Biography Of Grady Franklin Stiles Jr.

Grady Franklin Stiles Jr. may have been his birth name, but Grady Jr. was more frequently referred to as “Lobster Boy.” Grady Franklin Stiles Jr. was born on June 26, 1937 in Pittsburgh, Pa., with the genetic deformity ectrodactyly. Ectrodactyly is an inherited condition that can affect the fingers and the toes. Individuals with this condition are born with fingers and toes that are fused together, causing these extremities to resemble a claw: Hence his stage name, “Lobster Boy.” Grady Jr. was the sixth generation to be born with this condition, which started in 1805 with William Stiles.
Ectrodactyly/Lobster Claw Syndrome – A Congenital Deformity
Babies who are born with this rare, hereditary deformity are born without the middle digit and

Needless to say, following the murder and Grady Jr.’s confession to the crime, a media frenzy ensued. Once he confessed, Grady Jr. was charged with third-degree murder. Furthermore, he showed no remorse for killing Jack Layne.
No Time in Jail – Lobster Boy Literally “Gets Away with Murder”
Besides having Lobster Claw Syndrome, Grady Jr. was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and severe emphysema. Although found guilty of murder, due to his multiple health conditions, there were no state correctional institutions equipped to handle all of his medical conditions. Therefore, incarcerating him would be considered ‘cruel and unusual’ punishment. Consequently, despite his third-degree murder charge, Grady Jr. spent no time in jail: Instead he received 15-years probation.
Grady Jr. Decides to Sober Up
Following this event, Grady Jr. decided to stop drinking alcohol. He remarried his first wife Mary Theresa, who left her current husband, Harry Glenn Newman (the world’s smallest man) to return to her previous life with Stiles: In spite of the fact that she knew Grady Jr. had murdered their daughter’s fiancé. Mary Theresa exclaimed to Donna that she still loved her dad.
A Bump in the Road to

He was also a fellow sideshow performer. Wyant was paid $1,500 by Mary Theresa Stiles and her son Harry (Grady Jr.’s stepson), to kill Lobster Boy. Although there is some confusion as to what actually transpired on the night Grady Jr. was murdered, the consensus of the court was that Mary Theresa and her son Harry Jr. (from her marriage to the world’s smallest man, Harry Glenn Newton Sr.), decided to hire Wyant to kill Grady Jr. However, the Stiles family claims that there was a misunderstanding between Mary Theresa, Harry Jr. and Chris Wyant: According to the family, Mary Theresa only wanted Wyant to frighten or beat Grady Jr., not actually kill him.
The Weapon
Dennis John Cowell was an 18-year-old acquaintance of Chris Wyant. Cowell assisted Wyant in purchasing the gun used to murder Lobster Boy. Cowell also helped Wyant bury the gun following the murder. Cowell plead guilty to being an accessory after the fact. He received a sentence of 3.5 years in prison. Cowell entered prison on June 2, 1994 and was released on Nov. 1, 1995.
The Trial of Mary Theresa