Elmer McCurdy

Elmer McCurdy was a train and bank robber in the early 1900s. He was part of the "Wild Bunch" gang and was involved in a number of failed robbery attempts.

After being shot and killed during a shootout with law enforcement in 1911, McCurdy's body was initially embalmed and put on display by a local funeral home. However, due to a lack of identification, his body was eventually sold to a traveling carnival as a sideshow attraction.

His mummified body was rediscovered in 1976 when the carnival was bought by a new owner. When attempting to reposition one of the wax mannequins, the arm broke off revealing human bone underneath. A subsequent investigation led to the identification of the body as Elmer McCurdy.

Following the identification, McCurdy's body was finally laid to rest in 1977, more than 66 years after his death. He was buried at the Boot Hill Cemetery in Oklahoma, in the same county where he had been shot and killed.

Elmer McCurdy's bizarre story has inspired numerous cultural references, including a song by They Might Be Giants titled "Elmer McCurdy" and an episode of the television show "The X-Files" inspired by his mummified body.