Robert Hayes (serial killer)

For other people named Robert Hayes, see Robert Hayes (disambiguation).
Robert Hayes
Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office mug shot
Born
Robert Tyrone Hayes

(1982-03-12) March 12, 1982 (age 42)
West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
Other namesThe Daytona Beach Killer
Height6 ft 4 in (193 cm)[1]
Criminal penaltyLife imprisonment
Details
Victims3 confirmed; 4–7+ suspected
Span of crimes
December 2005 – February 2006 (possibly until March 2016)
CountryUnited States
State(s)Florida
Date apprehended
September 15, 2019

Robert Tyrone Hayes (born March 12, 1982) is an American serial killer who has been convicted of three murders in the Daytona Beach, Florida, area between December 2005 and February 2006.[2] DNA tests have also linked him to a fourth murder committed in March 2016. In addition, he remains the prime suspect in the murder of another woman in December 2007.

The first three murders that were committed in Daytona Beach, Florida, garnered high media attention, and before Hayes' identification, the perpetrator was nicknamed The Daytona Beach Killer.[3][4][5] Investigators were not able to close in on a suspect in time. In December 2007, the murder of a woman in the same area caused a re-investigation to be brought forward, but again, Hayes remained elusive.[6] In December 2016, DNA tests on a woman found murdered in Palm Beach County in March 2016 matched DNA found on the original three murdered women.[7][8]

On September 15, 2019, authorities charged Hayes with one count of first-degree murder based upon DNA tests.[9] On September 16, he was charged on three additional counts of first-degree murder.[10][11][12] Additional testing after his arrest confirmed the link.[12] Investigators had identified Hayes after identifying his family members through genetic genealogy, a tactic that has been used to solve numerous cold cases, most famously the Golden State Killer.[13] In February 2022, Hayes was convicted on three counts of first-degree murder and the following month was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.[2][14]

  1. ^ Balogna, Patricio (September 16, 2019). "Daytona serial killings suspect studied criminal justice". Jacksonville.com. GateHouse Media. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Daytona Beach serial killer spared death sentence by jury, sentenced to life in prison". The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference AMW was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference michels was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference waddell was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Decade after Daytona Beach serial killer leaves 4 women dead, cops still seek answers". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  7. ^ "DNA cold case: Suspected Florida serial killer charged in 2016 death, tied to 3 more". WFXT. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  8. ^ Weber, Chuck (2019-11-21). "West Palm man now charged as serial killer; Local genealogy site helped police". WPEC. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  9. ^ Man arrested in 2016 strangulation death is a 'serial killer' linked to at least three other Florida slayings, police say
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Hayes2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference allbrittin was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ a b Knowles, Hannah (September 16, 2019). "He's suspected in four women's deaths — and 'would have killed again,' sheriff says". Washington Post. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  13. ^ "State pursuing death penalty against suspected serial killer indicted on 3 more murder charges". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2022-05-02.
  14. ^ "Florida college student serial killer sentenced to life in prison".