Robert Tyrone Hayes born March 12, is an American serial killer who was convicted of three murders in the Daytona Beach , Florida , area between December and February In addition, he remains the prime suspect in the murder of another woman in December 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.
In December , the murder of a woman in the same area caused a re-investigation to be brought forward, but again, Hayes remained elusive. On September 15, , authorities charged Hayes with one count of first-degree murder based upon DNA tests. He was described as chubby in his adolescence, resulting in Hayes often being bullied. Nicknamed "Squeaky" by friends and family, Hayes was described as someone who was always there for people, friendly with neighbors, outspoken, and recited poetry in Miami.
Friends also explained Hayes had an interest in cooking, and attempted to start his own cooking business in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The first known victim was year-old Laquetta Mae Gunther, who was found in an alley on December 26, DNA was recovered from the scene. She was known to have worked as a prostitute. She was also known to have worked as a prostitute. No DNA was recovered, but tire tracks were found. The tires were for a Taurus or Sable and in fact the exact tires were later found. Just over a month later, on February 24, , police found the body of Iwana Patton, 35, on a dirt road.
She had been shot, but not in the back of the head, and possibly had struggled with her killer. DNA was recovered, along with a shell casing that allowed police to identify the make and model of pistol used. Authorities received an anonymous telephone call describing the location of Patton's body, but the caller was eventually identified and questioned, and is not a suspect in the killings.
