Robert Tyrone Hayes was born on March 12, 1982, in West Palm Beach, Florida. He was the youngest of four children. Hayes grew up mainly with his mother because his father was murdered shortly after he was born. Reports suggest that Hayes experienced some form of abuse during his childhood. As a teenager, he was molested by a family member who was about the same age as him.

During his adolescence, Hayes was described as chubby, which led to him being bullied by others. Friends and family gave him the nickname "Squeaky." He was known to be friendly and helpful and often recited poetry in Miami. His friends described him as outspoken with a good sense of humor and a positive attitude. Despite the difficulties he faced, he was always there for people around him.

In his youth, Hayes had an active social life and was known to attend sex parties. There were even suspicions that he invited prostitutes over to these gatherings. He also had a girlfriend in the 2000s with whom he had a child.

Hayes pursued an education in criminal justice. From 2000 to 2006, he studied at Bethune-Cookman College, which is now called Bethune-Cookman University. He worked hard and graduated with a degree in criminal justice. Known for his helpfulness, Hayes also had an interest in cooking. He even tried to start his own cooking business in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Robert Tyrone Hayes is known for a series of murders that took place in Florida. The first three confirmed victims were all women found in the Daytona Beach area between December 2005 and February 2006. Laquetta Mae Gunther, 45, was discovered on December 26, 2005. She had been shot in the back of the head. Julie Green, 34, was found next on January 14, 2006, also shot in a similar manner. DNA evidence was collected from the scene of Gunther's murder. In February 2006, Iwana Patton, 35, was discovered on a dirt road. Her murder was different as she showed signs of a struggle and was shot, but not in the same way as the other two victims. The police recovered DNA and a shell casing from this scene.

Four detectives created a task force to focus on finding the killer. They used DNA samples collected at traffic stops from men who fit the profile of the suspected killer. The killer was regarded as "The Daytona Beach Killer," and many believed this person was a white male with resentment towards women.

On January 2, 2008, the remains of Stacey Charlene Gage were found. She had been shot as well, and police believed she had vanished on December 11, 2007, after leaving home. The task force continued its investigation but failed to connect Hayes to this case initially.

In March 2016, Rachel Elizabeth Bey's body was discovered by a highway. An autopsy showed she had been strangled and beaten. DNA evidence collected at the crime scene later matched samples from the earlier Daytona Beach murders.

Hayes was connected to the killings through DNA testing from a database. He was arrested on September 15, 2019, when police obtained DNA linking him to Bey and matched it to Gunther and Green. Additional ballistic tests also connected him to Iwana Patton's murder.

Hayes was charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder and ultimately convicted of three murders on February 22, 2022. He received three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. He is still awaiting trial for the murder of Rachel Bey.