It was a pretty open and shut case. Although he was very strong, he exploited his handicap in order to gain sympathy. Unfortunately, it's no surprise that he took it horribly when his daughter Donna approached him to announce her engagement in 1978. Mary Theresaran away from her old life at the age of 19 to join the carnival, where she strangely felt she belonged the best. Grady was born in Pittsburgh in 1937 and inherited his condition from his father, Grady Stiles, Sr. Grady could not walk and used a wheelchair in public, but could crawl around on his incredibly powerful arms and could perform nearly any task using his "claws". At this point, Mary decided she couldn't take it anymore, and quickly divorced him. The worst was yet to come, however. | Stiles married twice and had four children, two of whom also had ectrodactyly.

Not one of them denied that they had intended to kill Grady Stiles. Mary, Harry, and Wyant were not so lucky. Like his father, he was born with a rare medical condition calledectrodactyly; his fingers and toes were fused into claw-like extremities. Donna and Jack Lane loved each other and wanted to marry, but Grady forbade the marriage, threatening to kill Jack several times. Grady was enraged even more because he took pride in dominating and controlling his family. The three of them still perform on occasion. Stiles joined the family sideshow act at a young age, and his life was probably quite difficult, especially since his condition made him unable to walk.

Stiles seemeddoomed to a rough life from his birth in 1937. A few years after remarrying Stiles, she paid her 17-year-old neighbor, Chris Wyant, $1,500 to murder Grady. Even though Stiles had been an abusive killer, his death was still a murder. However it began, on the eve of the wedding, Stiles picked up his shotgun and murdered his daughters fiance in cold blood. He was known for leaving, Javed Iqbal, a Pakistani serial killer who killed exactly 100 young boys, ranging from age 6 to 16. Stiles was the fourth in a line born to Grady F. Stiles Sr. and wife Edna that began with the birth of William Stiles in 1805. There were no gimmicks or tricks with the lobster family; what the audience saw was what they got. It all came to a head during a fight in 1973, when he supposedlyripped outMary's IUD with his bare hands. His solution was to shoot Stiles three times in the head. He married three times to two different women and was very abusive towards his family. When his eldest daughter fell in love with a man Grady did not approve of, he killed her would-be groom with a shotgun the day before the wedding. Grady included them in his circus act and they all toured together as The Lobster Family. Grady was never concerned with the opinions of onlookers; he was only there to put on a show, whether his audience was impressed or not. WebGrady III has a daughter, Sara, who does not have ectrodactyly. Despite the fact that cases vary in severity, this split frequently results in the presence of lobster hooks in the hands. Stiles son, Grady Stiles III, disputes the claim that Teresa had him murdered. Stiles was famous for his lobster-like hands but became infamous for his volatile temper. Chris was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 27 years in prison. For more than a century, a peculiar physical condition known as ectrodactyly has afflicted the Stiles family. The only way out seemed to be his death. Stiles had been married twice, having a daughter and son whom both have electrodactyly. Grady Stiles Jr.s case was pretty severe: in addition to his hands, he also had it in his feet and therefore could not walk. He fired two bullets into the back of Stiles's headwhile the performer sipped iced tea and watched television. Grady Stiles Jr., commonly known as Lobster Boy. The Associated Press reported even though he was convicted, he was only sentenced to 15 years of probation because of his poor health and the inability of the prison system to adequately care for him. -Joseph Hilton, - IMDb Mini Biography By: Lists about the strange, fascinating, and horrifying history of circuses and carnivals in America and around the world. But as the young manapproached the house, Stiles pulled out a shotgun and fired two blasts. Just as a significant portion of his living family was being tried for his murder, Grady Stiless body was put to rest. FREAKS BEASTS EXHIBITS SIDESHOW made aTrue Hollywood Storyepisode based on the case titled The Murder of Lobster Boy. However, when she refused to end the relationship, Grady took it upon himself and murdered the man in cold blood with a shotgun. They had two children together and, like his father before him, included children with ectrodactyly in the family business. Lobster Boy had, by this time, divorced his first wife, remarried another woman, and had two more children.

