With pretty much the entire town talking about the reclusive man often seen buying womens clothing and perfume on top of one local boys account of witnessing the doctor dancing with what appeared to be a giant doll Hoyos family began to suspect that something was off. As if this case wasnt already bizarre enough, it takes an added sci-fi turn. He was listed as Carl Tanzler von Cosel on his United States citizenship papers, and he was listed as Carl Tanzler on his Florida death certificate. Tanzler loved everything about Hoyos. On October 25, 1931, Elena died of tuberculosis at the age of twenty-two. Strong words from a man who was already technically rejected by Maria several times. Carl Tanzler was a German immigrant working at a Key West, Florida, hospital in the early 1930s. [6], Around 1920, following his return to Germany, Tanzler married Doris Schfer (18891977). It seemed to be someone admitting to killing someone. 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. Tanzler emigrated to the United States from Germany in 1926, sailing from Rotterdam on February 6, 1926 to Havana, Cuba. 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 . Tanzler immediately recognized Hoyos as the woman from his dream. In Carls autobiography, he does confess to kissing and cuddling Marias cadaver. Marias sister heard weird rumours about Carl. He believed he had finally found her in Elena. Tanzler ignored the Marine Hospitals protocol for relationships between doctors and patients, and he became obsessed with Hoyos. Nevertheless, Elena refused Carl Von Cosels proposal. Are you visiting Key West? Elena's body was reclaimed and buried by the family in a secret location so that neither Von Cosel or the curious could disturb her grave. In Episode 44 of the NightMerica podcast, released 3rd February 2021, David L. Sloan gave an interview to Aaron Sagers about the story, and discusses an article he found in the Detective Cases magazine, published in 1982. She passed away on 25 October 1931 in Key West, Monroe County, Florida. He would briskly stroll around town with a cane and show off wristwatches claiming to be commissioned to him by the Czar of Russia. Von Cosel robbed her body from the grave. She was his soulmate, so he created a life-size doll from a death mask that closely resembled his favorite woman. TSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. For nearly 22 years, she had been the focus of his life, alive or dead. Heartbroken over his loss, Tanzler decided to pay for her funeral, and, with her familys permission, he commissioned the construction of an above-ground mausoleum in the Key West Cemetery. Tuberculosis was after all, considered an incurable disease in 1931 and it was the number one cause of death in Key West at the time (Harrison 1996). Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Bienvenido Perez, in a later interview for Men True Adventure magazine (n.d.), would reveal much darker intentions on Tanzlers part. This all seems like silly speculation, to get people to read an old story. Maria Elena "Helen" Milagro de Hoyos (1909 - 1931) Photos: 4 Records: 23 Born in Key West, Monroe County, Florida on 31 July 1909 to Francisco "Pancho" Frank Hoyos and Aurora Sifontes. The Untold Story Of Kate Warne, The World's First Female Private Eye, 27 Scathing H.L. He decided to open her casket. As they autopsy her body, for a second time, they discovered that she was removed from her tomb two years after her burial. The 22-year-old beauty resembled his childhood premonitions so closely that he immediately became convinced that their love was meant to be. German-born American radiology technologist and erotomaniac. He was devastated. She looked upon von Cosel as a grandfather. Carl claimed Maria began talking to him from the other side, telling him she was afraid of decaying and rotting. Carl Von Cosels only solution was to steal her remains. John Dillinger was a gangster during the Great Depression. In 1931, Dr. Carl Tanzler fell in love with a patient he was treating for tuberculosis. Maria Elena lies in some unmarked Floridian grave, in an 18 inch casket. (LogOut/ Tanzler immediately recognized her as the woman of his dreams. 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. This went on for two years. Maria Elena 'Helen' Milagro de Hoyos, a 20-year-old local Cuban American woman, was the same dark-haired woman Tanzler had visions of and who was to be his true love. His behaviour became too erratic to hold a job, and the hospital had found out he was stealing medical equipment from them. This browser does not support getting your location. But unfortunately, this was a true story. Please reorganize this content to explain the subject's impact on popular culture, "The Trial Bay Organ: A Product of Wit and Ingenuity,", St. Petersburg Times, December 31, 1998; page 8: "Ayesha T. Bucey (Ann), 76, of Zephyrhills, died Sunday (December 27, 1998) at East Pasco Medical Center. Shes not dying fast enough. Human jealousy has robbed me of the body of my Elena, yet divine happiness is flowing through me, for she has survived death. The extent of this has never been revealed fully, only that Tanzler had been interned in Australia as a prisoner-of-war for a time. Despite his best efforts, Hoyos succumbed to her illness in October 1931, leaving her family and newly-obsessed caretaker heartbroken. The family, considering Elena was fatally ill at this point, conceded. She was graduate of Zephyrhills High School and a member of the Zephyrhills Alumni and Friends. He wanted his soulmate to always look like the woman he fell in love with even after death. 