His deformity was the genetic condition ectrodactyly, in which the fingers and toes are fused together to form claw-like extremities. When not traveling with the carnival, the Stiles family lived in Gibsonton, Florida, where many other carnival performers lived during the winter season. It also includes a small statue in the likeness of Stiles in the opening credits. Stiles was instead sentenced to house arrest and fifteen years probation. After some time, he again took to drinking and beating his family members. Mrs. Stiles, 56, could get life behind bars if convicted. The murder of Grady Stiles was the first story recounted in this episode. Then he started hitting on me with his fist. I killed before and got away with it, I can do it again. was now his favorite taunt to his family. The real Stiles was an abusive alcoholic who was convicted of murdering a man, and who himself died violently. Although he was very strong, he exploited his handicap in order to gain sympathy. He also fathered several children, at least one of whom has a complicated relationship with his father's memory, and left his indelible mark on a Florida town once famed for being a winter haven of circus and carnival performers. In his account of the sensational life and murder of Grady Stiles Jr., also known as the legendary carnival "freak" Lobster Boy, author Fred Rosen explains how Stiles's death was engineered by his wife, Mary Teresa, the carny known as the . From the age of seven, he began working as a sideshow performer, billed as the amazing "Lobster Boy.". He also, by this time, had acquired liver cirrhosis from drinking and had emphysema from years of cigarette smoking. Lastly, Mary was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, and was given 12 years in prison. His wheelchair-bound daughter Cathy recalled that one night, when she'd tried to protect her mother while pregnant, her father had beaten her as well. Seeing as there were no State institutions equipped to deal with his physical impairment which was exacerbated by emphysema and cirrhosis of the liver he was given 15 years probation. Allegedly, Stiles was an abusive alcoholic. Grady Stiles & Daughter Pitchcard. After all that, due being so loathed in the community, no one offered to serve as pallbearer for Grady at his funeral. Fred Rosen's Lobster Boy offers a biography of Grady Jr. and descriptions of both trials. He married twice and had four children. On November 29, 1992, Stiles and the family were wintering in Gibsonton when a neighbor, 19-year-old sideshow performer Chris Wyant, shot and killed the family patriarch. | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | DMCA Notice, This website uses cookies to improve your experience. It was 1978 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and he was taken to trial, where he openly admitted his guilt and was convicted of 3rd degree murder. He would lie in bed talking about how he was going to kill the whole family and often choked Mary and woke her up with a knife at her throat. All rights reserved. By some accounts, Wyant was hired by the family to be the hitman who would put an end to "Lobster Boy" once and for all. A person like Grady, going by the name of "Lobster Boy", appears in a Deadpool comic. When aired on Multiplication Rock, a . Grady Stiles Jr. lies buried in the Showmens section of Sunset Memory Gardens Cemetery in Thonotosassa, Florida. Stiles did not approve of her new beauand called for him so the pair could have a private talk. [4] Stiles' likeness appears on the album cover for Silverchair's Freak Show. When Marywas convicted, she took the time tosay one last thing on the matter: "My husband was going to kill my family. At least one of their children, Cathy, testified against him as well. However, heavy drinking was Stiles favorite hobby. Read Also If You Knew What This Horrific Killer Did To His Victims Bodies, You Would Be Terrified! Intrigued by this looks at Grady Stiles Jr., popularly known as Lobster Boy? Stiles was reportedly widely disliked in his community, so much so that only 10 people came to his funeral, and nobody volunteered as a pallbearer to carry his coffin.[5]. He wasted no time introducing Grady to show life, billing him as the Lobster Boy and starting him in the freak show business at the tender age of 7. "There are no freaks in carnivals anymore. Sit, Stay, Speak: The Benefits Of Having Your Dog Professionally Trained, MarvelBet Bangladesh Best Bonuses of 2022, You Cant Miss The Behind The Scenes Action From Disneys Short Film Piper, Do You Know About Ruuh? She said her father poked his head out a window, smiled and said Better him than me.. But Maria Teresa and her now-grown children were not without their limits. By 1992, Stiles' family had had enough of his abusive ways. We Asked, You Answered: What Would You Pick For Your Last Meal On Death Row? Either way, the meeting ended with Layne dead, shot and killed in cold blood by Grady with his shotgun. Step right up! His family decided to do something to make sure the abuse ended, once and for all. Finally, all three were arrested. Stiles and his two children toured together as The Lobster Family. Stiles seemeddoomed to a rough life from his birth in 1937. The assassin took 1500 US dollars in cash to put three bullets into Gradys head. Grady Stiles was born into a family of carnival performers in 1937. His ill-tempered