Writing for Sideshow World in 2006, Chris Rodell told of travelling to Gibstonton to look for the remaining "freaks" and to talk about the town's most famous resident, only to find closed lips when he mentioned the name. Because of this, Stiles performed under the stage name " Lobster Boy ". Backpackerverse.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. She promptly divorced him. A daughter of Stiles who was born with no defects, 30-year-old Donna Miles, described how in 1978 her father asked to meet privately with a man she hoped to marry. To his family, he was another member who was destined for the freak show business. Grady enjoyed circus life and learned how to write his name and shoot a gun. Grady Stiles Jr. hadn't changed one bit and the home, with several of their children, was desperately unhappy. Tags: circus claws grady lobster murder murderer stiles Contact Us About Us The shocking expos of a carny's murder arranged by his wifeand the daughter who threatened the author to keep the truth from getting out. Mrs. Stiles, 56, could get life behind bars if convicted. Grady Stiles, Jr. came from a long line of people with ectrodactyly, or "lobster claw" syndrome. Kleptomania- A Disorder That Makes You Steal! He also allegedly used his strength to terrify and abuse his family. 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. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. He was shot in the back of the head as he sat in his underwear in his trailer. October 23, 2021 When Grady Stiles was shot and killed inside his trailer in November 1992, the police had quite a long list of suspects to work through. Photo courtesy of the States Attorneys Office. Grady Franklin Stiles Jr. was born on July 18, 1937, in Pittsburgh. 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. Young, graceful womanist. 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]. Those with it became part of the family's touring circus act, while those without it helped the family in other ways. Within hours, she was rushed to a hospital and had an emergency Caesarean section, delivering a daughter with the same lobster claw deformities. Im sorry this happened, but my family is safe now.". The victim was known to carnival audiences as Lobster Boy because of his pincerlike hands, a result of a rare genetic condition. On October 23, 2021, Investigation Discovery aired an episode of True Nightmares: Tales Of Terror called "Hate The Game." Within a few weeks of getting married, Stiles began drinking again, and the abuse resumed, even more viciously. Ms. Berry said she was seven months pregnant when she intervened in her wheelchair to stop her drunken father from striking her mother in 1990. Stiles did not approve of her new beauand called for him so the pair could have a private talk. As Healthline reported, he even inspired the character Jimmy Darling in American Horror Story: Freak Show. Grady Stiles III, 17, testified that only days before his fathers 1992 slaying, he broke through a locked door to rescue his stepmother from his fathers drunken attack. Grady Stiles III, 17, testified that only days before his father's 1992 slaying, he broke through a locked door to rescue his stepmother from his father's . It was the suffering he brought upon othersand the pain he inflicted on those he claimed to love. While he sometimes used a wheelchair, he most commonly used his hands and arms for locomotion. Stiles drank, and combined with his overpowering upper body strength, he became abusive toward his wife and children. Grady eventually filed for divorce and won custody of the children, due to Mary not attending court. Stiles died almost instantly. After Grady Jr. was born he was folded into his father's sideshow act at the age of seven. He reportedly used his exceptional strength to beat his wife and children for years, and even threatenedto kill Mary on more than one occasion. At this point, Mary decided she couldn't take it anymore, and quickly divorced him. Stiles almost clawed his way out of the punishment and got a sympathy verdict of 15 years probation. These days, Gibsonton is a shell of what it had once been. Unlike Grady Stiles, Wyant was sentenced to 27 yeas in prison for the murder. However it began, on the eve of the wedding, Stiles picked up his shotgun and murdered his daughters fiance in cold blood. In fact, Grady did not have a good reputation and was even convicted of manslaughter previously. "Little Grady" has a normal daughter, Sara. While they were not touring, the family lived in Gibsonton, Florida. American Horror Story: Freak Show has a Lobster Boy character. John Strohm wrote "Ballad of Lobster Boy," inspired by Grady Stiles and recorded the song for his 1999 album Vestavia.[8]. In November, 1992, Stiles was murdered in his home in Gibsonton, Florida, by Chris Wyant, a family friend with gang ties. 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. When it was off-season, they resided in Gibsonton, Florida known as Showtown USA which was a strange hub for circus performers during winter. The young man stumbled out of the house and died. Updated 2/10/2020 His life was filled with tragedy, abuse and alcoholism, all the while featured in many carnivals, along with his family, which included his children two of whom inherited his physical affliction. The "Lobster Boy" Stiles was born in 1937 with a deformity called ectrodactyly. However, Grady escaped a prison sentence on the grounds that no prison was equipped to handle his disability. Though still a mean drunk, Grady Stiles lived a relatively quiet life until 1978. But was the Lobster Boy based on an actual person? When Grady Stiles teenage daughter, Donna, fell in love with a young man that he didnt approve of, Lobster Boy demonstrated his fatal strength. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Who was GradyStiles, really? Many members of the Stiles family were born with a genetic condition called ectrodactyly. The media went into a frenzy. He developed substantial upper body strength that, when combined with his bad temper and alcoholism, made him dangerous to others. Lists about the strange, fascinating, and horrifying history of circuses and carnivals in America and around the world. He got around using a wheelchair or by crawling, dragging. Mary decided that she had to find a way to protect herself, and her family, from Stiles's constant abuse. Belmez Faces: Mystery of the People in the Floor, What happened to Lamont Young? 