Elmer McCurdy was an outlaw whose life ended in a shoot-out with police in Oklahoma after a train robbery. Following his death, his mummified remains were put on display in a funeral home. Over the years, his body changed hands multiple times, becoming a part of the carnival circuit from the 1920s to the 1960s.
McCurdy's remains eventually wound up at The Pike amusement zone in Long Beach, California, where they were discovered by crew members for the television series The Six Million Dollar Man and positively identified in December 1976. In April 1977, after his remains were returned to Oklahoma, McCurdy was finally laid to rest at Summit View Cemetery in Guthrie.
His story became notable not just for his criminal activities and untimely death, but for the bizarre fate of his remains, which turned from a criminal's legacy into an oddity displayed for entertainment. The life and post-mortem journey of Elmer McCurdy serve as a grim reminder of how a person's story can take unexpected turns, even after death.
