Tanzler grew up in Imperial Germany, but, at some point, wound up in Australia just prior to the outbreak of World War I. [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. Though the story is known and historical, not all of the events therein are common knowledge and thus, so too is the true extent of the indignity that Elena suffered. 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. In 2009, Mike Glendinning released two songs inspired by Tanzler's story, "Elena" and "Dust Off My Bride," on his "Psychotic America: Lullabies & Necrophilia" album. She was then buried in an unmarked grave by undertaker Benjamin Sawyer, cemetery sexton Otto Bethel and chief of police Bienvenido Perez, all of whom have taken this location to their own graves as a secret never to be revealed (Harrison 1996, Sloan 2012, Meek 2017). She went over to his home to confront him, and found out his terrible secret. Forever and ever, she is with me.. Tanzler von Cosel, K. The Secret of Elenas Tomb. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Perez, B. Weller, T. The Lost Diaries of Elena Hoyos Vols. 2, 2020, pp. It turns out that Carl Von Cosel was married with children the entire time. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. 19: Count von Cosel & His Mummy Bride", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carl_Tanzler&oldid=1140915722, Articles needing additional references from October 2021, All articles needing additional references, Articles with trivia sections from October 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Portions of the original memorial plaque that was commissioned by Tanzler and affixed to Elena Hoyos's mausoleum have been reassembled and are on display at the, True Crime Kent Podcast Episode Karl Tanzler, A Haunted History of Pasco County (Haunted America) by Madonna Jervis Wise; Arcadia Publishing. [6], Around 1920, following his return to Germany, Tanzler married Doris Schfer (18891977). (b. Hoyos body was finally buried in a new cemetery at Key West Cemetery. GREAT NEWS! Sloan, D,L. While he had a family of his own, he was still disappointed that he hadnt met the woman of his dreams. Von Cosel was arrested for body snatching but was not indicted because the statute of limitations had passed. Please reset your password. This [incident] makes so much sense. The mausoleum Carl had Elena laid to rest in. You can always change this later in your Account settings. The County Jail charged him of malicious and wanton disfigurement of a burial vault, yet the jurors found no law that he had broken. She had come to the Marine Hospital for treatment of tuberculosis. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. The disease would later claim the lives of almost everyone in Hoyos immediate family, including her sister, Florinda Nana Milagro Hoyos. Additionally, he dressed her remains in stockings, jewelry, and gloves. This article seeks to bring light to these, with the hope that people will learn what really happened as per these key findings. She was graduate of Zephyrhills High School and a member of the Zephyrhills Alumni and Friends. However, he never gave up on his one true love. He didnt see an issue with their differing ages or her nearly-dead, immobilized status. Carl Tanzler administered these treatments in Hoyos family home, showering her with gifts and declaring his love all the while. Von Cosel was arrested for body snatching but was not indicted because the statute of limitations had passed. Even though people agreed Tanzler committed a crime, many members of the public felt sympathetic towards him. Von Cosel was sixty years of age,and decided that they were to have their May-December romance. Von Cosel visited her gravesite for two years, a mausoleum in Key Wests City Cemetery. Florida, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1823-1982, Florida, U.S., Marriage Indexes, 1822-1875 and 1927-2001, Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Carl spent hours at Marias gravesite everyday, talking to her corpse, singing songs to her, reading stories, and other crazy activities that are best left unspoken. Despite her illness, she was still an attractive young woman, and her beauty didnt go unnoticed by Tanzler. He showered her with luxurious treats, hoping that Elena would accept his hand in marriage. She revealed her face to him in his dream, and Tanzler knew at that moment that this was the woman he was meant to marry. If youre craving for a new Lifetime movie to watch, look no further. He had also used flowers and other scents to keep out the odor. A psychiatric evaluation of Tanzler stated that he was in a borderline state but otherwise sane and mentally competent (Meek 2017). Bienvenido Perez, in a later interview for Men True Adventure magazine (n.d.), would reveal much darker intentions on Tanzlers part. A defeated Carl shuffled off to Pasco County, Florida to patch together some semblance of a life. He was devastated. