Detective Cases, Jun. Tanzler emigrated to the United States from Germany in 1926, sailing from Rotterdam on February 6, 1926 to Havana, Cuba. He paused in Australia to collect equipment and suitable boats, and to become acquainted with prevailing weather and sea conditions. Interestingly, Morrall (2006) uses the word mercy in love as a motivator for murder, as does Tanzler in the confession note I gave this to her mercifully (Michelfelder 1982, p.8). Unfortunately for her, Tanzler immediately became besotted by her beauty. Elena Hoyos died of tuberculosis at the age of twenty-two. German-born American radiology technologist and erotomaniac. On February 18, 1926, Elena married Luis Mesa (19081974), the son of Caridad and Isaac Mesa. Today, it seems even the dead body is no longer respected. 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]. She was not someone important, and she never did anything of note other than die young of tuberculosis. 0 cemeteries found in Key West, Monroe County, Florida, USA. Together they had two children: Ayesha Tanzler (19221998), and Clarista Tanzler (19241934), who died of diphtheria.[7]. Von Cosel was arrested for body snatching but was not indicted because the statute of limitations had passed. 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. Undying Love: The True Story of a Passion That Defied Death. Finding her safe, he remained with her for three years, witnessing the chaos that followed in the wake of the war. The disease would later claim the lives of almost everyone in Hoyos immediate family, including her sister, Florinda Nana Milagro Hoyos. It was there that she met Dr. Carl Von Cosel, a doctor who was working to find a cure. He then placed Elena Hoyos on his canopied bed, serenading her with a small, church organ. Maria Elena Milagro De Hoyos Birth 31 Jul 1909. In April of 1930, the beautiful but doomed Elena Hoyos arrived at the Marine Hospital for blood tests. She went over to his home to confront him, and found out his terrible secret. They were unaware that the doctor had found sperm inside Elenas corpse, clear evidence of necrophilia. Whats more, I do not love you. He became so persistent that we asked him to stay away from the house.. On April 22, 1930, while working at the Marine Hospital, Tanzler met the one person in his life he had been searching for since he was 12 years old: his soulmate. Death . 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. It seemed to be someone admitting to killing someone. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. But its not exactly as romantic as you would think. 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. Because of his medical knowledge, Tanzler knew he could save Hoyos. However, a year later, he left his family behind to work as a radiology technician at the U.S. Marine Hospital in Key West, Florida. He created a life-like effigy and mask of her face, to replace the confiscated cadaver. (LogOut/ This one had a story in it somebody was renovating a cottage and when they tore down the wall, they found a confession note. This turned into one of the most unusual, bizarre stories of all time. Rigor mortis had set in, leaving her limbs stiffened in unnatural . I have sent you to the angels with my golden elixir Perez also claimed Tanzler had once told him that he 'would kill Elena if necessary to fulfil [his] destiny'[12] The poison confession letter article was also cited by historian David L. Sloan on episode 44 of the NightMerica podcast.[14]. However, some people go above and beyond this promise. 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. [1][8], One evening in April 1933, Tanzler crept through the cemetery where Elena was buried and removed her body from the mausoleum, carting it through the cemetery after dark on a toy wagon, and transported it to his home. "[8] By all accounts, Hoyos was viewed as a local beauty in Key West.[1][8][9]. Forever and ever she is with me. 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). For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. As of that day, he was fifty-three years old and Elena was close to twenty-one. Lets hope that theyre mistaken and that Elena Hoyos has finally found peace in her second grave. His subsequent actions would be the ones that brought this story to public infamy. It is through several key pieces of research he came across and our correspondence on these that inspired and made this article a possibility. Carl simply did not care, and continued indulging himself in unrequited love. Elena remained with Carl Von Cosel for seven years. He also said he had nine university diplomas. "[1] After a preliminary hearing on October 9, 1940 at the Monroe County Courthouse in Key West, Tanzler was held to answer on the charge, but the case was eventually dropped, and he was released, as the statute of limitations for the crime had expired. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Oddly enough, the public found Carl to be a sympathetic figure; a tragic romantic who had lost his beloved to cruel fate. He would use this wig on Marias corpse, as the decomposition process had caused her hair to fall out. Elena died on 25th October 1931 at the age of twenty-two. Over seven thousand visitors arrived, each desperate to peek at this well-preserved woman. ", Learn how and when to remove this template message, Martello Gallery-Key West Art and Historical Museum, And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, "Autopsy 6: Secrets of the Dead - The Strange Obsession of Dr. Carl Von Cosel", "The Living Doll of Key West: Elena Hoyos & Count Von Cosel", "Ep. 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. For some reason, his wife Doris took pity on him and regularly mailed him money to help him survive his destitute situation. Accessed 11 Feb. 2021. The strange death mask was put on public display as the story became legend. 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. 7 9, 54 61. Tanzler was undeterred though and searched the streets every night until a sympathetic neighbour told him of the location. Maria was married at the age of 16 to a man named Luis Mesa, who abandoned her after she miscarried their child. Wild ass Carl, Elena before her passing, Elena's body w/ death mask, Carl replaces Elenas eyes, Elena's body 2. Like some medieval wizard, Carl conjured up odd concoctions, potions, tonics, elixirs, and herbs in order to treat her TB. I own that tomb and everything that is inside, not you! (p.70). Mesa left for Miami, leaving Elena alone as her illness worsened (Harrison 1996). It was palatable and my loved one departed this miserable world on October 25, 1931. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. She would remain legally married to Luis until her death. She forbade the family to let von Cosel know until she was too far across the border to be recalled (p.1). 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. Her body belonged to him. KQED reports that it's unknown how Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos felt about Carl Tanzler. She was said to be extremely beautiful, shy and an accomplished singer, to the point where tourists would ask for pictures with her in the street. However, no other evidence had ever come to the fore, apart from these threats, suggesting that Tanzler may have committed murder. A young black-haired Cuban woman and Tanzler met for the first time in 1930 in the Marine Hospital in Key West, Florida. Although some have described him as a mad scientist, others, a brilliant doctor, hes more likely a grotesque fetishist. He replaced Marias brittle broken bones with coat hanger wire, and stuffed her torso with rags to keep her body in its original shape. Von Cosel robbed her body from the grave. 2, 2020, pp. 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. Elenas consumptive condition meant little to Carl Von Cosel. Word caught on that Carl Von Cosel was acting erratically, so Elenas sister decided to investigate. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. While Elena was undergoing agonizing death, Von Cosel supplied her with perfume, jewelry, fruits, and candies. Her mother was worried about her declining health, but neither of them probably thought Tanzler would take an interest in her. Although he tried to stop her disintegration with embalming fluids, her body continued to decay. The Living Doll of Key West: Elena Hoyos & Count Von Cosel. Her mother was worried about her declining health, but neither of them probably thought Tanzler would take an interest in her. He developed an obsession with a young Cuban-American tuberculosis patient, Elena "Helen" Milagro de Hoyos (July 31, 1909 October 25, 1931), that carried on well after her death. What he did next is unthinkable, and he never really paid a price for it.Join Ash, Alaina and special guest, comedian Rachel O'brien, as we dig deep into Karl's crazy world. If they only knew what was going on inside his home. She reported him to the police, and Carl was arrested. 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. 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