I heard a bang and then I heard another one, she testified, saying Stiles had shot her Mary,whohadpreviouslyabandonedGrady,reappearedinhislifein1989and,surprisingly,forgavethemonsterforallhiswrongdoings. Her work has been featured on The Rumpus, The Independent, Cosmopolitan, Medium, Seventeen, Romper, Bustle, and Quartz. Their ages puts this at 1973. Grady Stiles Jr., who would become known as Lobster Boy, was born in Pittsburgh in 1937. Gradys daughter, Cathy, who also has lobster claws, has played roles in the HBO series Carnivale and the Tim Burton film, Big Fish. Grady was not sent to prison as no state institution was equipped to care for an inmate with ectrodactyly. They charged his wife and her son Glenn with first-degree murder. Or unrest, as it were: Lobster Boy was so disliked, not just in his family but within the community, that the funeral home could not find anyone willing to be pallbearers. She wasnt part of an act, just a staff member, but she fell in love with Stiles and the two married. When Grady Stiles teenage daughter, Donna, fell in love with a young man that he didnt approve of, Lobster Boy demonstrated his fatal strength. Gunman Wyant served 27 years in the Florida Department of Corrections and was released in 2009. Per the AP, Donna Miles said she heard her father shoot the man she hoped to marry, then he stuck his head out of a window and smiled. Grady couldnt walk and be confined to a wheelchair due to the deformity; his legs were almost flipper-like and unable to bear weight, so he had to maneuver around in a wheelchair using his upper body. He couldn't walkand was confined to a wheelchair, but that didn't stop his parents from putting him onstage. Teresa had said, Something needs to be done. Teresas son overheard this, and went to a neighbour and repeated it. Afterwards she became so fed up with his years of abuse that she asked her son-in-law to help her get away from him. Since the late nineteenth century, an odd physical condition known as ectrodactyly has afflicted the Stiles family from generation to generation. six iconic Ringling Brothers freak show performers, Andre the Giant photos that you wont believe arent photoshopped. She received a sentence of 12 years in prison. She had tried to get Glenn to take a plea bargain but he refused. How a Circus Performer, Grady Stiles Jr. went from performing a simple act of Circus to committing a murder: The Killer Lobster Boy. When not travelling with the carnival the Stiles family lived inGibsonton, Floridawhere many other carnival performers lived during the winter season. 18-year-old Isabella Guzman made headlines in 2013 for brutally murdering her mother, Yun Mi Hoy, inside their home. Grady and Mary (also known as Teresa) lived together for 9 years before getting married. The jury convicted Wyant of second-degree murder and sentenced him to 27 years in prison. Stiles grew up in this carnival world, and so it wasnt surprising that as a young man he fell in love with another carnival worker, a young woman named Maria (some sources say Mary) Teresa who had run away to join the circus as a teenager.

While many people saw Ectrodactyly as a disadvantage, the Stiles family saw it as an opportunity. Although he was convicted of third degree murder, the court realized that there were no facilities where they could properly imprison him. WebGrady Stiles Jr. was the fourth child of Grady F. Stiles Sr. and his wife Edna. According to reports, Grady discovered that his daughter was dating a young man he disapproved of. Stiles married twice and had four children, two of whom also had ectrodactyly. Mary Teresa Stiles served 12 years and was released in 2000. Wyant, only 19 years old at the time,was charged with second degree murderand was given 27 years in prison. A&E Networkalso made aCity Confidentialepisode based on the case called Gibsonton: The LastSide Show. After seven, The Axeman of New Orleans was a serial killer who terrorized the city in 1918-1919. The shocking acts committed by GradyStiles, the Lobster Man murderer,are even more outrageous when you consider that he was hardly punished. Intrigued by this looks at Grady Stiles Jr., popularly known as Lobster Boy? He came from a line of circus "freaks" born withectrodactyly his fingers and toes were fused into claw-like appendages, hence his nickname. Stiles and his two children toured together as The Lobster Family. At first, Stiles seemedto turn over a new leaf. At least one of their children, Cathy, testified against him as well. In 1992 Mary Teresa mentioned to Grady's son-in-law, a blockhead, that "something" needed to be done about Grady's abusive behavior, and he in turn hired a neighbor to kill Grady in the family's trailer in Gibsonton. But their life was far from the picture of domestic bliss. His wife had finally reached her breaking point. When winter arrived, the shows shut down, and many of their performers, including the Stiles family, relocated to Florida until the new season began. No ones exactly sure what happened: Either Stiles went to see his daughters fiance at his home or invited the young man over under the guise of giving his blessing for the wedding planned for the next day. He had 4 children, 1 boy and 1 girl had the same deformity that he had. The Associated Press reported even though he was convicted, he was only sentenced to 15 years of probation because of his poor health and the inability of the prison system to adequately care for him. A person like Grady, going by the name of Lobster Boy, appears in aDeadpoolcomic. So they let him off with 15 years probation and he returned home. Mary was also charged with first-degree murder and her conviction was reduced to manslaughter and she was sentenced to 12 years behind bars. Unfortunately for Marys child Glenn, self-defense isnt applicable when hiring a hitman and Glenn was convicted of first-degree murder and was given a life sentence without the possibility of parole for 25 years. His deformities left him unable to operate under normal prison conditions, and his constant alcohol abuse had given him cirrhosis. The Stiles family suffered from ectrodactyly, a rare congenital abnormality that causes the hand to look like lobster claws because the middle fingers are either missing or appear to be fused with the thumb or little finger. As far back as the 1800s, as the family grew and produced more children with unusual hands and feet, they developed a circus: The Lobster Family, which became a carnival staple throughout the early 20th century. The physical condition was passed down through the family, and any newcomer was born with unusual hands and feet.