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. Maria statedin her defense that, My husband was going to kill my family. Your Anonymous Chat Buddy. Grady Stiles & Daughter Pitchcard. In 1978, as The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette would later report, Stiles' oldest daughter, Donna Stiles, had taken a shine to a man named Jack Layne, and the two had gotten engaged. My father was on top of her, choking her, he said. The court sentenced him to life in prison. For some unknown reason, Grady did not approve of his daughter Donna's fianc. Gradys father also suffered from the condition and toured the country in sideshows as the Lobster Man. 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. On the night of November 29, 1992, a hired assassin gunned down Grady. Jim has always had a strong passion for travel, archaeology, and history. 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 was sentenced to life in prison, while his mother was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and sentenced to 12 years in prison. During the trial, his wife spoke at length of his abusive history. Whatever the reason, Stiles became an alcoholic, and a violent one at that. A few years after she remarried Stiles, she paid her 17-year-old neighbor, Chris Wyant, $1,500 to kill him. A Net Inceptions project. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This gives the appearance of a claw-like hand or foot. Then he started hitting on me with his fist. On November 29, 1992, Wyant entered Stiles's home with a loaded gun after Mary had gone out for the evening. Grady said to her, I told you I would kill him.. Shortly after this happened, as Stiles smoked a cigarette while watching television on the sofa, the neighbor entered his home with a semi-automatic pistol and shot him in the head twice, killing him. Fred Rosen wrote a book on the case called Lobster Boy: The Bizarre Life and Brutal Death of Grady Stiles Jr., and E! But their life was far from the picture of domestic bliss. He suffered from ectrodactyly from birth, giving his fingers and feet the illusion of lobster claws. For awhile they toured as the Lobster Family, but life turned ugly when Grady began drinking. She must rely entirely on her own words and those of her children to convince a jury that years of abuse left her no choice. He shows himself first and then charges extra to bring her out. 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? He then said, "I told you I would kill him.". We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. His deformities left him unable to operate under normal prison conditions, and his constant alcohol abuse had given him cirrhosis. Now Cathy was the focus of his rage and one time he punched her in the jaw so hard it swelled for days. Like his father, he was born with a rare medical condition calledectrodactyly; his fingers and toes were fused into claw-like extremities. Stiles was instead sentenced to house arrest and fifteen years probation. Even though Mary had no physical impairments, she was a survivor of incest and was previously married to a carnival worker who had been abusive towards her. The verdict had a large impact on Gradys first wife Mary, who inexplicably remarried him in 1989. Movies. I knew on that day (he) was either going to have to die, or at any moment myself or my children were going to be killed, she said. The Mystery of the Bermagui Five. They toured in the circus as performers. Like Grady Stiles, Wyant went to court for the murder and was found guilty. He was like Satan himself. When his eldest daughter Donna was engaged to marry a boy of whom Grady disapproved, Grady shot and killed the boy. Investigators determined his daughter Cathy was aco-conspiratorbut shewas not charged. There was no doubt about Gradys guilt as he freely confessed to the crime, but he never served time for the crime. As a result, he had immense upper body strength. From the age of seven, he began working as a sideshow performer, billed as the amazing "Lobster Boy.". I killed before and got away with it, I can do it again. was now his favorite taunt to his family. Grady Stiles eventually remarried, though his second wife, too, divorced him. As Grady grew up, he became alarmingly strong, something that would benefit his homicidal rage later in life. Lists about the strange, fascinating, and horrifying history of circuses and carnivals in America and around the world. He began to drink heavily again and he often boasted that he got away with murder. Stiles's life, and death, are the stuff nightmares are made of. Editorial opinions expressed on the site are strictly our own, and are not provided, endorsed, or approved by advertisers. Accept Read More, Frank Lentini: Three Legged Man and Circus Superstar. What happened that night is a matter of dispute. He was also a circus performer. She is still puzzled that jurors didn't fully buy. The youngest daughter, Donna, wasn't. He brought them along to perform as the "Lobster Family," in which they portrayed themselves as a loving family with one slight difference. His ill-tempered drinking coupled with a feeling of invincibility from getting away with murder made Grady even more abusive than he was before. Become a member today to see the image (s) below in full resolution color. "I think alcohol brought out the worst in him," his son, Grady Stiles III, said of his father in 2017. For more strange physical conditions, check out this list of unusual disorders. 5 Creepy Videos of Ghosts Caught on Camera. But one son, Grady Stiles Jr., would give the Stiles family a different, morbid reputation when he became a serial abuser and murderer. On the night of November 29, 1992, a hired assassin gunned down Grady. Grady Stiles Jr. was the fourth child of Grady F. Stiles and had an extreme case of ectrodactyly; it impacted his legs as well. Her work has been featured on The Rumpus, The Independent, Cosmopolitan, Medium, Seventeen, Romper, Bustle, and Quartz. I heard a bang and then I heard another one, she testified, saying Stiles had shot her boyfriend. Finally, see some of the most incredible Andre the Giant photos that you wont believe arent photoshopped. Though he had a disability, it did not put Grady Stiles at a disadvantage when it came to physical prowess. Step right up! Stiles was the sixth in a line that began with the birth of William Stiles . In 1992, Mary decided she had enough of Gradys abuse. He said he would help, and took $1,500to give to a neighbor by the name of Christopher Wyant. 2009-2021 Historic Mysteries. Her son Glen (Harry Glenn Newman) had apparently overheard her statement and told Wyant, who shot Grady soon after. It is just knowing when you find them," Grady Stiles III, 39, told The Huffington Post. Grady was born with a rare medical condition known to run in his family called ectrodactyly. In addition, a snapshot of Stiles is briefly seen at the American Morbidity Museum in the third episode ("Edward Mordrake, Part I"). 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