Robert Tyrone Hayes

Serial Killer

Robert Tyrone Hayes: The Daytona Beach Serial Killer

Overview

Robert Tyrone Hayes is an American serial killer convicted of murdering three women in Daytona Beach, Florida, between December 2005 and February 2006. DNA evidence also connected him to the 2016 murder of Rachel Elizabeth Bey in Palm Beach County. Hayes has been investigated in connection with the unresolved murder of Stacey Charlene Gage, while the deaths of Regan Kendall and Kelly Lanthorne have occasionally been discussed as other possible cases. However, Hayes has not been formally or forensically linked to Gage, Kendall or Lanthorne. For more than a decade, the unidentified offender responsible for the three confirmed murders was commonly called the "Daytona Beach Serial Killer." The victims were found unclothed in isolated outdoor locations, and each had been shot in the head with a .40-caliber firearm. The similarities in the victims' injuries and the placement of their bodies convinced investigators that the murders were connected. Hayes was born on March 12, 1982. At the time of the Daytona Beach murders, he was a student at Bethune-Cookman University, where he studied criminal justice and participated in the university's cheerleading program. Investigators questioned him during the original inquiry because he had purchased a .40-caliber handgun, but the evidence then available was insufficient to arrest him.

Confirmed Victims

• Laquetta Mae Gunther, 45 Disappeared December 24, 2005; found December 26, 2005 Daytona Beach, Florida: Gunther disappeared on Christmas Eve after making plans to meet a friend. Her unclothed body was discovered two days later in a narrow space between commercial buildings. She was lying face down and had been shot in the back of the head. DNA evidence recovered during the investigation was later connected to Hayes. He was convicted of her murder in February 2022.
• Julie Ann Green, 34 Found January 14, 2006 Daytona Beach, Florida: Green's unclothed body was found on a dirt road near a construction area. She was lying face down and had been shot in the back of the head. Tire impressions were discovered near the body. The location and condition of Green's remains closely resembled the circumstances of Gunther's murder. Hayes was convicted of killing Green in February 2022.
• Iwana Patton, 35 Found February 24, 2006 Daytona Beach, Florida: Patton's unclothed body was found beside an isolated dirt road. She had been shot in the head, although evidence suggested that she may have struggled with her attacker. Investigators recovered a shell casing and forensic evidence that helped connect her murder to Hayes and the other Daytona Beach cases. Hayes was convicted of killing Patton in February 2022.

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Confirmed Victims: (3)

Laquetta Gunther Age: (45), Date of Death: 2005-12-22

Suspected Victims:

Regan Kendall Age: (48)

Kelly Lanthorne Age: (37), Date of Death: 2007-07-14

Stacey Gage Age: (30), Date of Death: 2007-12-11

Rachel Bey Age: (32), Date of Death: 2016-03-07

Robert Hayes (serial killer) - Wikipedia