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. [10] His body was discovered on the floor of his home three weeks after his death. How can these immense, unfounded claims be made? 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. The Lost Diary of Count Von Cosel. Tanzler didnt seem to get bored living with Hoyos corpse. This is a carousel with slides. Carl claimed Maria began talking to him from the other side, telling him she was afraid of decaying and rotting. She passed away on 25 October 1931 in Key West, Monroe County, Florida. Surprisingly, there are no contemporary sources that mention anything about necrophilia. It was estimated that she wouldnt have long to live, but Von Cosel disagreed. Born on July 31, 1909, in Key West, Florida, Elena was a strikingly attractive girl with luxurious dark hair and an appealing shyness. Maria Elena Milagro Hoyos (1909 1931), more commonly referred to as Elena, was the middle born Cuban-American child of Francisco Hoyos (1883 1934) and Aurora Milagro (1881 1940) in Key West, Florida. Elena Hoyos died of tuberculosis at the age of twenty-two. You accept the use of cookies or other identifiers by accepting, ignoring or dismissing this notice. 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. Carl von Cosel was acquitted. Carl could not get over Marias death, so he decided to pursue her from beyond the grave. In April of 1933, Carl Tanzler removed Hoyos body from the mausoleum, no longer requiring him to make his nightly visits to the graveyard as she would now be housed in his own home. He asked if he could have Elenas body returned to him. He was proud of the excellent attention hed given to her preservation and thought mistakenly that Elenas sister would feel the same. With the consent of her family, Carl paid for Marias funeral and erected an elaborate mausoleum for her corpse. He searched for her, but he could never meet the woman he saw in his dream. He claimed she told him to take her away from the mausoleum. Years later he was found living in a house near the sea and through an investigation by Elena's sister, it was found that he had been living with her corpse, preserving it with oiled silk and wax to slow the decomposition. He provided free radiation treatments to Elena Hoyos, and a promise of marriage. His home was near his wife Doris, who apparently helped to support Tanzler in his later years. Check out Rachel's pod/comedy! In 1947, Tanzler published his memoir The Secret of Elenas Tomb in the pulp magazine Fantastic Adventures which was then used as the basis for the books Undying Love by Ben Harrison (1996), The Lost Diary of Count von Cosel by David Sloan (2012) and Von Cosel by Tom Swicegood (2003), all of which represent the majority of established literature on this subject. The only thing she wanted from Tanzler was a proper medical treatment. The additional findings presented in this article elevate this sinisterness yet again, as now there is evidence which strongly suggests that Tanzler had actually killed Elena himself. Additionally, Hoyos was known as the beauty of Key West. TSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. He thought of everything to make sure he could continue living with her corpsefor seven years! He carried on his love affair with her corpse. Additionally, there is his threat towards Elenas father if there is not a wedding before Christmas, there will be a funeral (Michelfelder 1982, p.56) and his declaration to Perez that he would kill Elena if necessary (n.d., p 68). A local Cuban- American woman by the name of Maria Elena "Helen" Milagro de Hoyos was brought into the hospital by her mother for an examination. Verify and try again. All he had to do was find her. Swicegood, T. (2003). cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Arriving authorities quickly determined that this doll was, in fact, Hoyos herself, and they arrested Tanzler for grave robbing. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. 