The making of a killer
Robert Ben Rhoades was born in Iowa in 1945 to Betty and Ben Rhoades. He was initially raised only by his mom until Ben returned from the war. His father was known for being a strict authoritarian. He was also known for worse things, such as being a pedophile. Later, Rhoades revealed he was abused by his own father. When he was 18, he joined the Marines. It was around that time when his father was convicted of child molestation, after which he took his own life. Soon after, Rhoades was dishonorably discharged from service for theft.
