One by one, though, the bodies disappeared. By Wednesday, only one figure remained.

Neely laughed when he noticed someone had kidnapped a few of his sculptures — which cost him three months and $400 to make.

"I take it as a sign of affection," he said. "I didn't plan to get it back. I don't have anything to do with those bodies."

Wednesday, at the property owner's request, he dismantled the beds and removed them and the remaining body.

Many who saw the exhibit missed the point: Guests at Los 3 Amigos restaurant, which overlooks Neely's sculptures, thought it was a memorial for car crash victims.

"I think it's creepy," said waitress Megan Barr, 16, with a shiver. "I don't know why it's there."

But at least one resident caught Neely's vision.

"I think anything can make a difference," said Brent Ashworth, who was chairman of the Provo Landmarks Commission when the Hotel Roberts was demolished. "You've got to believe we live in a free society and hope people will take note. We need more citizens to be interested in issues like that."

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E-mail: estuart@desnews.com