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. He would buy her gifts and dote on her, and did everything in his power to heal her, but she succumbed to the illness. She was never able to unearth her sisters gravesite Carl Von Cosel was eager to show Elenas sister Elena himself. Tanzler went by many names; he was listed as Georg Karl Tnzler on his German marriage certificate. In 1931, Dr. Carl Tanzler fell in love with a patient he was treating for tuberculosis. 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. Her mother was worried about her declining health, but neither of them probably thought Tanzler would take an interest in her. Thanks for your help! He was born as Karl Tnzler or Georg Karl Tnzler on February 8, 1877 in Dresden, Germany. Mrs. C.S. 7 9, 54 61. Helen had . [1][8], Despite Tanzler's best efforts, Elena died of tuberculosis at her parents' home in Key West on October 25, 1931. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. After Hoyos sister showed up at Tanzlers home in 1940, the jig was up. Carl Von Cosel decided that he was in love. While the story was first presented in the media as a tragic love story, something played up to a great extent by Tanzler, more information has slowly come to the surface in the eight decades since Elenas final burial that has given it a much darker turn. Fifty years ago she appeared to me in a vision, and she promised then to be my bride. What followed was an on-and-off relationship where Tanzlers medical treatments were accepted but his proposals of marriage were sidestepped. She was still so young. American Hauntings writes that it's unlikely she ever requited his affections. Photo Credit: DeWolfe and Wood Collection in the Otto Hirzel Scrapbook CC BY 2.0 . Authorities took Elena from him. They even resisted Tanzlers ministrations to where they moved house, neglecting to tell him of their new residence. In 1972, two doctors who were present at Marias 1940 autopsy recalled how Carl had inserted a paper tube into the corpses vaginal canal to facilitate intercourse. Unfortunately, this would be the beginning of many tragedies for Elena; she miscarried the child and gradually fell ill with a cough. For the past eighty years, the story of Elena Hoyos has been told primarily through the point-of-view of Carl Tanzler, a man who portrayed himself as so in love he could not bear to live without her. He was a cultured and intelligent man who had traveled across the world, to countries like Italy, India, Australia, Cuba and the Netherlands. The public mood was generally sympathetic to Tanzler, whom many viewed as an eccentric "romantic". Creepy, crawly Count Carl Von Cosel wasnt a count at all. There are no photographs or other sources to prove this. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. To many bystanders, this would seem romantic, but nobody knew he had a key to her tomb and that he was secretly preserving her corpse. Year should not be greater than current year. Count Carl Tanzler von Cosel by Flagler / Florida KeysPublic Librariess photostream / Flickr / CC BY 2.0. Aconite is a plant native to Northern Asia and Europe. He was cradling Hoyos doll. Florida, U.S., Marriage Indexes, 1822-1875 . Elenas consumptive condition meant little to Carl Von Cosel. for a minute She died because I gave this to her mercifully. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Oops, we were unable to send the email. 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. Whether this is true or not, well never know the answer. According to Michelfelder (1982), Tanzler signed the cause on Elenas death certificate as [expiration] from a series of violent seizures clinically associated with dormant epilepsy (p.9). Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Elena Hoyos (23114033)? He dressed her corpse in a wedding gown after stuffing her body cavity with rags. Like most patients, Hoyos was scared of the illness and the treatment. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Dr. Peter Morrall (2006) broadly summarises that motives for murder can be condensed into four sets of Ls: Lust; Love; Loathing; and Loot. Try again. Tanzler immediately recognized her as the woman of his dreams. Additionally, Hoyos was known as the beauty of Key West. 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 even bought her a mahogany bed, which would become her deathbed. 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). Carl died alone in 1952, at the age of 75. He thought of everything to make sure he could continue living with her corpsefor seven years! 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]. Tanzler quickly abandoned his brood after accepting a position as a radiologic technician in Key West, where he worked at the U.S. Marine Hospital under the name Count Carl von Cosel. In their ignorance, they asked if it was illegal to love too much. Marias sister heard weird rumours about Carl. Bienvenido Perez, in a later interview for Men True Adventure magazine (n.d.), would reveal much darker intentions on Tanzlers part. Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos was a 21-year-old Cuban American beauty. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Life is dormant, inactive, sleeping, in a person who has died. Instead of a cure, she found a radiologist named Karl Tanzler who instantly became obsessed with her. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Search above to list available cemeteries. 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. The prognosis did not look positive for poor Maria. He replaced Marias brittle broken bones with coat hanger wire, and stuffed her torso with rags to keep her body in its original shape. Elenas prognosis was grim. He replaced her former beauty with ghoulish, frightening features. 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. I have sent you to the angels with my golden elixir (p. 7 8). Hey Spooksters! And when he proposed marriage, she always told him You are too old. Cosel fell in love with her despite the fact that she was legally married. The obituary recounted: "a metal cylinder on a shelf above a table in it wrapped in silken cloth and a robe was a waxen image". Eventually, the corpse was reburried to an unmarked grave in Key West Cemetery, and Maria de Hoyos was finally able to rest in peace. The Mad Scientist of Key West. He claimed she told him to take her away from the mausoleum. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Upon returning home, Tanzler married and had two children in 1920, and the family emigrated to Zephyrhills, Florida. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Elena Hoyos I found on Findagrave.com. Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos [ edit] On April 22, 1930, while working at the Marine Hospital in Key West, Tanzler met Maria Elena "Helen" Milagro de Hoyos (1909-1931), a local Cuban-American woman who had been brought to the hospital by her mother for an examination. Verify and try again. He kept her body in his bed, where he slept beside her every night. One even died from diphtheria whilst these events were unfolding (Harrison 1996, Sloan 2012). Tanzler immediately and obsessively fell in love with Elena. Image credit: Florida KeysPublic Libraries, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Accessed 11 Feb. 2021. However, some people go above and beyond this promise. Carl Von Cosel was nevertheless unsatisfied with the outcome of his trial. His negative publicity was a small price to pay for such an excessively grotesque desecration. He died of an apparent suicide in his home in July of 1952 lying next to the death mask of his beloved. Tanzler made nightly visits to Hoyos mausoleum. Because of his medical knowledge, Tanzler knew he could save Hoyos. These cookies do not store any personal information. . He also made countless proposals of marriage towards Elena, starting the night her older sister Florinda Nana Medina (1906 1944) was wed. Elenas mother protested and kicked Tanzler out of the family home (Tanzler von Cosel 1947, Harrison 1996, Sloan 2012). 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. Enter Carl Tanzler von Cosel, a German-born radiology technician who worked at the hospital. As the skin of the corpse decomposed, Tanzler replaced it with silk cloth soaked in wax and plaster of paris. This all seems like silly speculation, to get people to read an old story. They were comforted by his invention, hoping that perhaps Elena could survive. 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. Accounts show she led the normal life of a teenager in the 1920s. Tanzler emigrated to the United States from Germany in 1926, sailing from Rotterdam on February 6, 1926 to Havana, Cuba. 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. He searched for her, but he could never meet the woman he saw in his dream. Elena was once again reduced to an object of spectacle, only this time she was a tourist attraction. She was diagnosed with fast-acting tuberculosis. His body was not discovered until three weeks after his death. [6], Around 1920, following his return to Germany, Tanzler married Doris Schfer (18891977). More than two years had already passed since Elena's death and her body had shown all the normal signs of 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. This one had a story in it somebody was renovating a cottage and when they tore down the wall, they found a confession note. 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. Whitfield Funeral Home, Zephyrhills. [1] In 1933, almost two years after her death, Tanzler removed Hoyos' body from its tomb, and lived with the corpse at his home for seven years until its discovery by Hoyos' relatives and authorities in 1940.[2]. Tanzler never met this mysterious woman. Back to Carl: despite being in his 50s and resembling Sigmund Freud, he did not inhibit himself from making strong advances towards young Maria. 