It was there that he fell in love with a young Cuban-American woman named Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos. Creepy, crawly Count Carl Von Cosel wasnt a count at all. All right reserved. She passed away on 25 October 1931 in Key West, Monroe County, Florida. He believed he had finally found her in Elena. You cant turn the channel. Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher, 2 Bears, 1 Cave with Tom Segura & Bert Kreischer, Earwolf & Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey. . He had her coffin lined with formaldehyde and other preserving agents, and had a special key made for himself so he could come and go as he pleased. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. Elenas prognosis was grim. Not only were reporters sympathetic to Count Von Cosels May-December romance, jurors acquitted Von Cosel of the theft, preservation, and mistreatment of Elenas cadaver. Carl Tanzler had the corpse wrapped in a dress, gloves, and jewelry, and placed the body in his own bed, which he shared with the corpse for the next seven years. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Instead of a cure, she found a radiologist named Karl Tanzler who instantly became obsessed with her. This turned into one of the most unusual, bizarre stories of all time. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. He transported Elena to his laboratory in the fuselage of a wingless airplane, covertly relocating her body to Rest Beach. Tanzler was properly examined by a psychiatrist, who decided he was mentally competent to have a court trial. He recognized her from a vision he had many years ago, when his dead ancestor Countess Anna Constantia von Brockdorff came to him in a dream and showed him the face of his true love and soulmate: a gorgeous dark-haired woman who looked exactly like Maria. Thus, they found it odd that Tanzler stopped visiting the mausoleum two years after her death. Like most patients, Hoyos was scared of the illness and the treatment. Although reporters wrote that Carl Von Cosel died alone in 1952, this is somewhat untrue. While there is not much written in the way of Tanzler feeling anything described as loathing towards Elena directly, (extreme disgust as per the Merriam-Webster dictionary), his relationship with her family was often very adversarial. He claimed he was the most knowledgeable about tuberculosis and he treated her with a variety of medicines, as well as x-ray and electrical equipment. His negative publicity was a small price to pay for such an excessively grotesque desecration. Even his penetrating stare and vandyke beard cant distract you from his obsession with the hospitalized woman in his care. Sympathists flocked to Von Cosel, excusing his bizarre behavior as an act of love. iUniverse. Learn more about merges. Accessed 11 Feb. 2021. Happy for him, she decided to visit him and congratulate him on his relationship. [1] Tanzler paid for her funeral, and with the permission of her family, he then commissioned the construction of an above ground mausoleum in the Key West Cemetery, which he visited almost every night. Men True Adventure, n.d, pp. He showered her with luxurious treats, hoping that Elena would accept his hand in marriage. If they only knew what was going on inside his home. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Many years ago, Carl von Cosel travelled from India to Australia with the intention of proceeding to the South Seas Islands. Tanzler himself would publish an account of this period in a 1939 publication of the Rosicrucian Digest (Tanzler von Cosel 1947, Harrison 1996, Meek 2017). [1][8] Others contend that since no evidence of necrophilia was presented at the 1940 preliminary hearing, and because the physicians' "proof" surfaced in 1972, over 30 years after the case had been dismissed, the necrophilia allegation is questionable. Hed left them to search for his soulmate, which he found in Elena Hoyos. Hes got this plan to be with her after shes dead. Failed to report flower. Von Cosel robbed her body from the grave. Marias sister heard weird rumours about Carl. He showered her with jewelry and clothing, and he frequently professed his love to her. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? The Key West Citizen, 15 Aug. 1952, p. 1 + 4, Perez, B. He also said that she would often tell him to take her from the grave. For some reason, his wife Doris took pity on him and regularly mailed him money to help him survive his destitute situation. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Death . Maria Elena lies in some unmarked Floridian grave, in an 18 inch casket. In October 1940, Hoyos sister, Florinda, heard conflicting rumors about Tanzlers budding romance with a mysterious woman. TSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Authorities took Elena from him. His subsequent actions would be the ones that brought this story to public infamy. Thrive MarketTry Thrive Market and become a member risk-free! Tanzler had had visions since childhood of a dark-haired woman who was destined to be his true love. A cousin revealed to The Tennessean Sun in 1940: [Elenas] two rescues from death [via electric shock by Tanzler / von Cosel] had been so painful that Elena finally died hating her rescuer and [begged] to be allowed to stay dead. He had her torso stuffed with rags in an attempt to preserve its original form, and he covered her scalp with bits of real hair. Leaving his family behind in Zephyrhills in 1927, he took a job as a radiology technician at the U.S. Marine Hospital in Key West, Florida under the name Carl von Cosel. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Elena Hoyos I found on Findagrave.com. Her body belonged to him. As the hair fell out of Elena's decomposing scalp, Tanzler fashioned a wig from her hair, which he had previously obtained from her mother. Try again later. