Robert Sylvester Alston was born on May 19, 1969, in Greensboro, North Carolina. He was the son of Jack Alston, a school custodian, and Dorothy Alston, a factory worker. He had one sibling and grew up in a poor, but stable, household. His family was respected in the community.

Alston went to Grimsley High School, where he was known as a social outcast. He was introverted and struggled to make friends. He was tall and somewhat athletic but stayed away from most extracurricular activities. The only group he joined was the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, but he did not take it seriously. After he graduated in 1987, Alston enrolled in a junior college in Georgia. However, he quickly became disinterested in school and dropped out after just one semester.

During his time in college, he started a relationship with a woman. In 1989, she had a son. Alston and his partner moved to Wilmington, Delaware, where they welcomed a second child in 1991. Soon after the birth of his second son, Alston argued with his girlfriend and left his family. He returned to his parents' home in Greensboro.

For the next several years, Alston worked various low-skilled jobs. At the time of his arrest in 1994, he was a dishwasher at the Rock-Ola Cafe in Greensboro. He had trouble forming deep connections with others, including his parents. He often spent his time alone in his room or walking around the neighborhood. His father later stated that there was little emotional intimacy or trust in their relationship.

Robert Sylvester Alston committed a series of murders between 1991 and 1993 in Greensboro, North Carolina. His first confirmed victim was 23-year-old JoAnne Robinson, a prostitute addicted to crack cocaine. In April 1991, Alston strangled her, and her naked body was found nearby.

Later that same year, in October, he murdered 26-year-old Sharon Martin. After killing her, Alston dismembered her body and scattered the remains throughout Greensboro. By late November, utility workers discovered her severed head and one of her hands in a wooded area close to Jackson Middle School.

In the spring of 1992, Alston killed 19-year-old Shameca Warren, another prostitute who was struggling with drug addiction. Her naked and decapitated body was found in a vacant lot near Alston’s home. She had been reported missing by her relatives a few months earlier.

The last confirmed murder occurred in December 1993. Alston raped and strangled 41-year-old Lois Elizabeth Williams. After killing her, he dumped her body in Piedmont National Cemetery, where it was found on December 14. Williams had turned to prostitution after losing her job.

In January 1994, Alston assaulted a woman who was hitchhiking, but she survived. She later assisted the police in identifying him. Alston was arrested on January 28, 1994, and confessed to killing Lois Williams shortly after.

Alston was convicted on April 18, 1994, and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Williams. He later confessed to murdering JoAnne Robinson and received another life sentence in August 1996. In late 1997, he claimed responsibility for the murders of Sharon Martin and Shameca Warren. Although he was charged in January 1998, no direct evidence linked him to their cases.

On September 3, 1998, Alston pleaded guilty to all charges, receiving two additional life sentences. He remained a suspect in other unsolved murders but was never charged. After his conviction, Alston was transferred between various prisons. He has denied being a serial killer, though he has stated he is responsible for more than four murders. As of January 2023, he is serving his sentence at the Columbus Correctional Institution in Brunswick.