Homicide suspect had previous murder charge
Aug. 13—PLATTSBURGH — After a picture of a Hartsville Messenger newspaper article from 2005 began circulating recently on social media, detailing the murder charge of a then 30-year-old Larry Hicks in Darlington, S.C., the question was raised whether or not this was the same man State Police believe killed Monique R. Yanulavich on July 14 in the Town of Plattsburgh.
Brandi Ashley, State Police PIO for Troop B, confirmed to the Press-Republican Friday that it was the same man.
"I don't know what the charge was — I didn't read up on that — but it is the same gentleman, yes," Ashley said.
2001 CASE
In the article, written by then-Hartsville Messenger Managing Editor Jim Faile, it was reported that Hicks was charged with murder in the strangulation death of his sister-in-law, Kimberly Michelle Jacobs Suggs, on March 8, 2001.
The article said Hicks "pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter...and was sentenced to five years in prison in Darlington County general sessions court."
More details surrounding the murder were revealed by then assistant Fourth Circuit Solicitor for Darlington County, Sherrie Baugh, in the article.
"Suggs was found dead in her home on the morning of March 8 by her husband, Christopher Suggs. He had been called back to the house from his job by a relative who had tried to reach the victim by phone and got the victim's 3-year-old daughter instead," Baugh said in the article.
"Baugh said Hicks went to Suggs' home...that morning and strangled her after an argument."
YANULAVICH MURDER
As previously reported by the Press-Republican, on July 29, police said they determined that Larry M. Hicks Jr., 47, of Tabor City, N.C., was responsible for the murder of Yanulavich, 45, who was found deceased inside a vehicle in a parking lot by Plaza Boulevard.
An arrest warrant for second-degree murder was issued.
Based on evidence, State Police said they have determined that Hicks has fled New York state, traveling to North Carolina on a 2015 Honda Goldwing Motorcycle.
On July 15, he was caught on a surveillance camera in South Carolina, and was last seen on July 21, boarding a bus in Corpus Christi, Texas, bound for Brownsville, Texas.
Hicks is a white male, 6'7" in height, weighs 300 pounds and has black and gray hair and blue eyes, police said.
There have been no updates from police since.
"At this time, we can't comment any further than what we already have," Ashley said.
Email: cnewton@pressrepublican.com
Twitter: CarlySNewton