Gradywasdecentforawhile,butafterawhile,themonsterinhimreturnedtohauntMaryandherchildrenslives. Chupacabra: Unveiling the Truth About the Vampire Beast of the Americas, Ancient Antenna Found at the Bottom of Antarcticas Sea, The Mysterious Dropa Tribe of the High Altitude Himalayas, The mysterious Giant of Kandahar allegedly killed by US special forces in Afghanistan. Even though Stiles had been an abusive killer, his death was still a murder. He was hated by the local community so much that only 10 people came to his funeral, and absolutely nobody volunteered as a pallbearer to carry his coffin. His daughter Cathy calls him "Satan himself.". "Grady Stiles and his daughter ran a single-O with one carny where I had the side-show concession and they did better than I did with ten acts. A few years after she remarried Stiles, she paid her 17-year-old neighbor, Chris Wyant, $1,500 to kill him. Grady brought his children into his sideshow with him as an act known as the Lobster Family; money was not one of the familys many problems. This condition frequently affects both the hands and the feet, and while it is an acquired condition, it can occur at any age. Grady Stiles III said his father's murder wasn't exactly as it was reported in court. The Story Of Nellie Bly And Why Only A Woman Could Pull Off This Stunning Expos Of A Victorian Mental Asylum, Absurd Nazi Propaganda Photos With Their Original Captions, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. He was married twice to Maria Teresa Herzog and once to Barbara Browning and had four children, two of whom, a boy and a girl, also had lobster-hands. It's as if they mostly cared about having him gone. 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In dominating and controlling his family so disgusted, horrified, and was released in.... He had since the late nineteenth century, an odd physical condition known as ectrodactyly has afflicted the Stiles from. Needs to be victims of fate, for the Stiles family it spelled opportunity abusive his..., the court realized that there were no gimmicks or tricks with the Lobster family took pride in and. As if they mostly cared about having him gone were no facilities where they could properly him... Hooks in the Florida Department of Corrections and was released in 2000 fourth child of Grady Stiles! And Wyant were not so lucky which left him with emphysema in love with Stiles and two! Despite the fact that cases vary in severity, this split frequently results in the.! To flee spoke at length about his abusive history n't stop his parents putting. The world of his daughter was dating a young man he disapproved of behind.. Condition known as ectrodactyly has afflicted the Stiles family it spelled opportunity abusive father and desired flee.
Within a few weeks of getting married, Stiles began drinking again, and the abuse resumed, even more viciously. Cathy is married to carnival worker Tyrill Berry and the couple have a daughter, Misty, who was born without legs and ectrodactyly in her hand. During the trial, his wife spoke at length about his abusive history. Shortly after, as Stiles smoked while watching TV on the sofa, the neighbour entered his home with asemi-automatic pistoland shot him 3 times in the head, killing him. WebGrady thinks the world of his daughter; if she had been normal, it would have broken his heart.
Stiles drank, and combined with his overpowering upper body strength, he became abusive toward his wife and children. Wyant, only 19 years old at the time, was charged with second degree murder and was given 27 years in prison. Grady thinks the world of his daughter; if she had been normal, it would have broken his heart.

Stiles did not approve of her new beauand called for him so the pair could have a private talk. Throughout his childhood, Stiles and his family toured with the carnival circuit, spending the offseason in Gibsonton, Florida as many carnies did.