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Tanzler would extensively claim in this memoir, as well as during his 1940 court hearing and in numerous newspaper interviews that he had been seeing apparitions of Elena ever since he was a child, and it was the ghost of Elena that instructed him to enshrine her body in his home. Tanzler emigrated to the United States from Germany in 1926, sailing from Rotterdam on February 6, 1926 to Havana, Cuba. The German-born Tanzler moved to the United States in 1926 and began working at a Key West hospital. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. What is is known for is for having a love affair that lasted 7 years after her death. She went over to his home to confront him, and found out his terrible secret. Mason Holdings Radio Hour. d. Cosel was (Harrison 1996, Meek 2017). Now two years deceased, Carl Tanzler was left with the task of maintaining Hoyos corpse. He provided free radiation treatments to Elena Hoyos, and a promise of marriage. (LogOut/ Even though you start off the story, just as all others have recounted, as being fact. Tanzler, with his self-professed medical knowledge, attempted to treat and cure Elena with a variety of medicines, as well as X-ray and electrical equipment, that were brought to the Hoyos' home. Forever and ever she is with me. He was examined by doctors and found to be perfectly sane though it remains a mystery of how he lived with a corpse for so many years. Some asked if Key West could seal Elena within a glass case as a permanent exhibit. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. And make sure to watch out for her new upcoming podcast Seven Deadly Sinners!Rachel O'brien ComedyFor a great article on this case written by one of our listeners, Addison Nugent, check it out on OZY.com!The Woman of his Dreams Died, But He Didn't Let That Pull Them ApartThanks to our sponsors!Pretty LitterGet the worlds smartest litter without leaving home by visiting PrettyLitter.com and use promo code MORBID for 20% off your first order. Sorry! Finally, I want to acknowledge Elena herself. Marias two sisters would later go on to die of tuberculosis, and her brother-in-law died while trying to save a construction worker from electrocution. Bienvenido Perez, in a later interview for Men True Adventure magazine (n.d.), would reveal much darker intentions on Tanzlers part. Try again later. On October 24, 2013, the case of Carl Tanzler was featured on, In 2015, the story of Tanzler and Elena Hoyos was featured in an, In 2020, Tanzler's story was featured on an episode entitled "Cryptic Messages" of the, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 11:56. He paused in Australia to collect equipment and suitable boats, and to become acquainted with prevailing weather and sea conditions. Unfortunately for them both, Tanzlers prognosis for young Hoyos was not great, having diagnosed her with tuberculosis, which was still considered to be a fatal disease in the early 1900s. However, the judge decreed that Tanzler should no longer have possession of Elenas remains (in spite of Tanzlers insistence that she should be returned to him). In 1931, a radiologist and bacteriologist working at a tuberculosis sanitarium in Key West, Florida, became obsessed with a 22-year-old patient, Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos. Autopsy 6: Secrets of the Dead. You can always change this later in your Account settings. On April 22, 1930, Maria Elena "Helen" Milagro de Hoyos came to him for an examination and he was persuaded that she was the lady in his dreams. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. This engraving with Elenas name can now be found at the Fort Martello Museum in Key West. Key West, Monroe County, Florida, USA. Carl was doing more than playing dress up with Elena. He stuffed her body with rags, waxed the skin with plaster of Paris, and even fitted the face with glass eyes. She was not someone important, and she never did anything of note other than die young of tuberculosis. What followed was an on-and-off relationship where Tanzlers medical treatments were accepted but his proposals of marriage were sidestepped. This is a carousel with slides. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Carl was doing more than playing dress up with Elena. Carl had the nerve to ask them to return it back to him, but his request was rejected. She died on October 25, 1931 at the age of 22. . Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. I own that tomb and everything that is inside, not you! (p.70). After this, Maria was finally laid to rest at Key West Cemetery in an unmarked grave, to deter Carl from disturbing her eternal rest. Carl had basically abandoned his wife and children, and was more content living with a dead body than a live woman. It was told back then and is still revered now as a love story, even with the more sinister evidence of necrophilia that came out after Tanzlers death. But why? The young woman's mother brought her in to see a doctor: at 21, she was dying of tuberculosis. based on information from your browser. And when he proposed marriage, she always told him You are too old. It is perfectly wonderful that you had such a strong love for the girl in this case. But unfortunately, this was a true story. The Journal of Critical Care Medicine, vol. Over time, his patient learned to trust him, but Tanzler had other motives that a medical professional shouldnt have with their patient. Fantastic Adventures, Sep. 1947, pp.10 69. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram Eventually, in 1920, he married Doris Schafer and they had two children, Ayesha and Clarista. He made house calls to Marias home, stealing the hospitals x-ray machine to monitor her progress. It turns out that Carl Von Cosel was married with children the entire time. Learn how your comment data is processed. He lived with the doll in Pasco County, Florida until his death on July 3, 1952. However, he became interested in engineering and electrical work there, bought property, boats, an organ, an island in the Pacificso that he was still in Australia at the end of ten years. Morrall, Dr. P. Murder and Society: why commit Murder? Criminal Justice Matters, 66:1, 2006, pp. He wanted his soulmate to always look like the woman he fell in love with even after death. He would buy her gifts and dote on her, and did everything in his power to heal her, but she succumbed to the illness. [1][8] Two physicians (Dr. DePoo and Dr. Foraker) who attended the 1940 autopsy of Elena's remains recalled in 1972 that a vaginal tube had been inserted in the vaginal area of the corpse that allowed for intercourse. Even though people agreed Tanzler committed a crime, many members of the public felt sympathetic towards him. Von Cosel (Carl Tanzler) in 1940 / Florida KeysPublic Libraries / Flickr / CC BY 2.0, The haunting history of La Pascualita History 101, John Dillingers body to be exhumed after 85 years History 101. Her mother was worried about her declining health, but neither of them probably thought Tanzler would take an interest in her. It is a great shame that someone of such beauty and character be made endure the travesties she went through in her brief life and even after it ended. The only thing she wanted from Tanzler was a proper medical treatment. It was palatable and my loved one departed this miserable world on October 25, 1931. Failed to remove flower. With the consent of her family, Carl paid for Marias funeral and erected an elaborate mausoleum for her corpse. He allegedly professed his love for her and showered her with gifts, but there's no record of her ever returning his sentiments. Despite the lack of qualifications needed to treat a tuberculosis patient, Tanzler was determined to save Hoyos and used a variety of specially-made tonics, elixirs, and medicines in an effort to do so. Later he was removed to Trial Bay to a castle-like prison on the cliffs, and there the work in this narrative was accomplished. A young black-haired Cuban woman and Tanzler met for the first time in 1930 in the Marine Hospital in Key West, Florida. There is a problem with your email/password. Despite his best efforts, Hoyos succumbed to her illness in October 1931, leaving her family and newly-obsessed caretaker heartbroken. Unfortunately for her, Tanzler immediately became besotted by her beauty. The Countess had an interesting story herself; being the mistress of 18th century King Augustus II of Poland. [1], Though not reported contemporaneously, research (most notably by authors Harrison and Swicegood) has revealed evidence of Tanzler's necrophilia with Elena's corpse. Michelfelder (1982) stated that DePoo never explained why he kept his autopsy [findings] secret, (p.61) but Harrison (1996) later speculated that he did not reveal this at the time in order not to cause uproar in an already scandalous plot and to keep things dignified for Elenas surviving family members. However, he managed to keep Marias body in his home for seven years without being discovered. Born on July 31, 1909, in Key West, Florida, Elena was a strikingly attractive girl with luxurious dark hair and an appealing shyness. The first of many details was revealed by Dr. Julio DePoo in 1972. Carl Tanzler. Tuesday, October 6, 2009 Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos Most people have never heard of her. Tanzler didnt seem to get bored living with Hoyos corpse. He poisons her he poisons her to kill her quicker so he can have her as his own. Von Cosel asked the family if he could keep Elena's body in a casket filled with formaldehyde to preserve her. Oddly enough, the public found Carl to be a sympathetic figure; a tragic romantic who had lost his beloved to cruel fate. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. So much so that Elena was said to have died hating Tanzler. This time, it was unmarked so no one, including Tanzler, could find her body. Thats a pretty harsh breakup, isnt it? Learn about one of Key West's most haunted homes. This all seems like silly speculation, to get people to read an old story. I have paid for all her expenses, not you! It has been reported that Tanzler somehow still switched the bodies, or that Hoyos remains were secretly returned to him. Nevertheless, he went on to live out the rest of his days alone and died in his home in 1952, where he was discovered three weeks after his passing. On October 25, 1931, Elena died of tuberculosis at the age of twenty-two. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Her father had driven home at breakneck speed instead of driving to the nearby hospital, where we doctors might have saved her life (p.34). The invention charged her oxygen electrons with electrodes, which he decided would save her. Despite her illness, she was still an attractive young woman, and her beauty didnt go unnoticed by Tanzler. When the King grew tired of the feisty and headstrong Countess, he had her exiled, and she stayed that way for 49 years until her death. On October 25, 1931, Maria finally succumbed to TB, after struggling against the illness for a year and a half, which was how long Carl had spent orbiting her. Back to Carl: despite being in his 50s and resembling Sigmund Freud, he did not inhibit himself from making strong advances towards young Maria. Only allowed to Leave one flower per day for any given memorial you to... From India to Australia with the doll in Pasco County, Florida until death. Obsessed with her after shes dead Notice at https: //art19.com/privacy # do-not-sell-my-info address needs! Her death from a memorial Tanzler immediately became besotted by her beauty with... His own this time, his wife and children, Ayesha and Clarista his... By Tanzler known for is for having a love affair that lasted 7 after... 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