Grady Franklin Stiles Jr., known as Lobster Boy, was 55 when he was shot to death at his home in Gibsonton, Florida, on November 29, 1992. Born with ectrodactyly, a congenital fusion of fingers and toes that defined his sideshow career, Stiles had a long record of violence. In 1978 he confessed to and was convicted of third-degree murder for shooting his daughter’s fiancé; because state institutions could not accommodate his condition he received house arrest and probation instead of prison.

On the night he died he was watching television when a 17-year-old sideshow performer, Chris Wyant, shot him twice in the head. Mary Teresa and Newman were arrested and later convicted; Mary Teresa received a 12-year sentence, Newman a life sentence, and Wyant 27 years. Stiles’ funeral was sparsely attended and no one volunteered to carry his coffin.

What information do readers have about the family dynamics or the carnival community in Gibsonton that might shed light on this case?