Terrifying Theory Mom Has After Museum Responds To Her Claims They Put Her Dead Son On Display
A Texas mother, Kim Erick Smith, alleges her deceased son is displayed as a plastinated cadaver in a Las Vegas exhibition. She claims the figure known as “The Thinker” at the REAL BODIES exhibition is her son, Christopher Todd Erick, who died in 2012.
Christopher’s death was officially ruled undetermined, with causes including cyanide toxicity. His mother disputes this, asserting he was murdered and his body was trafficked into the commercial display. She points to a removed chest tattoo and a skull injury on the exhibit figure as evidence.
The exhibition operator, Imagine Exhibitions, firmly denies the claim. They state the specimen has been on display since 2004, eight years before Christopher’s death, and that all bodies are ethically sourced, unclaimed donors from China.
Kim Smith states she first saw the exhibit in 2018 and believes the body was later moved. She has gathered investigative material suggesting foul play, including images of a restraint chair and skull trauma. A grand jury previously declined to indict anyone in her son’s death.
Her petition calls for DNA testing to properly identify the remains and lay them to rest. However, the exhibition states it does not maintain donor records, complicating any verification process.
The case raises profound questions about body donation ethics and the transparency of commercial anatomy exhibitions. It highlights the difficult intersection of a family’s quest for closure and a company’s claims of ethical practice.
Currently, no new criminal investigation has been opened. The family continues to appeal for official intervention and DNA analysis to resolve the painful uncertainty.
