Search: lobster boy
Why: We were looking at HolyTaco's list of 25 Old Timey Circus Freaks and saw this champ:
Chandler said, "Did you ever read about that guy? He was a real son of a bitch and his kids killed him."
Answer: Oh, totes. His real name was Grady Stiles. Points of interest:
- He was the 6th person in his family to be ectrodactyl (to have fingers and toes fused together like pincers).
- His father was a sideshow attraction in a traveling carnival, and he added Stiles to the show at a young age.
- He married twice and had 4 children, 2 of whom also had ectrodactyly. They toured as The Lobster Family.
- He was an abusive drunk.
- Due to his ectrodactyly, he could not walk. He either had to use a wheelchair or crawl around. Since he used his arms to move, he was crazy strong (aka dangerous).
- In 1978, he shot and killed his daughter's fiance on the eve of their wedding. He confessed and was convicted of murder. Because no prison was equipped to care for an inmate with ectrodactyly, he was only sentenced 15 years' probation.
- He quit drinking for a while, but then remarried his first wife and started drinking again. His wife and son hired a sideshow performer to kill him. On Nov. 29, 1992, the guy shot Stiles in the head 3 times, killing him instantly. He was 55. All 3 were convicted, but the wife said, "My husband was going to kill my family. I believe that from the bottom of my heart. I’m sorry this happened, but my family is safe now."
Source: Phreeque.com, Wikipedia
