A museum has responded following a mother’s claim that a body on display in an exhibit was that of her son.
Kim Erick experienced a chilling moment when visiting the Real Bodies exhibition in Las Vegas. She noticed one of the bodies on display bore a striking resemblance to her late son, Chris Todd Erick.
Chris had passed away at the age of 23 in 2012, with his death initially ruled as a suicide.
It was initially believed that he had suffered two heart attacks in his sleep due to a heart defect while at his grandmother’s home.
However, Kim has a different perspective after requesting case materials from the police, which she claims included images showing a chair with straps.
Kim recounted how her ex-husband, Chris’ father, had overseen his cremation as she was overwhelmed with grief. She received a necklace containing a small portion of his ashes shortly after his body was discovered.
Nevertheless, Kim states that there was no funeral held, prompting her to contact the Midlothian Police Department to obtain the photographs from the scene.
She claimed that Chris’s body had bruises and lacerations and that there was dry cyanide salt evident on his lips.
The examiner tested a vial of his blood for her peace of mind and discovered a lethal dose of cyanide, changing the cause of death to cyanide toxicity.
While Chris’s death was ruled a suicide by ‘undetermined means’, Kim has persistently sought closure.
Kim was taken aback when she recognized a body she was certain was her son’s.
The 54-year-old expressed to The Sun: “I knew it was him. It was so unbelievably painful to look at. 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 Real Bodies exhibit in Las Vegas responded to The Sun, stating that ‘there is no factual basis for these allegations’, adding: “We extend our sympathy to the family, but the referenced specimen cannot be associated with the individual named in these claims.”
Imagine Exhibitions, Inc, the owner of Real Bodies, also told Lead Stories: “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.
“All specimens are ethically sourced and biologically unidentifiable. We remain committed to ensuring that all exhibits meet the highest ethical and legal standards.”