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. Maria Elena Milagro De Hoyos, known as Elena, walked into a Key West hospital suffering from a fatal infection of tuberculosis. Folk figure. One even died from diphtheria whilst these events were unfolding (Harrison 1996, Sloan 2012). When she passed away in 1931 from tuberculosis, Tanzler refused to leave her side. On February 18, 1926, she married Luis Mesa, but he left her shortly after she suffered a miscarriage of the couples first child. Elena was eventually diagnosed with tuberculosis, a typically fatal disease at the time, that eventually claimed the lives of almost all of her immediate family. The list is numerous and was all justified by Tanzler in the name of love. Local townspeople in Key West noticed Tanzler was buying womens clothing and perfumes, but they thought he was in a serious relationship. Maria was 21 years old, and the daughter of a Cuban cigar maker, whose life was already marred by tragedy. What followed was an on-and-off relationship where Tanzlers medical treatments were accepted but his proposals of marriage were sidestepped. Tanzler became enamored with her, and took an overly keen interest in her care, despite not having any idea on how to treat tuberculosis. He was not short on money either, as he had been receiving a pension from the military for his involvement in World War 1. It was there that she met Dr. Carl Von Cosel, a doctor who was working to find a cure. They were unaware that the doctor had found sperm inside Elenas corpse, clear evidence of necrophilia. Please reset your password. Now Ive found her, and Ill kill her, if necessary, to fulfil my destiny! (p. 68), There was this and another statement from Nana Medina in the Miami Herald where she told of how Tanzler had warned her father if there was not a wedding in the family soon, there would be a funeral. (LogOut/ In 1926, Tanzler emigrated to the U.S. from Germany, where he settled in Zephyrhills, Florida. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Weve updated the security on the site. File photo of Carl Tanzler when he worked as a . 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. We have set your language to Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. In 1940, Floridas infamous necrophile went on trial for desecrating the body of Elena Hoyos. If they only knew what was going on inside his home. After he left Key West defeated, he returned to his wife and daughter in Zephyrhills, Florida. (b. based on information from your browser. He reportedly said he felt her spirit come to him when he sat by her tomb and serenaded her with her favorite Spanish song. He was charged with wantonly and maliciously destroying a grave and removing a body without authorization, but the statute of limitations saved him from prosecution. But its not exactly as romantic as you would think. Tanzler von Cosel, K. The Secret of Elenas Tomb. Tanzler was subsequently arrested on the charge of wantonly and maliciously destroying a grave and removing a body without authorisation so a hearing was held. Key West, Monroe County, Florida, USA. Failed to delete memorial. 7 9, 54 61. To some, it is the ultimate romance, and to others, it is a grotesque tale of violation. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. 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. Suffer no more sweet Elena. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? [1], Tanzler attached the corpse's bones together with piano wire and fitted the face with glass eyes. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, Did the Wolves Ever Leave the Hen House? The article in question, written by William Michelfelder (1982), opens as follows: the first page [of the journal] read clearly She died because I gave this to her mercifully. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Tanzler never met this mysterious woman. Tanzler moved from Key West to Zephyrhills near where his wife and sister lived, but not before according to Perez (1952, n.d.), using a time-bomb to blow up the tomb the night he left. You are living in an insane world. Loathing: Lethal hate directed towards one person, group, culture or nation (Morrall 2006, p. 36). Upon returning home, Tanzler married and had two children in 1920, and the family emigrated to Zephyrhills, Florida. At sixteen, she was married to Luis Mesa (1908-?) Which theory do you think best explains the Iraq War? For his final diary entry, Carl had written: Human jealousy has robbed me of the body of my Elena, yet divine happiness is flowing through me for she has survived death. He was no longer her technician; she was the love of his life. [1][8], Despite Tanzler's best efforts, Elena died of tuberculosis at her parents' home in Key West on October 25, 1931. All of the sources that make claims about this are modern. Her full name was Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos, a heaven-sent love of his life for Carl, and the moment he first saw her, the beginning of a long-lasting "loving" relationship with literally the woman of his dreams-of which she would know nothing about . [1], Though not reported contemporaneously, research (most notably by authors Harrison and Swicegood) has revealed evidence of Tanzler's necrophilia with Elena's corpse. