Robert Ben Rhoades was born on November 22, 1945, in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He lived with his mother during his early years because his father was a soldier stationed in West Germany. Rhoades was in elementary school when his father returned home after being discharged from the military. Once back in the U.S., his father found a job as a firefighter.

His early life seemed normal, but he faced social challenges while growing up. Rhoades was active in school and participated in many extracurricular activities like football, wrestling, choir, and the French club. However, during his high school years, he also had some trouble with the law. At the age of 16, he was arrested for tampering with a vehicle and was later arrested again for public fighting when he was 17.

Rhoades graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Council Bluffs in 1964. That same year, he joined the Marine Corps. His family faced turmoil when his father was arrested for molesting a 12-year-old girl and subsequently took his own life while awaiting trial. Rhoades was later dishonorably discharged from the Marine Corps due to his involvement in a robbery.

After leaving the military, Rhoades went to college but dropped out soon after. He tried to join a law enforcement agency but was turned down because of his dishonorable discharge. He got married three times and had a son with his first wife. Throughout his life, Rhoades worked in various jobs, including in stores, supermarkets, warehouses, and restaurants. Ultimately, he became a long-haul truck driver.

In the 1980s, Rhoades developed an interest in the BDSM scene. During this time, he allegedly verbally, physically, and sexually abused his third wife, Deborah Rhoades.

On October 26, 1990, deer hunters found skeletal remains in Millard County, Utah. At first, the victim was not identified and was called "Jane Doe 1." It wasn't until May 2003 that forensic scientists identified her as Patricia Candace Walsh, a 24-year-old woman who went missing in 1989 along with her husband, Douglas Scott Zyskowski. Zyskowski's remains were found in January 1990 in Texas. Rhoades later confessed to killing them. He said he picked up the couple while they were hitchhiking. He killed Zyskowski immediately and disposed of his body in Texas. Rhoades kept Walsh for more than a week, during which he tortured and raped her before killing her and leaving her body in Utah.

In less than a month after Walsh's death, Rhoades abducted an 18-year-old named Shana Holts. She managed to escape and reported what happened to the police. When Rhoades was arrested, Shana did not want to press charges because she feared no one would believe her. She stated that she felt there was no evidence to support her claim. Reports indicated that she was scared of Rhoades after spending two weeks with him. He had made his truck into a torture chamber, where he held women for extended periods.

Regina Kay Walters was found dead on September 29, 1990, in an abandoned barn in Illinois. She had been missing since February 1990 after running away with her boyfriend, Ricky Lee Jones. An autopsy determined she was strangled in early March. A photograph of Walters in a compromising position was discovered in Rhoades' home. Jones's remains were later found in Texas, with evidence showing he had been shot.

On April 1, 1990, Trooper Mike Miller found Rhoades' truck parked with its lights on by the side of the road in Arizona. When he looked inside, he saw a naked woman who was handcuffed and screaming. Rhoades was present and initially tried to evade arrest. He eventually surrendered a gun he had on him. He was charged with serious crimes, including aggravated assault and sexual assault. After further investigation, police uncovered a pattern linking Rhoades to several murders.

In 1994, Rhoades was convicted of the first-degree murder of Regina Kay Walters. He received a life sentence without the possibility of parole. In 2005, he was extradited to Utah to face charges for the murders of Walsh and Zyskowski, but those charges were later dropped. Rhoades was then extradited to Texas for the murders of Walters and Jones, where he pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty and received another life sentence. He is also suspected of torturing, raping, and killing over fifty women between 1975 and 1990, based on information about his truck routes and the disappearances of women during that time who fit the profile of his typical victims. He continues to serve his time at Menard Correctional Center in Illinois.