The Wild Story of Elmer McCurdy’s Dead Body

Elmer McCurdy had a wild life story when he was alive and an even more fascinating tale after his death. After dying in a shoot-out, he became more popular when his mummified corpse traveled across the United States. For decades, many people wanted the opportunity to view his body. Then, somehow, he got forgotten. So, who is Elmer McCurdy? To give you a better view, here is the wild story of Elmer McCurdy’s dead body.

Who was Elmer McCurdy?

Elmer McCurdy was an American robber killed by the police after a shoot-out at a Katy Train in Oklahoma. In October 1911, his body was mummified and displayed at a funeral home. Due to the appeal of outlaws and the Wild West in that time, his mummified body became popular and was taken out on the road. The wild story of Elmer McCurdy’s dead body began when he was presented as a sideshow attraction in several carnivals.

The Carnival Circuit

Back then, people didn’t have many opportunities to see dead bodies. Obviously, the internet didn’t exist, so they couldn’t scroll out of curiosity, and it’s rare for the average person to see many dead bodies up close, anyway. Plus, for some reason people are always drawn to the macabre. For this reason, many people were attracted to McCurdy’s mummified corpse out of curiosity. To be specific, most of them wanted to see the effects of decomposition. As a result, McCurdy was used as one of the carnival’s main attractions.

For quite some time, McCurdy traveled across the United States. In fact, he was featured in one of the Great Patterson Carnival Shows’ traveling troupes. Afterwards, his mummified corpse became one of the attractions at the Museum of Crime in 1922. In 1928, he was part of the sideshow that joined the 1928 Trans-American Footrace.

Hollywood

When the sideshow scene became less lucrative, the wild story of Elmer McCurdy’s dead body didn’t end. In fact, his mummified body went to Hollywood. In 1933, the firm Narcotic used his corpse for promotional purposes. Periodically, his body was lent out to traveling sideshows, including the one near Mount Rushmore.

In 1967, McCurdy’s corpse was used as a prop in the carnival-themed horror movie, She Freak. After a year, he was sold to the Hollywood Wax Museum. Unfortunately, the museum decided not to display his body because it was rapidly deteriorating.

After several changes in ownership, McCurdy’s remains ended at The Pike amusement park in California. Eventually, a crew member of the film The Six Million Dollar Man rediscovered his body in Long Beach, California. Initially, the crew thought the corpse was a wax dummy; however, he saw muscle tissue and bone when its arm was broken off and quickly realized he was a real body. In 1976, his body was identified and brought back to Oklahoma.

Final Moments

Finally, the wild story of Elmer McCurdy’s dead body ended when his body was positively identified. In 1977, the lawbreaker’s mummified corpse was laid to rest in Guthrie, Oklahoma. His body was laid next to Bill Doolin, another Wild West outlaw.