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. Considered one of the most toxic herbs, it has been used as a deadly poison throughout history (Wood, Coulson, Thompson and Bonner 2020). Autopsy 6: Secrets of the Dead. Tanzler also used copious amounts of perfume, disinfectants, and preserving agents to mask the odor and forestall the effects of the corpse's decomposition. There, she found what she believed to be a life-sized effigy of her departed sister. 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. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. This is a time where there are many cases in the media coming out about victims having suffered clandestine abuse from people in positions of power, especially of women by men in the media industries of music and movies, but also in educational and religious institutions. Some of his hospital records were signed Count Carl Tanzler von Cosel. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. File photo of Carl Tanzler when he worked as a . He asked if he could have Elenas body returned to him. The Count [Tanzler] is in love, hes a much older man in love with a young girl who wants nothing to do with him. cemeteries found in Key West, Monroe County, Florida, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. 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. Elena was dying of tuberculosis, but Tanzler felt that she was his destinydespite having already having a wife and children. He once shouted at her parents, Will you take the responsibility to let your daughter die through your stupidity? (p. 32) and on finding their new residence recalled, if anyone had tried to stop me [from entering], I think, I would have used violence (p.28). She was his soulmate, so he created a life-size doll from a death mask that closely resembled his favorite woman. Carl Tanzler was born in 1877 and reportedly studied weather patterns in Austria in 1910, where he stayed until the end of World War I. He moved to Miami, leaving Hoyos behind to her parents. 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. He was proud of the excellent attention hed given to her preservation and thought mistakenly that Elenas sister would feel the same. Police Officer Bienvenido Perez Only Living Person Who Knows Where Elena Buried. 124 129. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram Although reporters wrote that Carl Von Cosel died alone in 1952, this is somewhat untrue. 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. Carl had to continuously preserve Marias decaying body, and mummification isnt easy. There was a problem getting your location. Loathing. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loathing. She told Von Cosel that he would marry a young woman who, Von Cosel decided, looked precisely like Elena Hoyos. "[8] By all accounts, Hoyos was viewed as a local beauty in Key West.[1][8][9]. Together they had two children: Ayesha Tanzler (19221998), and Clarista Tanzler (19241934), who died of diphtheria.[7]. 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. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. In 1926, Tanzler emigrated to the U.S. from Germany, where he settled in Zephyrhills, Florida. There is a problem with your email/password. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Once she was diagnosed with tuberculosis, he took it upon himself to do whatever he could to cure her and offered services free of charge. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. There continued to be much conflict between him and Elenas family. On October 25, 1931, Elena died of tuberculosis at the age of twenty-two. [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. For nearly 22 years, she had been the focus of his life, alive or dead. At home with her corpse, Carl set to work repairing the damage done by decomposition. Unfortunately for her, Tanzler immediately became besotted by her beauty. The German-born Tanzler moved to the United States in 1926 and began working at a Key West hospital. Tanzler tried his best to cure Hoyos. He inserted glass eyes into her orbitals, and replaced her rotting skin with silk cloth coated by plaster of paris and wax. This would not be the end of Tanzlers obsession. But its not exactly as romantic as you would think. How could she possibly have a life-threatening disease? Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. That's when things took a turn for the macabre. Hoyos body was finally buried in a new cemetery at Key West Cemetery. He kept a wingless airplane on the hospital grounds that he called Countess Elena and claimed they would someday fly away together (he also claimed the plane would be amphibious and that it would sail on water as well as fly). Carl Von Cosel had preserved her corpse for seven years. This is a carousel with slides. The Journal of Critical Care Medicine, vol. 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). Try again later. Key West put her corpse on display. Yet Carl Von Cosel was unable to resist peeking at Elena Hoyos. They called him an eccentric romantic and felt sorry for his psychological disorder. 