drinking coupled with a feeling of invincibility from getting away with murder made Grady even more abusive than he was before. Grady was born with a rare medical condition known to run in his family called ectrodactyly. The two married and had several children together, two of which inherited Grays ectrodactyly. Even though he was . As far as Mary Teresa, it does appear that the court went easy on the 56 year old Mother; she was sentenced to serve 12 years for manslaughter but released as her sentence was appealed. That became a problem once he started abusing alcohol andbegan to abuse his familyas well. In 1992, Teresa, together with her son from a previous marriage, Harry Glenn Newman Jr., hired a seventeen-year-old sideshow performer named Chris Wyant to kill Stiles for $1500 dollars . In November, 1992, Stiles was murdered in his home in Gibsonton, Florida, by Chris Wyant, a family friend with gang ties. You were a drunken bastard but you were my dad," he said. Why not BECOME A MEMBER today? The chilling answer is yes, and like the fictional character, this real-life Lobster Boy was a cold-blooded killer. What the Greatest Showman Got Totally Wrong, The Bittersweet Story of Jumbo the Elephant, The Abusive 'Lobster Boy' Freak Performer Killed His Daughter's Fiance The Day Before Their Wedding, sentence was given as 15 years' probation, who claimed he was only trying to protect his mother. The feet are also sometimes affected, as was the case with Grady. A few years after she remarried Stiles, she paid her 17-year-old neighbor, Chris Wyant, $1,500 to kill him. Those with it became part of the family's touring circus act, while those without it helped the family in other ways. The performer made no attempt to put up a defense, but instead argued that he shouldn't go to prison due to his disability, as well as cirrhosis of the liver due to alcoholism and emphysema brought on by his three-pack-a-day smoking habit. Behind the scenes, however, a different kind of horror permeated the life of the man who inspired the character. Even though Stiles had been an abusive killer, his death was still a murder. He followed his father, Grady Stiles Sr. into the circus. It all came to a head during a fight in 1973, when he supposedlyripped outMary's IUD with his bare hands. He feels fortunate to have been able to visit many of the ancient wonders that he read about in history books. According to him, his mother, Teresa, and father were arguing. He even began to lunge at audience members during their sideshow performancesand appeared drunk on stage. Amazingly shoddy quality photo pitchcard of Grady and his daughter-- "Father 36., Daughter 5 yrs." Wyant was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 27 years in prison. American History comedy Podcast, The Dollop, did an episode in 2014 discussing Grady Stiles. His wife had finally reached her breaking point. Teresa's son overheard this, and went to a neighbor and repeated those words. On the night before the wedding, he took a shotgun and murdered him in cold blood. The court sentenced him to life in prison. With the condition affecting both his hands and feet, (his feet looked more like flippers than claws) he soon became a popular attraction. However, he soon began drinking again and his family claimed that he became even more abusive. He said he would help, and took $1,500to give to a neighbor by the name of Christopher Wyant. She turned to her son, Harry Glenn Newman, whom she'd had with her other husband. Like a lot of circus folks, the family would retire to Gibsonton, Florida during the slow winter season. Related: Adam Rainer: The Giant and the Dwarf. He was also a circus performer. According to Grady's father, the Stiles family had a long history of ectrodactyly, dating back to 1840. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Ectrodactyly affects the hands and feet Accept Read More, Frank Lentini: Three Legged Man and Circus Superstar. 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. It was a pretty open and shut case. He hit me to the point he knocked me out of the chair., The next morning, she said, her womb started bleeding, but she didnt say anything. 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. Grady Stiles Jr. - 'Lobster Boy' Grady Stiles was born, on June 26, 1937, with a deformation due to a genetic condition known as electrodactyly. This did not go down well with her daddy. If you wake up every morning and find yourself staring blankly at your wardrobe in a never-ending dilemma of what to wear, Obedience training is a great way to teach your dog proper behavior and develop a strong bond between you and your pup. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. It was later revealed that Donna wanted to get married as she had fallen pregnant, which turned out to be a lie. Grady Stiles Jr., who would become known as Lobster Boy, was born in Pittsburgh in 1937. As a result, he had immense upper body strength. He had cirrhosis of the liver and emphysema in addition to his ectrodactyly. He developed substantial upper body strength that, when combined with his bad temper and alcoholism, made him dangerous to others. The shocking acts committed by GradyStiles, the Lobster Man murderer,are even more outrageous when you consider that he was hardly punished. He'd also taken up smoking, and was finishing three packs of cigarettes per day, which left him with emphysema. