rapport with a suspect or to create the impression that investigators possess more evidence than they actually do. White acknowledged referencing a fictional forensic test during the interview, testifying that the statement was intended to make Hicks believe investigators had extensive evidence. He said the tactic was used to encourage conversation and lower a suspect's defenses. White testified that throughout the interview he offered Hicks multiple opportunities to explain what happened, including accidental scenarios, but that Hicks consistently denied involvement and stated that he believed Regina Hicks committed suicide. On cross-examination, White acknowledged that no polygraph test was administered and that standard testing protocol was therefore not followed. He also agreed that false confessions can occur and testified that he could not rule out Hicks' innocence. White confirmed that the goal of the interview was to obtain truthful information and, if possible, a confession, which he described as consistent with law-enforcement practice. Court will resume Tuesday morning on the second floor of the Huron County Courthouse.