6, no. Von Cosel. She had two sisters, Florinda "Nana" Milagro Hoyos (19061944), who married Mario Medina (c.19051944) and also succumbed to tuberculosis; and Celia Milagro Hoyos (19131934). These transgressions, like the ones committed against Elena, have been shrouded in secrecy due to the cultural biases towards and positions of the instigators involved. These cookies do not store any personal information. On February 18, 1926, she married Luis Mesa, but he left her shortly after she suffered a miscarriage of the couples first child. Police Officer Bienvenido Perez Only Living Person Who Knows Where Elena Buried. Florinda notified the authorities, and Tanzler was arrested and detained. NightMerica. April October 2019. https://masonholdings.org/radio-hour/Wood, C. Coulson J. Thompson S. + Bonner, S. An Intentional Aconite Overdose: A Case Study. He was a radiologist or x-ray technician. Helen had . She was his soulmate, so he created a life-size doll from a death mask that closely resembled his favorite woman. Tanzler became enamored with her, and took an overly keen interest in her care, despite not having any idea on how to treat tuberculosis. After Hoyos sister showed up at Tanzlers home in 1940, the jig was up. Mencken Quotes On Politics, Religion, And The American Public, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. His obituary said that a metal cylinder on a shelf above a table in it wrapped in silken cloth and a robe was a waxen image.. . He loved her, but no evidence has surfaced to confirm that Hoyos reciprocated his love. Although reporters wrote that Carl Von Cosel died alone in 1952, this is somewhat untrue. Tanzler was evidently consumed by obsessive lust for Elena. The Living Doll of Key West: Elena Hoyos & Count Von Cosel. As the skin of the corpse decomposed, Tanzler replaced it with silk cloth soaked in wax and plaster of paris. Tanzler never met this mysterious woman. As of that day, he was fifty-three years old and Elena was close to twenty-one. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. Accounts show she led the normal life of a teenager in the 1920s. 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. Upon returning home, Tanzler married and had two children in 1920, and the family emigrated to Zephyrhills, Florida. Failed to delete memorial. The Second Autopsy of Elena Hoyos Carl's madness was discovered. cemeteries found in Key West, Monroe County, Florida, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. [8] Tanzler filled the corpse's abdominal and chest cavity with rags to keep the original form, dressed Elena's remains in stockings, jewelry, and gloves, and kept the body in his bed. Before she died, Carl wrote in his journal how he had hopes that, despite the extensive damage, the lesions would heal again. Resend Activation Email. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Following his sentence, Tanzler asked if Hoyos body could be returned to him, but he was denied access. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Weve updated the security on the site. 2022 Ghost City, Ghost City Tours. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Its two associated names, monkshood and wolfsbane, come from its appearance and its use by shepherds to kill wolves respectively. It was there that he fell in love with a young Cuban-American woman named Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos. Over time, his patient learned to trust him, but Tanzler had other motives that a medical professional shouldnt have with their patient. Tanzler ignored the Marine Hospitals protocol for relationships between doctors and patients, and he became obsessed with Hoyos. While no existing contemporary photographs of the autopsy or photographs taken at the public display show a tube, the necrophilia claim was repeated by the HBO Autopsy program in 1999.[10]. for a minute Human jealousy has robbed me of the body of my Elena, yet divine happiness is flowing through me, for she has survived death. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. In spite of his best efforts, Cosel could not save Elena and she succumbed to the illness on October 25, 1931 and entombed in a family crypt. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Add to your scrapbook. This turned into one of the most unusual, bizarre stories of all time. You can be sure that everything that you did was sane. According to Atlas Obscura, de Hoyos was then a 21-year-old Cuban native suffering from tuberculosis and came to the hospital for treatment. Maria Elena had a bit of a tragic life. Despite his best efforts, Hoyos succumbed to her illness in October 1931, leaving her family and newly-obsessed caretaker heartbroken. Carl Von Cosel was a radiologist who met Elena during an x-ray. Tanzler also used perfume, disinfectants, and preserving agents to mask the odor of Hoyos decomposition. Fantastic Adventures, Sep. 1947, pp.10 69. 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. 