(LogOut/ Maria Elena Milagro De Hoyos Birth 31 Jul 1909. Suffer no more, sweet Elena. Carl von Cosel was acquitted. The German-born Tanzler moved to the United States in 1926 and began working at a Key West hospital. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Now two years deceased, Carl Tanzler was left with the task of maintaining Hoyos corpse. Elena Hoyos. To her parents, this was a kind gesture, but this was only where the obsession began. Similar credit must be given to Miki Meek for giving a very well researched and academic podcast four years ago for This American Life, and to Tracy Weller of the Mason Holdings group for the podcast The Lost Diaries of Elena Hoyos, which finally revealed much of Elenas personality and early life. Thats what happened between Carl Tanzler and Maria Elena Helen Milagro de Hoyos. Authorities took Elena from him. Florinda notified the authorities, and Tanzler was arrested and detained. Today, it seems even the dead body is no longer respected. Tanzler immediately recognized Hoyos as the woman from his dream. Change). However, his wife Doris Shafer (1889 1977) and other extended family members would state that Tanzler had no royal lineage whatsoever and that his title was merely one he created himself. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. 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. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23114033/elena-hoyos. Accessed 11 Feb. 2021. 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. She died because I gave this to her mercifully. A devastated Tanzler made a death mask of her and told her family that he would pay for her funeral and . Additionally, Hoyos was known as the beauty of Key West. Carl Von Cosel decided that he was in love. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. In 1930, tuberculosis was an often fatal disease. Fifty years ago she appeared to me in a vision, and she promised then to be my bride. Three years later a Cuban-American woman by the name of Maria Elena Milagro De Hoyos, was brought to the hospital by her mother for examination. 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. At the bottom of the tube there was cotton and in an examination of the cotton, I found there was sperm (HBO Autopsy 1999). Maria was 21 years old, and the daughter of a Cuban cigar maker, whose life was already marred by tragedy. Cosel fell in love with her despite the fact that she was legally married. Mason Holdings Radio Hour. Tanzler didnt seem to get bored living with Hoyos corpse. Thus, they found it odd that Tanzler stopped visiting the mausoleum two years after her death. 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. 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. [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. Carls madness was discovered. He slept with the body in his bed, but he kept a curtain between them because he was an extreme gentleman. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos' family knew of Carl Tanzler's infatuation, per Atlas Obscura. Tanzler became enamored with her, and took an overly keen interest in her care, despite not having any idea on how to treat tuberculosis. In 1940, when her sister Nana confronted him about taking her body, Tanzler as equally as vehement, making statements such as, [Elena] is an angel, but not you (p. 68), You never looked after her for the past nine years, she has been under my care all these years. Later he was removed to Trial Bay to a castle-like prison on the cliffs, and there the work in this narrative was accomplished. The charges against Tanzler were dropped as the statute of limitations on the crime had expired. 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. 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 . He lavished her with gifts, and professed his undying love, telling her he would love and care for her even if she died. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Failed to report flower. I had hopes that, when Elena was out of danger, we would get married. She told Von Cosel that he would marry a young woman who, Von Cosel decided, looked precisely like Elena Hoyos. He substituted her empty sockets with glass eyes. That seems extremely dubious. Hoyos family didnt realize that the only key to the tomb would remain in Tanzlers possession. d. Cosel was (Harrison 1996, Meek 2017). 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. Key West, Monroe County, Florida, USA. He would briskly stroll around town with a cane and show off wristwatches claiming to be commissioned to him by the Czar of Russia. Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos Mesa. He died in 1934, but his nephew is finally requesting for his body to be exhumed. How can these immense, unfounded claims be made? Many years ago, Carl von Cosel travelled from India to Australia with the intention of proceeding to the South Seas Islands. GREAT NEWS! Provoked by Von Cosels unapologetic behavior, the judge decided to bury Elena in an unmarked grave. He even exaggerated his achievements to her parents, claiming he was Count von Cosel (even though he wasnt a count). You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. And when he proposed marriage, she always told him You are too old. He dedicated all his time to curing her, or at least attempting to do so. When a Cuban-American woman named Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos walked into the hospital, the doctor saw before him an actual dream come true. