Robert Hansen was born in Estherville, Iowa, on February 15, 1939. Growing up, he faced many challenges due to his stutter and severe acne, which affected his self-confidence and made his school life difficult. These issues made him an easy target for bullies. To escape from his troubles, Robert became passionate about hunting, an activity where he found great skill and comfort. This early hobby of hunting would later take on a darker significance in his life.

After moving to Anchorage, Alaska, in 1967, Robert Hansen seemed to start anew. He opened a bakery, a profession that allowed him to blend into society and lead what appeared to be a normal family life with his wife and children. Anchorage, with its rugged landscape and isolated environment, suited his love for the outdoors. However, beneath this facade, Hansen harbored dark impulses that went unnoticed by those around him for many years.

Hansen's life took a significant turn when he started committing crimes. Initially, these were not violent—mostly involving theft. However, his activities escalated, leading to more serious criminal behavior. Despite these issues, his superficial charm and the respectability of his business allowed him to maintain a semblance of normalcy in his community life.

As the years passed, the darker aspects of Robert Hansen's character would emerge more destructively, ultimately revealing a deeply troubled and dangerous individual. His ability to lead a double life—a family man and a criminal—made it difficult for many to reconcile his heinous acts when they were eventually uncovered.

Robert Hansen’s murder spree is chilling, stretching from 1971 to 1983. His preferred targets were young women, often those in vulnerable positions, such as sex workers or strippers, whom he believed would not be immediately missed. This belief made his crimes even more heinous, as he exploited their vulnerability for his own sadistic pleasures.

Hansen’s method of operation was particularly gruesome. He would abduct his victims, often under the guise of offering them money for a photo shoot or similar ploy. Once he had them in his control, he subjected them to terrifying ordeals. He would fly them to his remote cabin in the Alaskan wilderness if they tried to escape, turning their attempts to flee into a twisted game of cat and mouse. Hansen, an experienced hunter, would release the women into the dense woods only to hunt them down as if they were game animals.

His ability to carry out these horrifying acts was aided by his pilot's license and ownership of a plane, which allowed him to transport victims to secluded areas without detection. The isolated Alaskan backdrop provided the perfect cover for his brutal activities, leaving little chance for the women to find help or escape.

The terror that Robert Hansen inflicted came to a peak in 1983 when one of his intended victims, Cindy Paulson, managed to escape while handcuffed and barefoot. She ran to the police, providing them with detailed information about Hansen and the ordeal she had undergone.

Following Cindy's report, authorities began to unravel the breadth of Hansen's crimes. They discovered several of his personal belongings linked to missing women, including jewelry and identification cards. This evidence, along with Cindy’s testimony, led to a search warrant for Hansen’s plane, car, and properties.

In October 1983, after gathering substantial evidence, the police arrested Robert Hansen. Under pressure, he confessed to killing 17 women and assaulting another 30 over a 12-year period. He revealed chilling details during his confession, admitting to using his plane to transport victims and describing how he enjoyed the power and control of stalking them in the wilderness.

Hansen was charged with multiple counts of assault and murder. He was eventually convicted and sentenced to 461 years plus life in prison without the possibility of parole, ensuring he would never harm anyone again. He died in prison on August 21, 2014.