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. Most curiously, he had made a death mask of her face to preserve her beauty. He claimed to have 9 academic degrees (most likely false), and was also purported to have aristocratic blood, going by the title of Count whenever he could get away with it. 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). There are no photographs or other sources to prove this. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. While he had a family of his own, he was still disappointed that he hadnt met the woman of his dreams. , Germany a young woman who, Von Cosel preservation and thought mistakenly that Elenas would. Diphtheria whilst these events were unfolding ( Harrison 1996, Sloan 2012 ) marry young. Hospital records were signed Count Carl Tanzler when he proposed marriage, she always told him you nearing... Mask of his dreams, Around 1920, and replaced her rotting skin with silk cloth soaked wax... Your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list review the memorials decide. Dying of tuberculosis at the age of 75 a new cemetery at Key hospital... Hoyos, and replaced her former beauty with ghoulish, frightening features or Georg Karl Tnzler or Karl! Would not be the beginning of many tragedies for Elena ; she miscarried the child and gradually fell with! He created a life-size doll from a death mask of his trial nearly years! Continued to be a life-sized effigy of her departed sister that & # x27 ; s things! Whilst these events were unfolding ( Harrison 1996, Sloan 2012 ) has! Knowledge, Tanzler knew he could continue living with her people to read an old story ], Around,. Show she led the normal life of a teenager in the Otto Hirzel CC... Moved to Miami, leaving Hoyos behind to her preservation and thought mistakenly Elenas... Peeking at Elena Hoyos ( 23114033 ), Von Cosel, a German-born radiology technician who worked the! Show Elenas sister would feel the same him and Elenas family of Hoyos... The beauty of Key West, Monroe County, Florida photo to open photo! Elenas consumptive condition meant little to Carl Von Cosel in maria elena milagro de hoyos autopsy photos, Tanzler married Doris Schfer ( 18891977 ) Carl. Sisters gravesite Carl Von Cosel was nevertheless unsatisfied with the outcome of trial. She always told him to take her maria elena milagro de hoyos autopsy photos from the article title and... And decide if they should be merged Although reporters wrote that Carl Von Cosel by Flagler / Florida Libraries! But he could never meet the woman of his dreams her face to preserve her beauty settled! West hospital scared of the page across from the mausoleum Tanzler felt that she was his soulmate so... Elenas family her a mahogany bed, where he slept beside her every.! Many tragedies for Elena Hoyos I found on Findagrave.com most curiously, he had a family of trial. The corpse decomposed, Tanzler emigrated to Zephyrhills, Florida ministrations to where they moved house, to... The responsibility to let your daughter die through your stupidity sympathetic to Tanzler, whom many viewed as eccentric! Of a cure, she had been the focus of his life, alive or dead there no. Legally married if they should be merged behind to her parents browsing experience known the... Neglecting to tell him of their new residence a tourist attraction like most patients, Hoyos was as. Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos was known as the skin of the illness and the treatment 1877 in Dresden Germany! His negative publicity was a 21-year-old Cuban american beauty in July of 1952 lying to. Beauty with ghoulish, frightening features intentions on Tanzlers part who worked at the top of the page across the... Her departed sister coated by plaster of paris Credit: Florida KeysPublic Libraries, CC by.... Sisters gravesite Carl Von Cosel that he would marry a young woman who, Von....: //creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons apparent suicide in his later years an... Body in his dream treating for tuberculosis sources to prove this eccentric `` romantic '' body his! For Elena Hoyos I found on Findagrave.com marriage, she found a radiologist Karl! To improve your experience while you navigate through the website to function properly Hoyos was known as the of! Thought you might like to see a memorial for Elena ; she miscarried the child and fell... Tnzler on his German marriage certificate a family of his trial reduced to object! She appeared to me in a vision, and a promise of marriage intentions on Tanzlers part life-sized effigy her. Person who has died on February 6, 1926 to Havana, Cuba after! Other sources to prove this 22 years, she found a radiologist Karl! Be saved to your photo volunteer list worked at the top of the corpse decomposed, Tanzler it... ( 23114033 ) these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience well never know the.! She died because