Hicks nearing return to Maine > Suspect in killings awaits agreement

BANGOR – James Hicks remained in a Texas jail Monday as authorities continued to work out the details involved in returning him to Maine so he may lead investigators to the remains of three women who have disappeared during the past 23 years.

“We haven’t decided on the form of executive agreement that we are going to use,” said Deputy Attorney General Paul Gauvreau, head of the criminal division for the state Attorney General’s Office. “In either case it takes awhile to implement because it requires the signature of Gov. [Angus] King and Gov. [George W.] Bush.”

Gauvreau hopes Hicks can be returned to Maine in two to four weeks.

“Once we get the agreement prepared, then it may be just the timing of the governors’ schedule, especially Gov. Bush, given his travel schedule,” Gauvreau said. “We have been told, however, that he is diligent about returning to Texas for two days a week to sign executive orders so we are hopeful that we will be able get him [Hicks] returned to Maine in the near future.”

Hicks, 49, formerly of Etna and Brewer, pleaded guilty last week to the robbery of a 67-year-old Lubbock, Texas, woman last April. He has been incarcerated at the Lubbock County Jail since the April 8 incident, during which he threatened the woman with a gun and made her drink cough syrup, write him a check for $1,250 and sign over the title to her car.

The woman escaped when Hicks left the room to search the home for guns.

Facing the possibility of a life sentence in Texas, Hicks last week agreed to plead guilty to aggravated robbery and offered to cooperate with Maine authorities who long have suspected him in the disappearances of 34-year-old Jerilyn Towers in 1982 and 40-year-old Lynn Willette in 1996.

Hicks served six years of a 10-year prison sentence for his 1983 manslaughter conviction for killing his wife, Jennie Hicks, who disappeared without a trace in 1977. Hicks was not charged in the case until 1982 after the disappearance of Towers.

He never has been charged in the deaths of Towers or Willette.

None of the three bodies were found.

Hicks’ decision to cooperate with Maine authorities came when he discovered he did not like life inside Texas jails, according to Texas authorities. His decision was based on a promise by Texas and Maine authorities that he would be allowed to serve any sentence he received in Maine before beginning a 55-year sentence in Texas.

Given his prior convictions, it is likely he would receive what would amount to a life sentence in Maine if he were convicted of the murders of Willette and Towers, making the Texas sentence moot.

In court in Texas last week, Hicks waived extradition, clearing the way for him to be returned to Maine to face the charges.

It would be much simpler if the state opted to extradite Hicks, but on Monday Gauvreau said it was not the route authorities planned to take.

“An extradition order would be much simpler, but we are looking for a document that provides us with more flexibility,” he said.

There is a statute that provides for the ability to transfer an inmate from one state to another even if that inmate is not yet facing charges in the other state.

Gauvreau said the statute allows for such an inmate transfer “for aid of law enforcement.”

While he said such an interstate agreement would allow the state more flexibility, Gauvreau declined to discuss specifically why authorities are considering the more complicated procedure.

In order to use the extradition process, the state would have to file formal charges against Hicks. Other avenues would allow them to bring him back to Maine prior to charges being filed against him.

That would mean authorities could wait for Hicks to lead them to the bodies before charging him.

“We are in the process of making those decisions as we speak,” Gauvreau said. “We are close to making arrangements but we have a few legal issues to get through yet.”