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. When Carl von Cosel was released he set out to find his mother from whom he had not heard since the beginning of the war. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Image credit: Florida KeysPublic Libraries, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Elena Hoyos . Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos' family knew of Carl Tanzler's infatuation, per Atlas Obscura. 0 cemeteries found in Key West, Monroe County, Florida, USA. p. 1 + 19. But death was creeping up close and fast. He poisons her he poisons her to kill her quicker so he can have her as his own. It is perfectly wonderful that you had such a strong love for the girl in this case. He slept with the body in his bed, but he kept a curtain between them because he was an extreme gentleman. The topic she has chosen for us is about Carl Tanzler aka Count Carl von Cosel and his obsession with the beautiful Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos aka Elena. He had just begun to build a trans-ocean flyer when the war broke out and the British military authorities placed him in a concentration camp for 'safe-keeping' along with many officers India and China who were prisoners of war. Unfortunately for her, Tanzler immediately became besotted by her beauty. They called him an eccentric romantic and felt sorry for his psychological disorder. She forbade the family to let von Cosel know until she was too far across the border to be recalled (p.1). Tanzler was psychiatrically examined and found mentally competent to stand trial on the charge of "wantonly and maliciously destroying a grave and removing a body without authorization. Marias life was not going well. Tanzler immediately recognized her as the beautiful dark-haired woman that had been revealed to him in his earlier "visions. He loved her, but no evidence has surfaced to confirm that Hoyos reciprocated his love. He dedicated all his time to curing her, or at least attempting to do so. He stuffed her body with rags, waxed the skin with plaster of Paris, and even fitted the face with glass eyes. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Forever and ever she is with me. Phantom Press. He even installed a telephone line to Elenas crypt so that he could continue speaking to her. A History of the Ottonian Dynasty The Rise of a Noble Family to the Death of the Dynasty and the 5 Great Kings of the Ottonians, Perceptions of Ottoman Military Slavery: Orientalism & the Zanj Rebellion, Science, Religion, and Racism in Philadelphia: the Impacts of the Works of Samuel Morton and Charles Darwin in Philadelphia during the mid-1800s, The Battle of Chaffins Farm: A Trial By Fire for the Unions Black Troops, British Signals Intelligence and the Shortening of World War Two. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? He showered her with jewelry and clothing, and he frequently professed his love to her. There, she found what she believed to be a life-sized effigy of her departed sister. Was this act of murder justified by Tanzler as a mercy killing?. During his childhood in Germany, and later while traveling briefly in Genoa, Italy, Tanzler claimed to have been visited by visions of a dead, purported ancestor, Countess Anna Constantia von Cosel, who revealed the face of his true love, an exotic dark-haired woman, to him. A psychiatric evaluation determined that Tanzler was competent to stand trial, although some reports state that his ultimate plans involved flying Hoyos, high into the stratosphere so that radiation from outer space could penetrate her tissues and restore life to her somnolent form.. Separated from Elena, he used a death mask to create a life . In October 1940, Hoyos sister, Florinda, heard conflicting rumors about Tanzlers budding romance with a mysterious woman. Harrison (1996) adds that Countess damsel (what the Ct. d. stood for) is not an actual title, just something again self-created by Tanzler to further tie Elena and himself together. Shortly after Elenas death, Tanzler talked the family into giving him residence in her room, paying them a fee of $20 a month (about $345 in todays money). Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Although the affections were one sided, when Elena passed away a couple of months later, Karl just couldn't let his soulmate go. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Men True Adventure, n.d, pp. Although reporters wrote that Carl Von Cosel died alone in 1952, this is somewhat untrue. Tanzler added copious amounts of perfumes, flowers, disinfectants, and preserving agents to keep the rotting odor at bay, and routinely applied morticians wax to Hoyos face in an effort to keep her alive.. Although some have described him as a mad scientist, others, a brilliant doctor, hes more likely a grotesque fetishist. The Second Autopsy of Elena Hoyos Carl's madness was discovered. Tanzler, an eccentric character, carried himself with a high sense of self-importance. 