US3 min(s) read
Published 14:40 24 Jun 2026 GMT
Chilling footage from a Las Vegas museum has resurfaced years after a grieving mother claimed one of the preserved bodies on display was actually her late son.
The video, filmed by YouTuber Passage Pioneer, offers a look inside the Real Bodies exhibition, where visitors can view real human tissue and remains intended to educate people about the human body.
But for Kim Erick, one display brought back a heartbreaking family tragedy.
Christopher Todd Erick was just 22 when he was found dead in November 2012 at his grandmother’s Texas home.
Police said he died peacefully in his sleep, and a 2014 jury found no evidence of foul play, ruling it likely a suicide.
But his mother, Kim, was convinced her son didn’t just die mysteriously after visiting the exhibition in 2018.
While walking through the display of preserved human bodies, she spotted a specimen posed as "The Thinker" and immediately believed it was Chris.
"I knew it was him; it was so unbelievably painful to look at," she said, per The Mirror. "My words cannot describe how this shook me and my family to its core. I was actually looking at pictures of my son's skinned, butchered body. It is gut-wrenching."
The 54-year-old recalled seeing what she described as a skull fracture in the display figure, something she remembered noticing on her late son's head when he passed away.
"I started looking online for the deep skull fracture I saw in Chris's right temple of his head when he died. When I saw the platinated body online in the news article with this same skull fracture... it was too painful to look closer," she added.
The company behind the exhibition has repeatedly rejected Kim's claims.
Imagine Exhibitions, which operates Real Bodies, said the specimen in question had been displayed years before Chris died.
In a statement, the company said: "We extend our sympathy to the family, but there is no factual basis for these allegations.
"The referenced specimen has been on continuous display in Las Vegas since 2004 and cannot be associated with the individual named in these claims," they continued.
"All specimens are ethically sourced and biologically unidentifiable. We remain committed to ensuring that all exhibits meet the highest ethical and legal standards," they added.
The Real Bodies website states that the human remains featured in the exhibition are supplied by Dalian Hoffen Bio-Technique Co. Ltd. in China.
The website states: "The specimens in Real Bodies are provided by Dalian Hoffen Bio-Technique Co. Ltd.
"The specimens are all unclaimed bodies that have been donated by the relevant authorities to medical universities in China.
"The specimens featured in the exhibition were donated legally, were never prisoners of any kind, showed no signs of trauma or injury, were free of infectious disease and died of natural causes."
Unclaimed bodies are those whose remains are not collected by family members or next of kin after death.
Despite this museum's explanation, Kim remains unconvinced and has pushed for further investigation.
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