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Talking Dateline: Secrets Unmasked

Explore episode Jun 24, 2026

Where this was said

Steve Gates's 25-Year Silence and the Witness Clip

At 26:00 · chapter starts 22:05

Steve Gates is the pivot on which the entire case turned. He was present on the night of Regina Hicks's murder — he didn't see it happen, but when he returned to the car, Paul told him she was dead. He went along, stayed silent, and carried that weight for nearly 25 years. Keith Morrison reads his reluctance sympathetically: Paul's network in a small town was real, his reach felt limitless, and the idea of going to police without Paul finding out seemed impossible. The exclusive bonus clip is striking in its candor. Gates tells Morrison he now believes Paul is powerless — no minions, no reach, no danger to him. Morrison pushes harder: once you decide not to be afraid, does it make you look back and wonder why you didn't find that courage 24 years earlier? Gates's reply is simple and devastating: 'I was a young stupid kid.' Tim Uehlinger adds a crucial caveat — Regina's family heard all of this and is still not fully at peace with Gates, because his silence meant their mother never lived to see justice.

True Crime
Regina's Family Is Still Angry at Steve

Talking Dateline: Secrets Unmasked · Jun 24, 2026 True Crime

Steve Gates's testimony delivered justice — but Regina Hicks's family still holds hard feelings toward him. They believe their mother deserved to see a verdict before she died. Gratitude and anger can coexist, and in this case, they do.

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