Robert Charles Browne was born on October 31, 1952, in Coushatta, Louisiana. He was the youngest of nine children in his family, which ran a dairy farm. His father, Ronald, later became a deputy sheriff in the Red River Parish Sheriff's Office. The family dealt with some struggles, including a history of depression on his mother Buela's side. Buela's father had tragically taken his own life. Despite these hardships, many people in the community viewed the Brownes as a caring family.

As a child, Browne was seen as intelligent, especially in math, but his school grades were average. He was often viewed as a loner and had a reputation for having a short temper. He dropped out of Coushatta High School shortly before turning 17 to join the Army. During his time in the military, he completed two tours in Vietnam and one in South Korea. However, he was dishonorably discharged in 1976 due to drug abuse.

After he returned to Louisiana, Browne worked in various jobs in Louisiana, Texas, and Colorado. His jobs ranged from delivering flowers to working as a clerk at a Kwik-Stop. Browne was married five times, and each of his wives was described as petite and slim. He had one son named Thomas with his second wife, who was Vietnamese. Reports from his later three wives described him as being physically abusive over minor mistakes and exhibiting irrational behavior.

Before his convictions for murder, Browne had a few issues with the law. His criminal record included a car theft conviction and an arrest warrant for stealing a church bell. He was also convicted of stealing a pickup truck. In addition to these offenses, multiple police reports connected him to drug charges, burglaries, arsons, and even animal cruelty incidents.

Robert Charles Browne is known for confessing to killing many people, claiming it was around 48 or 49. He stated that most of his victims were women he viewed as being of "low moral value." Browne said he often did not plan these murders. Instead, he described them as crimes of opportunity that took place in places like motels and convenience stores. He used various methods to kill, including strangulation, shooting, and stabbing with different objects. He mentioned dismembering many of his victims and disposing of their bodies in remote areas.

Browne drew a map showing where he claimed to have committed these murders across several states. He stated that he had killed 17 people in Louisiana, 9 in Colorado, 7 in Texas, 5 in Arkansas, 3 in Mississippi, 2 in California, 2 in New Mexico, 2 in Oklahoma, and 1 in Washington. Browne claimed that his first murder was of a fellow soldier in South Korea during a bar fight.

Authorities have confirmed his involvement in two murders, notably that of Katherine Jean "Fuzzy" Hayes and Heather Dawn Church. Hayes was killed in March 1980 after Browne offered her a ride. He claimed that after they argued, he strangled her when she fell asleep and then disposed of her body in a creek. In a similar case, Church, a 13-year-old girl, was abducted in September 1991. Her remains were discovered two years later, and Browne's fingerprints linked him to her murder.

Other victims Browne claimed to have killed include Faye Aline Self, Wanda Faye Hudson, Nidia Mendoza, and others spread across multiple states. Investigators have remained skeptical about the truth of his claims regarding many of these murders. His confessions were often vague, and some believe he seeks attention or wishes to taunt law enforcement.

Browne was arrested on March 28, 1995, after investigators linked him to Church's case through fingerprints. He eventually pleaded guilty to her murder in exchange for a life sentence instead of the death penalty. He later accepted another plea deal related to another murder, ensuring he would spend his life in prison without parole.

As of February 2023, Robert Charles Browne is still alive and serving his sentences in Colorado. While he has made many claims about his killings, only two murders have been confirmed by law enforcement with strong links to him.