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. 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. There was an error deleting this problem. In fact, he had escaped from an Australian internment camp during WWI by building a makeshift sailboat after secretly studying engineering books. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. This [incident] makes so much sense. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Join today and youll get up to twenty dollars in shopping credit toward your first order. Carl Von Cosel had preserved her corpse for seven years. Separated from his dead love, Tanzler used a death mask to create a life-sized effigy of Maria de Hoyos and lived with it until his death. Happy for him, she decided to visit him and congratulate him on his relationship. Authorities found a homemade spaceship outside of Carls lab. But the curious began wondering why Von Cosel visited her night after night and when his visits stopped all assumed he had died. Von Cosel was sixty years of age,and decided that they were to have their May-December romance. This time, it was unmarked so no one, including Tanzler, could find her body. Although he tried to stop her disintegration with embalming fluids, her body continued to decay. Von Cosel was arrested for body snatching but was not indicted because the statute of limitations had passed. Sadly, the story does not end here, and it takes a Weekend at Bernies sort of twist, but with some added necrophilia. After Hoyos sister showed up at Tanzlers home in 1940, the jig was up. Lets hope that theyre mistaken and that Elena Hoyos has finally found peace in her second grave. In 1940, nine years after Elenas death, Tanzler was discovered by Nana to have taken Elenas body from the grave, reconstructed it with plastered wax and kept it at his residences, which included his wingless plane, a shack on the beach and a cottage in Flagler Avenue. It motivated many of his actions from the day he met her to the day he died; giving her free and unproven medical treatments, naming his wingless plane after her, building the mausoleum, taking her body, trying to reconstruct and restore it to life, even using the tube for intercourse as Dr. DePoo revealed (a sexual payoff), publishing a memoir, being found dead with a wax replica. Hoyos, a local Cuban-American daughter of a cigar maker, had her own unique history. Key West put her corpse on display. Elena Hoyos. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. She would remain legally married to Luis until her death. Search above to list available cemeteries. Eventually, the corpse was reburried to an unmarked grave in Key West Cemetery, and Maria de Hoyos was finally able to rest in peace. He also said that she would often tell him to take her from the grave. 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. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Elena died on 25th October 1931 at the age of twenty-two. 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). Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. 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. He was cradling Hoyos doll. I have sent you to the angels with my golden elixir (p. 7 8). Weller, T. The Lost Diaries of Elena Hoyos Vols. He lavished her with gifts, and professed his undying love, telling her he would love and care for her even if she died. So much so that Elena was said to have died hating Tanzler. It is hoped that the findings presented here will contribute towards the continuation of this cultural shift, and bring more empathy and understanding towards Elena rather than the man who pursued, poisoned and exploited her in life and death. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. You can always change this later in your Account settings. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Wild ass Carl, Elena before her passing, Elena's body w/ death mask, Carl replaces Elenas eyes, Elena's body 2. Now two years deceased, Carl Tanzler was left with the task of maintaining Hoyos corpse. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Cosel fell in love with her despite the fact that she was legally married. After Von Cosel's arrest, Key West put Elena's body on exhibit. Determined to save his newfound paramour, Von Cosel connected her wasting body to his homemade contraption. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Elena Hoyos (23114033)? Nor was he with her just before. Whitfield Funeral Home, Zephyrhills. Maria Elena "Helen" Milagro de Hoyos married Luis Roberto "Louis" Mesa. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. A Fresh Look at the Impacts and Relevance of Colonialism in Southeast Asia, Purposeless Polls: How Soviet Citizens RebelledAgainst a Regime that Rejected Open Communication. Over seven thousand visitors arrived, each desperate to peek at this well-preserved woman. At this point, Carl had lost his job at the hospital and was living in a remote shack which also housed his laboratory. She was only nice to him because my mother told her she should be kind to those who were kind to her. With the consent of her family, Carl paid for Marias funeral and erected an elaborate mausoleum for her corpse. 