The controversy surrounding the Real Bodies exhibition is rooted in a mother’s unresolved grief. Kim Erick has long struggled to come to terms with the 2012 death of her 23-year-old son, Christopher Todd Erick. He was found at his grandmother’s home in Midlothian, Texas, and authorities initially attributed his death to two heart attacks linked to an undiagnosed condition. Shortly after, his father and grandmother chose to have him cremated—a decision Kim says she was not fully included in, leaving her with lingering doubts.

In 2014, after noticing what she believed were signs of bruising in police photos, Kim pushed for further investigation. A homicide inquiry was opened, but a grand jury ultimately found no evidence of foul play and ruled the cause of death undetermined. With no remains available for further examination, her questions remained unanswered.

Years later, Kim came across images from the traveling Real Bodies exhibition, run by Imagine Exhibitions. One display, a plastinated figure known as “The Thinker,” appeared to resemble her son. She believed she recognized specific details, including what looked like a skull injury and the absence of skin where a tattoo once existed. Convinced it could be him, she called for DNA testing.

The company declined, explaining that the specimen had been obtained legally from China in the early 2000s—well before her son’s death. Records also show the body had been exhibited as early as 2006, making it impossible for it to be Christopher. Independent reviews have backed up this timeline.

Despite these findings, the emotional weight of the situation remains. For Kim, the lack of clear answers about her son’s death continues to drive her concerns, as she calls for greater transparency in how human remains are sourced and displayed.