Robert Bryant Melson was born on March 16, 1971, in the United States. Very little is publicly known about Melson's early life, education, or upbringing prior to his involvement in the 1994 Popeyes restaurant murders. His criminal record prior to the killings is also not widely documented. Unlike many high-profile murderers, Melson did not appear to have a long criminal history or background in violent offenses before the robbery and killings that would later result in his death sentence.

Melson became known nationally following his conviction for one of Alabama’s most brutal fast-food killings. He was 23 years old at the time of the crime. During his incarceration and appeals process, he did not give extensive public statements or interviews, and his case received renewed attention only in the years immediately preceding his execution due to legal debates surrounding lethal injection protocols in Alabama.

On the night of April 15, 1994, Robert Bryant Melson and his accomplice Cuhuatemoc Hinricky Peraita entered a Popeyes restaurant in Gadsden, Alabama. They gained access through the back door after an employee unlocked it for other workers taking out the trash. Once inside, they ordered four employees, including Darrell K. Collier, Nathaniel Baker, Bryant Archer, and Tamika Collins, into the restaurant's office. They demanded the employees empty the safe, and the employees complied.

After taking the money, which totaled over $2,100, Melson ordered the group to get into the restaurant's freezer. Soon after locking them inside, Melson reopened the door and began shooting. Three of the employees—Baker, Collier, and Collins—were killed in the attack. Archer, who was shot four times, survived and crawled to the office to call 911. The shooting occurred shortly after midnight, marking the early hours of April 16.

In the following legal proceedings, Melson was convicted for his actions in this crime. He received a death sentence on May 17, 1996, and was placed on death row in Alabama. Peraita was given a life sentence but later killed another inmate and received a death sentence as well.

Melson's execution was set multiple times. In 2010, he had two execution dates that were postponed. His execution was finally scheduled for June 8, 2017, but faced several legal delays. On the night of his execution, a stay was briefly granted for review. However, after further consideration, the execution proceeded, and Melson was pronounced dead at 10:27 p.m. on June 8, 2017.