Romulus Vereș was born on January 23, 1929, in Cluj, Romania. His early life was shaped by the environment and experiences of post-World War II Romania. Information about his childhood and family background is limited, but events during his formative years played a role in his later life.

As he grew up, Romulus faced various challenges, including economic difficulties that affected many families in Romania during that time. He struggled with mental health issues later in life, which were diagnosed as schizophrenia.

Romulus Vereș, known as "The Man with the Hammer," committed his crimes between September 11, 1972, and February 14, 1974, in Cluj County, Romania. He was charged with five murders and several attempted murders. The victims included women, and he used methods such as hitting them with a hammer, stabbing, and suffocation.

After a lengthy three-year forensic investigation, which involved questioning around four thousand people, he was apprehended in February 1974. Despite the severity of his actions, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity. This was due to his diagnosis of schizophrenia. Vereș claimed that the Devil influenced him to commit the crimes.

In 1976, he was institutionalized at the Ștei psychiatric facility. Over the years, urban myths exaggerated the number of his victims to as high as 200 women. However, the actual number was much lower. The limited coverage in the Communist press at the time contributed to this confusion.

Romulus Vereș died on December 13, 1993, while still in psychiatric care.