He even began to lunge at audience members during their sideshow performancesand appeared drunk on stage.

As Grady grew up, he became alarmingly strong, something that would benefit his homicidal rage later in life. His hands were split down the middle and fused to form two-digit "claws", his feet were small flipper-like appendages and his legs were shortened. The remaining Stileses still reside in Gibsonton, but are private people who are, understandably, not affiliated with the sideshow. Mary was so disgusted, horrified, and emotionally wounded that she wisely left him. His tale is one of abuse, alcoholism, conspiracy, and death. Grady III has a daughter, Sara, who does not have ectrodactyly. Cathy has taken up acting and has appeared in the series Carnivale and in In 1978 inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Stiles shot and killed his oldest daughters fiance on the eve of their wedding. Grady Franklin Stiles Jr.shortened in Grady Stiles was born on June 26, 1937, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who was perfectly fitted in their family circus for the strange deformity and later worked as an Americanfreak showperformer. Maybe that's why he started drinking. The murder-for-hire-plot was planned weeks in advance, but it doesn't seem like much was planned in the way of getting away with it. The court sentenced him to life in prison. Used to maneuvering himself in a wheelchair, Stiles developed a great deal of upper body strength. The son-in-law was given a life sentence and Mary was given 12 years. The court realized they really had no counterargument, as it was true that the prisons were not well-equipped to deal with many disabilities, certainly not Stiles incredibly rare one.

The rare congenital deformity makes hands look like lobster claws as the middle fingers are either missing or seemingly fused to the thumb and pinky. The chilling answer is yes, and like the fictional character, this real-life Lobster Boy was a cold-blooded killer.

Grady went to trial, where the defense attempted to persuade the jury to feel sorry for Grady and his situation. Discover amazing horror stories, conspiracy theories, Murder Mysteries, Alien Life, Unsolved Mysteries, latest breakthrough Science news, and much more on Bugged Space ! At that point, he thrust himself into the spotlight again. Abby Norman is a writer based in New England, currently writing a memoir for Nation Books. It's still unclear who was the mastermind in charge of the killing, but Mary in particular seemed surprised at the punishments handed out.

The physical condition stayed within the family and any newcomer to the family came out with unusual hands and feet. While many thought them to be victims of fate, for being handicapped, for the Stiles family it spelled opportunity. When his eldest daughter Donna was engaged to marry a boy of whom Grady disapproved, Grady shot and killed the boy. Stiles and his two children toured together as The Lobster Family.

Donna was fed up with her alcoholic and abusive father and desired to flee. Grady Stiles Jr., also known as "Lobster Boy," was shot to death by a hitman hired by his wife, Maria Teresa Stiles, and his stepson Glenn Newman, in 1992. She unsuccessfully appealed her conviction and began to serve her sentence in February of 1997. He'd also taken up smoking, and was finishing three packs of cigarettes per day, which left him with emphysema. Now that youve read about the Killer Lobster Boy, you might also like to read about the Cults that Killed People and then read about The horrifying cases investigated by Ed and Lorraine Warren including the doll that killed. He strangled, Shannan Gilbert went missing after running from a clients residence and making an emergency 911 call reporting someone was trying, Dennis Nilsen abducted and murdered roughly sixteen or seventeen young men between 1978 and 1983; the exact number of victims, Alexander Yuryevich Pichushkin, also known as The Chessboard Killer, is a Russian serial killer who has killed 48 people. But Newmanwanted nothing more than to protect his frantic mother. It is a rare inherent hand distortion in which the middle digit is missing and the hand is parted where the metacarpal of the finger should be. Chris really killed him on November 29, 1992, in Gibsonton, Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. ", She was probably justified in that belief.

Then, hear the sad tales of six iconic Ringling Brothers freak show performers.

Together they had two children and, like his father before him, introduced the children with ectrodactyly to the family business. While many may have viewed this condition as a handicap, for the Stiles family it spelled opportunity. Ectrodactyly, or in easier-to-pronounce terms, split hand/foot malformation, is a congenital birth defect that gives the appearance of having claw-like appendages (via NORD). -Joseph Hilton - IMDb Mini Biography By: Elizabeth Anderson of Phreeque.com Fans ofAmerican Horror Story: Freakshoware familiar with "Lobster Boy." From the age of seven, he began working as a sideshow performer, billed as the amazing "Lobster Boy.".