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. Harrison, B. Creepy, crawly Count Carl Von Cosel wasnt a count at all. To his absolute horror, Elenas putrefied body had begun to deteriorate. Accounts show she led the normal life of a teenager in the 1920s. Michelfelder (1982) goes on to describe how the demolition worker and his supervisor found bottles full of this golden elixir fallen from the collapsed wall of Tanzlers former residence. Instead of a cure, she found a radiologist named Karl Tanzler who instantly became obsessed with her. St. Martins True Crime Classics. Love: the mercy killing of a baby with a major deformity or partner with incurable cancer. He was later joined by his wife and children. The former three, as he describes them, are quite applicable to Tanzler. While there, he met a beautiful young woman 32 years his junior named Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos, better known as Helen (top, in a photo courtesy of the Florida Keys Public Library). Elenas married name (and she was still legally married at the time of her death), Mesa, was not engraved on the tombstone, however, on the bottom corner, Ct. Sloan, D,L. Tanzler (born on February 8, 1877, in Dresden, Germany) knew from a young age that he had a soulmate. In any case, Hoyos was determined to have tuberculosis, which was deadly in those days. Episode: Maria Elena Milagro De Hoyos, the Unwilling Corpse Bride w/ special guest @rachaelnobrien 1. He did this, as needed, inside of an old airplane he had repurposed into a makeshift medical laboratory. (1996). Death . It can be awakened. They found police logs from the period which described the aforementioned seizure, Tanzlers threat to Elenas father and testimonies from people in her neighbourhood that in the week before Elenas death, he had persuaded her to swallow double doses of his elixir, whichMichelfelder (1982) writes to have contained: 70 percent distilled water, 20 percent gold shavings, fruit favouring and just enough deadly poison to effect [sic] a slow death. 22nd April 1930 would turn out to be a very fateful day. From 1930 to 1952, he had endlessly obsessed over this woman. He also built and interred Elena in an elaborate mausoleum, which he visited every night for two years, constantly bought gifts and even installed a telephone. Su padre, Francisco Pancho Hoyos, haba amasado una fortuna. Tanzlers body was discovered on the floor of his home. iUniverse. She came here 71 years ago from her native Dresden, Germany. Dickinson, writing from Miami, asked, Didnt John Dorschner have anything better to do than write his story about Con Von Cosel? What is is known for is for having a love affair that lasted 7 years after her death. Instead, he found plenty of things to do, including fashioning a wig for her once her hair fell out of her decomposing scalp. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. The public mood was generally sympathetic to Tanzler, whom many viewed as an eccentric "romantic". The findings of which were most prominently reproduced in an episode of HBOs Autopsy series: I found a tube [in Elenas vagina] wide enough to permit sexual intercourse. Surprisingly, there are no contemporary sources that mention anything about necrophilia. He would personally transport her body by airplane, where Carl Von Cosel believed he could restore her life. All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. Carl had the nerve to ask them to return it back to him, but his request was rejected. Tanzler was undeterred though and searched the streets every night until a sympathetic neighbour told him of the location. She was a waitress and homemaker. Tanzler (1947), in his memoirs, recalled being furious at not being informed sooner: In my desperation, I called out [to Elenas brother-in-law]: If only you had come to me half an hour earlier, perhaps it wouldnt have been too late. This love made him determined to keep his patient alive, which he attempted to do quite literally by removing her corpse from the mausoleum it was housed in and holding it together with coat hangers, wax, and silk. She was diagnosed with fast-acting tuberculosis. There is sufficient evidence to state that Tanzler, if not experiencing loathing towards Elena herself, experienced much loathing towards the people and situations around her. Normally you dont get any new information [about the story]. In 1952, Tanzler was found dead by police on the floor of his home next to a wax replica of Elena. You can be sure that everything that you did was sane. It was there that he fell in love with a young Cuban-American woman named Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Most curiously, he had made a death mask of her face to preserve her beauty. Tanzler also used copious amounts of perfume, disinfectants, and preserving agents to mask the odor and forestall the effects of the corpse's decomposition. He made house calls to Marias home, stealing the hospitals x-ray machine to monitor her progress.
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