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. Whats more, I do not love you. He became so persistent that we asked him to stay away from the house.. The Count [Tanzler] is in love, hes a much older man in love with a young girl who wants nothing to do with him. Hey Spooksters! It was there that she met Dr. Carl Von Cosel, a doctor who was working to find a cure. Finally, she suggested that her son return to his sister in the United States Tanzler's account of Trial Bay Gaol, his secret building of a sailboat, etc., is confirmed by Nyanatiloka Mahathera, who mentions that he planned to escape from the Gaol with "Count Carl von Cosel" in a sailboat, and provides other information about the internment of Germans in Australia during World War I. 28, 67 69, Sagers, A. They were unaware that the doctor had found sperm inside Elenas corpse, clear evidence of necrophilia. An autopsy of the body revealed the intricacies of Tanzlers work, which included a paper tube inserted between her legs, forming a makeshift vagina, although Tanzler never admitted to committing any necrophiliac acts. File photo of Carl Tanzler when he worked as a . There are no photographs or other sources to prove this. When this was ineffective, he contemplated relocating her remains to the stratosphere. Tanzler was not even with Elena at the time she died. Which theory do you think best explains the Iraq War? July 31, 1909, marks the birthdate of Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos, the daughter of a Key West cigar maker named Francisco "Pancho" Hoyos, and his wife, Aurora. The charges against Tanzler were dropped as the statute of limitations on the crime had expired. When he was 12 years old, he dreamed of a woman who would leave an impression on his life forever. Sympathists flocked to Von Cosel, excusing his bizarre behavior as an act of love. The Untold Story Of Kate Warne, The World's First Female Private Eye, 27 Scathing H.L. Although some have described him as a mad scientist, others, a brilliant doctor, hes more likely a grotesque fetishist. Still longing for his lost love, he created a "death mask" of her as the basis for a life-sized dummy, which he kept in his bed until . However, he managed to keep Marias body in his home for seven years without being discovered. Everyones heard the phrase until death parts us. Couples make this vow and they promise to love each other for the rest of their lives. It is also worth noting that Elenas body was not autopsied (Michelfelder 1982) and Tanzler (1947) specifically recounts [after Elenas funeral was over], some Cuban who I had never seen before, indulged in a piece of fiery oratory wherein he demanded punishment for the person responsible for her early death. He was cradling Hoyos doll. She was still so young. (LogOut/ Carl was doing more than playing dress up with Elena. The prognosis did not look positive for poor Maria. Learn about one of Key West's most haunted homes. Whether he meant me I did not know and cared less (p. 37). He would buy her gifts and dote on her, and did everything in his power to heal her, but she succumbed to the illness. Elenas consumptive condition meant little to Carl Von Cosel. He wrote his autobiography in 1947, and received American citizenship in 1950, because whats more American than defiling a dead body? Instead, Marias mummified remains were put on display at Dean-Lopez Funeral Home. I have sent you to the angels with my golden elixir (p. 7 8). Episode: Maria Elena Milagro De Hoyos, the Unwilling Corpse Bride w/ special guest @rachaelnobrien 1. St. Martins True Crime Classics. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Authorities took Elena from him. Carl had basically abandoned his wife and children, and was more content living with a dead body than a live woman. She died on October 25, 1931 at the age of 22. . Little did they know, Elena, my darling, we are alone on this shore. [1], Though not reported contemporaneously, research (most notably by authors Harrison and Swicegood) has revealed evidence of Tanzler's necrophilia with Elena's corpse. Autopsy 6: Secrets of the Dead. Georg Carl Tnzler (also known as Count Carl von Cosel (February 8, 1877 July 3, 1952), was a German-born radiology technologist at the Marine-Hospital Service in Key West, Florida. Mrs. C.S. He would briskly stroll around town with a cane and show off wristwatches claiming to be commissioned to him by the Czar of Russia. Tanzler immediately recognized Hoyos as the woman from his dream. Design a site like this with WordPress.com, The Strange Afterlife of Maria Elena Milagro deHoyos, Odd Oldies: A Vampire, A Romance & A Friendship from Hell Criminally Clueless Podcast. Like some medieval wizard, Carl conjured up odd concoctions, potions, tonics, elixirs, and herbs in order to treat her TB. Count Carl Tanzler von Cosel by Flagler / Florida KeysPublic Librariess photostream / Flickr / CC BY 2.0. Despite everything, the statute of limitations had expired for the crime he was accused of committing, leaving Tanzler free to go. He was no longer her technician; she was the love of his life. Accessed 11 Feb. 2021. Tanzler also used copious amounts of perfume, disinfectants, and preserving agents to mask the odor and forestall the effects of the corpse's decomposition. Join today and youll get up to twenty dollars in shopping credit toward your first order.