Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Grady Stiles - Lobster Boy.

Grady Stiles Jr. (June 26, 1937-May 29, 1992) was a freak show performer. His deformity was ectrodactyly, where the fingers and toes are fused together to form claw-like extremities. Stiles' stage name was the Lobster Boy.


In 1992, Stiles was murdered in his trailer in Gibsonton, Florida by a hit man hired by family members because of his alcoholism and abuse.


Stiles had previously been convicted of murdering his daughter's fiance, although he was sentenced to probation due to a combination of no suitable place to hold someone with his condition and testimony from co-workers including a bearded lady and a fat man that he was no longer a danger to others.


Fred Rosen wrote a book on the case called Lobster Boy: The Bizarre Life And Death Of Grady Stiles Jr., and E! made a True Hollywood Stories episode based on the case titled The Murder Of Lobster Boy. A&E Network also made a City Confidential episode based on the case called Gibsonton: The Last Side Show.

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