Terrifying Theory Mom Has After Museum Responds To Her Claims They Put Her Dead Son On Display

A Texas mother is drawing attention after claiming that a plastinated body featured in a Las Vegas anatomy exhibit is actually her son, who died in 2012. Kim Erick Smith believes the displayed figure known as “The Thinker” in REAL BODIES…The Exhibition is her 23-year-old son, Christopher Todd Erick. The exhibition’s operator, Imagine Exhibitions, denies any connection.

Fact-checking by Lead Stories notes that the specimen has been on display since at least 2004—long before Erick’s death. Erick died at his grandmother’s home in Midlothian, Texas, in November 2012. His amended death certificate cites cyanide toxicity and cardiac abnormalities, and the manner of death was officially labeled “undetermined.”

Kim disputes these findings and alleges her son was murdered and later trafficked into the exhibit. In a Change.org petition, she argues that the displayed body resembles Erick, claiming similarities in chest markings and head injuries. She is calling for DNA testing to determine the specimen’s identity and for her son’s remains, if confirmed, to be buried.

She says she first suspected a connection after seeing an article about the exhibit in 2018 and later posted publicly that she believed her son’s body had been moved from Las Vegas to Tennessee. Imagine Exhibitions responded that the figure has never left Las Vegas and predates Erick’s death.

Kim also argues that crime-scene evidence suggests foul play and negligence in her son’s death. However, a 2014 grand jury declined to indict anyone, saying the evidence did not support criminal charges.

The exhibition itself has faced past criticism over the sourcing of human remains. Lead Stories identified images of the figure dating back to 2006, supporting the exhibition’s timeline. Kim insists the resemblance is too close to ignore and continues pushing for DNA analysis.

Her petition seeks intervention from state and federal authorities, arguing that families deserve clarity about how human remains are handled. No agency has reopened the case, and the exhibition remains open while the family continues seeking answers.