Grady Franklin Stiles Jr., born on June 26, 1937, was an American performer and murderer known for his participation in freak shows. He had a genetic condition called ectrodactyly, which caused his fingers and toes to be fused together, resembling lobster claws. Due to his deformity, he adopted the stage name “Lobster Boy.”

Ectrodactyly had been present in the Stiles family for several generations, dating back to 1840, as recounted by Grady’s father. Grady Stiles Jr. was the fourth child of Grady F. Stiles Sr. and Edna Stiles. Taking advantage of his deformity, Grady Stiles Sr. showcased his son as part of his sideshow act when Grady Jr. was just seven years old. Grady Jr. married twice and had four children, two of whom also inherited ectrodactyly. The Stiles family, including Grady Jr. and his children, toured together as The Lobster Family. During the winter season, when the carnival was not active, they resided in Gibsonton, Florida, a community where many carnival performers lived.

Sadly, Grady Stiles Jr. struggled with alcoholism and was abusive towards his family. His ectrodactyly prevented him from walking, so he relied on his hands and arms for movement, although he occasionally used a wheelchair. His physical condition, combined with his volatile temper and alcoholism, made him a danger to others. His first wife, Mary Teresa, left him and married Harry Glenn Newman, a little person who was billed as the “Smallest Man in the World.”

In 1978, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Stiles fatally shot and killed his eldest daughter’s fiancé on the eve of their wedding because he disapproved of the union. He openly confessed to the murder during his trial and was convicted of third-degree murder. However, he was not imprisoned as there was no suitable correctional facility equipped to handle an inmate with ectrodactyly. Instead, Stiles received a sentence of house arrest and fifteen years of probation.

Following the incident, Stiles ceased drinking for a time and remarried his first wife, Mary Teresa. However, he eventually resumed his alcohol consumption, and his family claimed that his abusive behavior worsened. In 1992, Mary Teresa and her son from a previous marriage, Harry Glenn Newman Jr., allegedly conspired to hire a seventeen-year-old sideshow performer named Chris Wyant to kill Stiles for $1500. Mary Teresa was convicted of manslaughter, Harry was convicted of first-degree murder and received a life sentence, while Christopher was convicted of second-degree murder and received a 27-year sentence.

Grady Stiles III, Stiles’ son, disputes the claim that his mother had his father murdered. According to him, an argument ensued between his parents, during which Teresa uttered the phrase “Something needs to be done.” Teresa’s son overheard this and relayed the words to a neighbor. Shortly after, while Stiles was smoking a cigarette and watching television on the sofa, the neighbor entered the house with a semi-automatic pistol and shot him twice in the head, resulting in his death. Stiles was reportedly widely disliked within his community, leading to a poorly attended funeral with only 10 attendees, none of whom volunteered as pallbearers.