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Unlike Grady Stiles, Wyant was sentenced to 27 yeas in prison for the murder. The Horrific Life and Murder Trial of the Infamous Lobster Boy. For more than a century, a peculiar physical condition known as ectrodactyly has afflicted the Stiles family. As townsperson Ken Hayward told Rodell, the social welfare system these days means that "freaks" can collect a disability check, rather than having to seek out a living in the sideshow circuit. It was 1978 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and he was taken to trial, where he openly admitted his guilt and was convicted of 3 rd degree murder. He disapproved of this relationship. Others revere him as a smart businessman who went from appearing in sideshows to owning them. To his family, he was another member who was destined for the freak show business. She had tried to get Glenn to take a plea bargain but he refused. How Lobster Boy Grady Stiles Went From Circus Act To Murderer. Grady Stiles' life was scarred by tragedy, abuse and led to brutal murders. Donna never spoke to her father again, but soon after the trial, Grady remarried Mary, who left her husband. The condition is known as ectrodactyly, and it causes fingers (and in some cases, toes) to grow fused together in such a way that a person's extremities resemble the claws of a lobster. In fact, Grady did not have a good reputation and was even convicted of manslaughter previously. six iconic Ringling Brothers freak show performers, Andre the Giant photos that you wont believe arent photoshopped. My husband was going to kill my family, she told the court, I believe that from the bottom of my heart.. The beatings would only get worse.. Who Did It? Used to maneuvering himself in a wheelchair, Stiles developed a great deal of upper body strength. Though he could not walk, he pushed himself around in a wheelchair and learned to crawl on his limbs, which led to him developing incredible upper body strength. Known as "Lobster Boy" because of a genetic deformity in his hands and feet, Grady Stiles Jr. was among the last of his kind deformed people who performed in traveling circuses and carnivals as "freakshow" attractions. Grady Stiles Jr., commonly known as Lobster Boy. FREAKS BEASTS He also allegedly used his strength to terrify and abuse his family. Grady Stiles - The Evil Lobster Boy by Jim H 1 Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1937, Grady Stiles Jr., also known as Lobster Boy, led an interesting life and suffered a death that was just as intriguing. I heard a bang and then I heard another one, she testified, saying Stiles had shot her boyfriend. At first, Stiles seemedto turn over a new leaf. When he grew up he married another employee of the carnival Mary Herzog but she wasnt a carnival act until later when she became the Electrified Girl. The verdict had a large impact on Gradys first wife Mary, who inexplicably remarried him in 1989. [1] Stiles married twice and had four children, two of whom also had ectrodactyly. What's more, combined with his alcoholism and his short temper, he was a force to be reckoned with. The young man stumbled out of the house and died. 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 American freak show performer. For most of his life, he primarily used a wheelchair but also learned to use his upper body to pull himself across the floor with impressive strength. The victim was known to carnival audiences as Lobster Boy because of his pincerlike hands, a result of a rare genetic condition. He suffered from ectrodactyly from birth, giving his fingers and feet the illusion of lobster claws. Grady Stiles Jr. hadn't changed one bit and the home, with several of their children, was desperately unhappy. I believe that from the bottom of my heart. It goes without saying that shed had enough. The family did well: they made anywhere between $50,000 to $80,000 per season, and unlike a lot of freak show acts, didnt have to subject themselves to anything more than curious stares. Now Cathy was the focus of his rage and one time he punched her in the jaw so hard it swelled for days. What happened that night is a matter of dispute. He had a low IQand had become a part of the sideshow for his ability to drive nails into his nostrils. "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. It was 1992 when Mary and her son Harry Glenn Newman Jr. approached a classmate with gang ties 17 year old Chris Wyant offering him $1500 to kill Grady, who was 55 years of age at the time. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. The assassin shot him while he was on his sofa. For a time, the Tampa Bay-area town of Gibsonton, Florida had a reputation for being a haven for so-called "freaks," the town in which circus performers would find comfort in their own seasonal community while taking the winter months off. But one son, Grady Stiles Jr., would give the Stiles family a different, morbid reputation when he became a serial abuser and murderer. For some unknown reason, Grady did not approve of his daughter Donna's fianc. Together they had two children and, like his father before him, introduced the children with ectrodactyly to the family business. If You Knew What This Horrific Killer Did To His Victims Bodies, You Would Be Terrified! 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