PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — A man believed to be responsible for the murder of a Plattsburgh woman in 2022 has been indicted on murder charges, as announced by the Clinton County District Attorney’s office. Larry M. Hicks Jr., a 47-year-old resident of Tabor City, N.C., was indicted by a Clinton County Grand Jury on January 24 for second-degree murder and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
The charges stem from an incident that took place on July 14, 2022, when State Police responded to a check on Monique R. Yanulavich, a 45-year-old woman, at her residence on Westwood Drive in Plattsburgh. Upon their arrival, Yanulavich was not present, prompting law enforcement to initiate a search for her in the local area. Tragically, she was found deceased later that day in her vehicle at the Champlain National Bank parking lot on Route 3 in Plattsburgh.
The cause of Yanulavich’s death was determined to be multiple stab wounds, leading authorities to classify it as a homicide following an autopsy conducted by Forensic Pathologist Dr. Michael Sikirica at Glens Falls Hospital. The investigation, led by the State Police and involving multiple agencies, ultimately identified Hicks as the perpetrator. Evidence suggested that Hicks had fled New York.
Hicks, described as a white male with a height of 6’7″ and weighing approximately 300 pounds, with blue eyes, and brown and gray hair, had a previous criminal record. In 2001, he faced murder charges in the strangulation death of his sister-in-law, Kimberly Michelle Jacobs Suggs, in South Carolina. Hicks ultimately pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and served five years in prison.
State Police confirmed that Hicks had fled New York, traveling to North Carolina on a motorcycle. Surveillance footage captured him in South Carolina on July 15, 2022, and he was last seen boarding a bus in Corpus Christi, Texas, heading towards Brownsville, a city bordering Mexico. Authorities are actively searching for Hicks and urge the public to provide any information regarding his whereabouts.
The ongoing search for Hicks involves the collaboration of various law enforcement agencies, including the Plattsburgh City Police Department, Clinton County Sheriff’s Department, SUNY Plattsburgh Police Department, New York State Forest Rangers, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations, and Darlington County Sheriff’s Office from South Carolina.
The State Police stressed the importance of bringing justice to Monique R. Yanulavich and her family. Anyone with information about Hicks is urged to contact the New York State Police at 518-563-3761.