Grady Stiles, III, the son of infamous "Lobster Boy" Grady Stiles Jr. visits his dad's grave for the first time 22 years after the murder. On November 29, 1992, he had a violent encounter with his wife Mary Teresa. In 1992, Teresa and her son from a previous marriage, Harry Glenn Newman Jr., hired a seventeen-year-old sideshow performer named Chris Wyant to kill Grady for $1500. The rare congenital deformity caused their hands to look like lobster claws as the middle fingers are either missing or seemingly fused to the thumb and pinky. This affliction is a deformity to the hands and/or feet and is also referred to as split hand/split foot malformation (SHFM). In 1978 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Stiles shot and killed his oldest daughter’s fiance on the eve of their wedding. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Help us build our profile of Grady Stiles Jr.! Known as ‘Lobster Claw’ syndrome, the congenital deformity leads to hands that look like claws and in some cases, also affects legs. Login to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and get credit for your contributions. Teresa had said, “Something needs to be done.” Teresa’s son overheard this, and went to a neighbour and repeated it. Since the late nineteenth century, an odd physical condition known as ectrodactyly has afflicted the Stiles family from generation to generation. Lola: The Stone Age woman whose DNA from ancient ‘chewing gum’ tells an incredible story. Grady Stiles Jr. was the fourth child of Grady F. Stiles Sr. and his wife Edna, whose first child was William Stiles, born in 1905. After skirting the murder sentence, Grady became even more abusive to his family. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. He had been arguing with his wife, Mary Stiles… According to Grady's father, the Stiles family had a long history of ectrodactyly, dating back to 1840. in his Trailer. Furthermore, Grady Stiles admitted to committing the murder and showed no remorse. William Stiles was apparently the first in the family to display the condition in 1805. He was brought to trial, where he openly confessed to killing the man and was convicted of third-degree murder. Stiles married twice and had four children, two of whom also had ectrodactyly. She also claimed he beat and sexually abused her. Capitalizing on his deformity, Grady Stiles' Sr. was a sideshow attraction in a traveling carnival. Get notified of the best booming posts weekly. Home » History » The Lobster Boy – Grady Stiles Jr. The Piri Reis Map: Where’s the lost map of Columbus? T… Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. His wife Mary once recounted a story of Grady holding a butcher knife to her neck and threatening to kill her and the entire family. If convicted, Mary Stiles faces up to life in prison on murder and conspiracy charges. Stiles was age 7. In 1978, Stiles shot and killed his oldest daughter’s fiancé on the eve of their wedding. Your email address will not be published. July 18 1937 - Pittsburgh, Pa. Death: Nov 13 1992 - Gibsonton, Fl (B. Sunset Memory Gardens, Tampa, FL. 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. After Grady Jr. was born he was folded into his fathers sideshow act at the age of seven. Grady Stiles, Jr. came from a long line of people with ectrodactyly, or "lobster claw" syndrome. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Stiles almost ‘clawed’ his way out of the punishment and got a sympathy verdict of 15 years probation. Father of Grady Stiles III and Cathy Berry. 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. An ancient Egyptian papyrus described a massive UFO encounter! His wife had finally reached her breaking point. His deformity was the genetic condition ectrodactyly, in which the fingers and toes are fused together to form claw-like extremities. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. How a Circus Performer Grady Stiles Jr. went from performing a simple act of Circus the committing a murder: The Killer Lobster Boy. While he often used a wheelchair, he most commonly used his hands and arms for locomotion. Ex-wife: Mary Terese Herzog. The Stiles family had a long history of ectrodactyly, according to his father dating back to 1840. Mary Teresa Stiles (center) with her children, Grady Stiles III (left) and Cathy Stiles Berry (right) July 18, 1994. In 1992, his second wife, Maria, and her son-in-law Harry Newman, hired a 19-year-old sideshow performer named Chris Wyant, who was also a neighbor in Gibsonton where the Stiles family lived between seasons when they were off the road, to kill Stiles for $1500. NASA can’t explain who made these huge, 8,000-year-old Geoglyphs in Kazakhstan, 6 most haunted national parks in the United States. Most Watched . Maria’s subsequent trial marked the first time that a defendant had used a “battered woman’s syndrome” defence in a premeditated murder case. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. Stiles’ son, Grady Stiles III, disputes the claim that Teresa had him murdered. According to Grady's father, the Stiles family had a long history of ectrodactyly, dating back to 1840. 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. Due to his ectrodactyly, he was unable to walk. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It has been in dispute, but all indications point to the lobster boy being buried in Showman Rest Cemetery in Tampa, Florida, while others claim he was buried in the Sunset Memory Gardens, Thonotosassa, Hillsborough Country, Florida. Grady Stiles Jr. – ‘Lobster Boy’ Grady Stiles was born, on June 26, 1937, with a deformation due to a genetic condition known as electrodactyly. In November 1992, Stiles was murdered in his home in Gibsonton, Florida. Eventually, his wife snapped. When not travelling with the carnival the Stiles family lived in Gibsonton, Florida where many other carnival performers lived during the winter season. Shortly after, as Stiles smoked while watching TV on the sofa, the neighbour entered his home with a semi-automatic pistol and shot him 3 times in the head, killing him. Grady was born with a rare medical condition known to run in his family called ectrodactyly. The case of the Lobster Man put a circus sideshow performer and his family all over the news in a story that had an angry father, teens in love, a pawn shop gun, and a bearded lady as a character witness. Though most members in the Stiles family had this rare deformity, Grady Stiles is widely known as the “Lobster Boy,” perhaps for his notoriety as a murderer and a murder victim as well. Stiles married twice and had four children, two of whom also had ectrodactyly. Because of all this, Donna never spoke to her father again. This was in his trailer home near Tampa, Florida, in a town called Gibson-ton. He spent the early part of his life in a traveling "freak show" billed as "The Lobster Boy" because of his deformed hands that looked like lobster claws. © 2021 Mysteriesrunsolved | All Rights Reserved. Grady Stiles' father was a sideshow attraction in a traveling carnival when his son was born and added his son to the act at the age of seven. Grady Stiles turns up in a 1944 newspaper article in which an uncle is accused of breaking young Stiles’ legs. Grady Franklin Stiles Jr. (June 26, 1937 – November 29, 1992) was an American freak show performer and murderer. Grady Stiles, Jr. came from a long line of people with ectrodactyly, or "lobster claw" syndrome. Stiles and his two children toured together as The Lobster Family. These cookies do not store any personal information. Because of this, he joined his father, who also had ectrodactyly, and toured with… Reincarnation: The incredibly strange case of the Pollock Twins, Foreign accent syndrome: A British woman woke up in the hospital, and she had a Chinese accent. Stiles married twice and had four children, two of whom also had ectrodactyly. See All. Stiles married twice and had four children, two of whom also had ectrodactyly. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. 9,350-year-old underwater ‘Stonehenge’ found in Mediterranean Sea may rewrite history, Patient shocked surgeons with green blood like Star Trek’s Mr Spock. Then Grady married Barbara Browning, who produced another child with the lobster syndrome – Grady III. Capitalizing on his deformity, Grady Stiles' Sr. was a sideshow attraction in a traveling carnival. Stiles Sr. married twice and had four children, two of whom also had ectrodactyly. However, he soon began drinking again and his family claimed that he became even more abusive. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Grady Stiles III said his father's murder wasn't exactly as it was reported in court. The Stiles family has displayed traits of the condition called ectrodactyly since 1805. Chris was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 27 years in prison. Grady Stiles Jr. is a member of the following lists: 1937 births, American murder victims and Murdered entertainers. With the help of a neighbor, Grady Stiles was shot 3 times in the head while he was watching T.V. The son-in-law was given a life sentence, his wife, Mary, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, she maintains to this very day that she did what she had to do to save her family and to protect them. Yahoo Life Videos. Grady Stiles' father was a sideshow attraction in a traveling carnival when his son was born and added his son to the act at the age of seven. Stiles was instead sentenced to house arrest and fifteen years’ probation. The Stiles family had a long history of ectrodactyly, according to his father dating back to 1840. Ectrodactyly – The Medical Condition That Affected The Lobster Family: Family History Of Gardy Stiles, The Lobster Boy: Lobster Boy – A Murderer Turned Into A Murder Victim: The Burial Site Of Grady Stiles – The Lobster Boy: Get notified of the best best booming posts weekly. ", Anneliese Michel – The true story behind "The Exorcism of Emily Rose".