Louis Sonney used McCurdy's corpse in his traveling "Museum of Crime" show which featured wax replicas of famous outlaws such as Bill Doolin and Jesse James. In 1928, the corpse was part of the official sideshow that accompanied the Trans-American Footrace. In 1933, it was acquired for a time by director Dwain Esper to promote his exploitation film "Narcotic!". The corpse was placed in the lobby of theaters as a "dead dope fiend" whom Esper claimed had killed himself while surrounded by police after he had robbed a drug store to support his habit. By the time Esper acquired McCurdy's body, it had become mummified; the skin had become hard and shriveled causing the body to shrink. Esper claimed that the skin's deterioration was proof of the supposed dope fiend's drug abuse.