Grady Franklin Stiles Jr., known as 'Lobster Boy,' was a 55-year-old white male who died on November 29, 1992, in Gibsonton, Florida. Stiles was a well-known sideshow performer, suffering from a congenital condition called ectrodactyly, which caused his fingers and toes to fuse into claw-like shapes. This condition earned him his stage name and a place in the carnival world from a young age.
Stiles' life was marked by violence and tragedy. In 1978, he was convicted of third-degree murder after shooting and killing his daughter's fiancé on the eve of their wedding. Despite his confession, Stiles avoided prison due to his condition, which no state institution was equipped to handle. Instead, he was sentenced to house arrest and probation. This leniency did not reform him; he continued to be abusive, particularly towards his family.
On the night of his death, Stiles was at home watching television when he was shot twice in the head by a 17-year-old sideshow performer named Chris Wyant. The murder was orchestrated by Stiles' wife, Mary Teresa, and her son from a previous marriage, Harry Glenn Newman Jr. They paid Wyant $1,500 to carry out the killing, driven by years of abuse and fear for their lives. Mary Teresa and Newman were both arrested and convicted for their roles in the murder. Mary Teresa received a 12-year prison sentence, while Newman was sentenced to life in prison. Wyant, the shooter, was sentenced to 27 years in prison.
Stiles' death was met with little sympathy from the community, reflecting his reputation as a violent and abusive man. His funeral was sparsely attended, and no one volunteered to carry his coffin. The case of Grady Stiles Jr. remains a grim reminder of the dark side of the carnival world and the tragic consequences of unchecked violence and abuse.