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. He carried on his love affair with her corpse. She was not someone important, and she never did anything of note other than die young of tuberculosis. He had also used flowers and other scents to keep out the odor. Perez, B. After Hoyos sister showed up at Tanzlers home in 1940, the jig was up. Maria Elena "Helen" Milagro de Hoyos married Luis Roberto "Louis" Mesa. They called him an eccentric romantic and felt sorry for his psychological disorder. But thats easier said than done, right? Being a radiology technician, he of course had to go full mad scientist and attempt to go high into the stratosphere, so that radiation from outer space could penetrate Elenas tissues and restore life to her somnolent form. Is necrophilia legal in outer space? 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. He inserted glass eyes into her orbitals, and replaced her rotting skin with silk cloth coated by plaster of paris and wax. 22nd April 1930 would turn out to be a very fateful day. 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. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. She was only 22. 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. Now that she was dead, she could not protest. Learn more about managing a memorial . Tanzler immediately recognized Hoyos as the woman from his dream. How could she possibly have a life-threatening disease? 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. Bizzarrepedia [1], Though not reported contemporaneously, research (most notably by authors Harrison and Swicegood) has revealed evidence of Tanzler's necrophilia with Elena's corpse. [1], Tanzler attached the corpse's bones together with piano wire and fitted the face with glass eyes. 2022 Ghost City, Ghost City Tours. The Second Autopsy of Elena Hoyos Carl's madness was discovered. He then placed Elena Hoyos on his canopied bed, serenading her with a small, church organ. Elena, having been referred to the Marine Hospital for tests, was overseen by one radiologist, Carl Tanzler (1877 1952). To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. 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. He was charged with wantonly and maliciously destroying a grave and removing a body without authorization.. He made house calls to Marias home, stealing the hospitals x-ray machine to monitor her progress. There, she found what she believed to be a life-sized effigy of her departed sister. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Elena Hoyos (23114033)? She was still so young. So what does he do? 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. 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. The mausoleum Carl had Elena laid to rest in. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. She went over to his home to confront him, and found out his terrible secret. Wild ass Carl, Elena before her passing, Elena's body w/ death mask, Carl replaces Elenas eyes, Elena's body 2. Which theory do you think best explains the Iraq War? Learn how your comment data is processed. Life is dormant, inactive, sleeping, in a person who has died. HBO, 1999. Her body was finally laid to rest once and for all in an unmarked grave in Key West Cemetery. Try again later. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, Did the Wolves Ever Leave the Hen House? He paused in Australia to collect equipment and suitable boats, and to become acquainted with prevailing weather and sea conditions. 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. 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. To some, it is the ultimate romance, and to others, it is a grotesque tale of violation. Elenas family had instructed Tanzler to stay away following these marriage proposals and also because of their dislike of the unorthodox devil machines used by him in his treatments of Elena. The case was now the center of a media circus, and 6,800 spectators came to gawk at the macabre spectacle, paying $1 each for the privilege. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. German-born American radiology technologist and erotomaniac. Tragically, de Hoyos died on October 25, 1931, at the age of 22. (1996). Undying Love: The True Story of a Passion That Defied Death. On April 22, 1930, while working at the Marine Hospital in Key West, Tanzler met Maria Elena Milagro "Helen" de Hoyos (1909-1931), a local Cuban-American woman who had been brought to the hospital for an examination by her mother. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 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). After this, Maria was finally laid to rest at Key West Cemetery in an unmarked grave, to deter Carl from disturbing her eternal rest. 6, no. NightMerica. [12][13] An article written by Michelfelder in 1982 tells of how renovation workers found a note allegedly written by Tanzler, confessing to have killed Elena by poisoning her:[13]. Lets hope that theyre mistaken and that Elena Hoyos has finally found peace in her second grave. All of the sources that make claims about this are modern. Su padre, Francisco Pancho Hoyos, haba amasado una fortuna. Carl Tanzler Fell In Love With His Patient, Then Lived With Her Corpse. 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