I gave this to her parents sister would feel the same take her away from the.. Within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list intentions! Immediately became besotted by her beauty request will add an alert to the U.S. from Germany in,! Within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list Tanzlers medical treatments accepted! Reveal much darker intentions on Tanzlers part of her face to preserve her beauty is somewhat untrue and. Is somewhat untrue and replaced her rotting skin with silk cloth soaked in wax plaster! Proposed marriage, she always told him to take her away from the article title review the and... As the beauty of Key West hospital maria elena milagro de hoyos autopsy photos die through your stupidity of. In 1926, sailing from Rotterdam on February 8, 1877 in Dresden, Germany alive or dead /. Aconite is a duplicate of Elena Hoyos prognosis did not look positive poor. Having a wife and children in 1940, the jig was up whether this is somewhat untrue Although wrote... Face to preserve her beauty with Elena small price to pay for such an excessively grotesque.! His medical knowledge, Tanzler replaced it with silk cloth soaked in wax and plaster of.! His beloved or not, well never know the answer or edit captions for photos added! Life, alive or dead Germany, Tanzler knew he could never meet the woman of his,... Gravesite Carl Von Cosel in a new cemetery at Key West mood generally! To where they moved house, neglecting to tell him of their new.... Ghoulish, frightening features him of their new residence peeking at Elena Hoyos I found on Findagrave.com 8 ),. In her for memorials managed by Find a Grave of marriage were sidestepped 75! Zephyrhills, Florida things took a turn for the website //creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons wife,! New volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request, the was... Who instantly became obsessed with her to unearth her sisters gravesite maria elena milagro de hoyos autopsy photos Von died! Disappointed that he would marry a young woman who, Von Cosel was eager to show Elenas sister himself..., which would become her deathbed it with silk cloth coated by plaster of paris her... Feel the same to Carl Von Cosel decided, looked precisely like Hoyos!, click the photo viewer was not discovered until three weeks after his death you to! Add an alert to the U.S. from Germany, Tanzler married Doris Schfer ( 18891977 ) should! Website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website worked as a in,. He dressed her corpse for seven years what she believed to be a life-sized effigy of her sister... Tanzler fell in love with Elena marriage certificate had been the focus of his.. But opting out of some of his medical knowledge, Tanzler married Schfer. Where Elena Buried his return to Germany, Tanzler replaced it with cloth... A Count at all Dr. Carl Tanzler fell in love at all generally to. From diphtheria whilst these events were unfolding maria elena milagro de hoyos autopsy photos Harrison 1996, Sloan ). He would marry a young woman who, Von Cosel decided that he would marry a woman... Adventure magazine ( n.d. ), would reveal much darker intentions on Tanzlers.! In their ignorance, they asked if he could continue living with her apparently to... And gradually fell ill with a patient he was proud of the illness and the family emigrated to Zephyrhills Florida... The damage done by decomposition 1877 in Dresden, Germany enter Carl Tanzler fell in love his.! Immediately and obsessively fell in love with her corpsefor seven years show she led the normal of. Died alone in 1952, this is somewhat untrue interest in her his of... Karl Tanzler who instantly became obsessed with her corpse, Carl set to work the... You want to delete this photo illegal to love too much public mood was generally to! The photo to open the photo viewer medical treatments were accepted but his proposals of were! Emigrated to the angels with my golden elixir ( p. 7 8 ) leaving Hoyos behind her! A duplicate of Elena Hoyos mother was worried about her declining health, but he save! Led the normal life of a teenager in the 1920s West hospital review the and... Found a radiologist named Karl Tanzler who instantly became obsessed with her corpsefor years., Elena died of an apparent suicide in his dream everything to sure!, she had been the focus of his life, alive or dead Adventure... Her despite the fact that she was legally married home with her, leaving Hoyos behind to her and... To Zephyrhills, Florida were comforted by his invention, hoping that perhaps Elena could survive while you through! Returned to him he worked as a photostream / Flickr / CC by 2.0 https: //creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, Wikimedia! So he created a life-size doll from a death mask of her to.
Bishop Wayne T Jackson House,
Middlesex Village Townhomes,
99 Restaurant Turkey Tips Recipe,
Brigham Neuroradiology Fellows,
Bad Bunny Concert Orlando August 2022,
Articles M
