However, no other evidence had ever come to the fore, apart from these threats, suggesting that Tanzler may have committed murder. The name aconite itself is derived from the Ancient Greek word akontion, meaning dart, as arrows were often mixed with aconite to create a poisonous weapon. Back to Carl: despite being in his 50s and resembling Sigmund Freud, he did not inhibit himself from making strong advances towards young Maria. Victorians described consumption as an illness that heightened the elegance and refinement of its victim, and that it was tragically beautiful to waste away with pallor and fragility. At the bottom of the tube there was cotton and in an examination of the cotton, I found there was sperm (HBO Autopsy 1999). He inserted glass eyes into her orbitals, and replaced her rotting skin with silk cloth coated by plaster of paris and wax. The young woman's mother brought her in to see a doctor: at 21, she was dying of tuberculosis. In 1931, Dr. Carl Tanzler fell in love with a patient he was treating for tuberculosis. 2, 2020, pp. Instead of a cure, she found a radiologist named Karl Tanzler who instantly became obsessed with her. He claimed she told him to take her away from the mausoleum. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Elena Hoyos (23114033)? Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. 1910 - d. October 25, 1931; Key West, Florida, USA) Contents 1 Parents 2 Siblings 3 Marriage 4 Death Parents Francisco Hoyos (1883-1934), aka Pancho Hoyos Aurora Milagro (1881-1940) Siblings He would personally transport her body by airplane, where Carl Von Cosel believed he could restore her life. Suffer no more sweet Elena. It seemed to be someone admitting to killing someone. Fans of Tanzler travelled to give him treats, public sympathy portrayed him as an eccentric romantic, an attorney offered to represent him pro bono and Elenas body was put on public display to be viewed by over 6,850 people at the Dean-Lopez Funeral Home (Tanzler von Cosel 1947, Michelfelder 1982, Harrison 1996, Sloan 2012, Meek 2017). Despite his best efforts, Hoyos succumbed to her illness in October 1931, leaving her family and newly-obsessed caretaker heartbroken. (LogOut/ Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos Mesa. 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]. Elena was dying of tuberculosis, but Tanzler felt that she was his destinydespite having already having a wife and children. Change). Oddly enough, the public found Carl to be a sympathetic figure; a tragic romantic who had lost his beloved to cruel fate. 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. That seems extremely dubious. On February 18, 1926, Elena married Luis Mesa (19081974), the son of Caridad and Isaac Mesa. I dont know, I didnt hear such criticism and snarky comments when Juan Peron did it. (b. In 1972, two doctors who were present at Maria's 1940 autopsy recalled how Carl had inserted a paper tube into the corpse's vaginal canal to facilitate intercourse. Hoyos, a local Cuban-American daughter of a cigar maker, had her own unique history. 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. Weller, T. The Lost Diaries of Elena Hoyos Vols. I mixed the root of wolfsbane (monkshood) with aconite diluted. Carl died alone in 1952, at the age of 75. Please enter your email and password to sign in. He died of an apparent suicide in his home in July of 1952 lying next to the death mask of his beloved. She repeatedly told him he was too old for her and additionally, she was not yet divorced from her husband (Perez 1952, Harrison 1996, Sloan 2012, 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. Suffer no more, sweet Elena. He loved her, but no evidence has surfaced to confirm that Hoyos reciprocated his love. She went over to his home to confront him, and found out his terrible secret. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. It turns out that Carl Von Cosel was married with children the entire time. Born in Key West in 1909, the daughter of a cigar maker and a homemaker, Hoyos was raised in a large family and was brought to the hospital by her mother after becoming ill. In October 1940, Hoyos sister, Florinda, heard conflicting rumors about Tanzlers budding romance with a mysterious woman. The strange death mask was put on public display as the story became legend. Elena was once again reduced to an object of spectacle, only this time she was a tourist attraction. Elena Hoyos died of tuberculosis at the age of twenty-two. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Her body belonged to him. In 1930, tuberculosis was an often fatal disease. Elena did not reciprocate Tanzlers feelings whatsoever. Because of his medical knowledge, Tanzler knew he could save Hoyos. Maria Elena Milagro De Hoyos Birth 31 Jul 1909. The German-born Tanzler moved to the United States in 1926 and began working at a Key West hospital. I mixed the root of wolfsbane (monkshood) with aconite diluted. 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. Von Cosel was sixty years of age,and decided that they were to have their May-December romance. He had become smitten with the frail, Hispanic beauty, and even alleged that he recognized her from a dream. Its two associated names, monkshood and wolfsbane, come from its appearance and its use by shepherds to kill wolves respectively. The Countess had an interesting story herself; being the mistress of 18th century King Augustus II of Poland. Hoyos body was finally buried in a new cemetery at Key West Cemetery. [1], Tanzler attached the corpse's bones together with piano wire and fitted the face with glass eyes. 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. These cookies do not store any personal information. The Key West Citizen, 15 Aug. 1952, p. 1 + 4, Perez, B. Normally you dont get any new information [about the story]. He lived with the doll in Pasco County, Florida until his death on July 3, 1952. However, he managed to keep Marias body in his home for seven years without being discovered. Word caught on that Carl Von Cosel was acting erratically, so Elenas sister decided to investigate. Historically, the Cosel family seemed to be haunted by bad luck. Fantastic Adventures, Sep. 1947, pp.10 69. The first of many details was revealed by Dr. Julio DePoo in 1972. How could she possibly have a life-threatening disease? Mrs. C.S. 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. 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. He died in 1934, but his nephew is finally requesting for his body to be exhumed. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. From Cuba he settled in Zephyrhills, Florida, where his sister had already emigrated, and was later joined by his wife and two daughters. Ironically, the man who prevented Maria from decomposing was himself rotting alone on the floor of his home for several weeks. Carl Von Cosel had preserved her corpse for seven years. Mason Holdings Radio Hour. Folk figure. 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 . Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Local townspeople in Key West noticed Tanzler was buying womens clothing and perfumes, but they thought he was in a serious relationship. 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. [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. Hoyos body was placed on display at a local funeral home, where nearly 7,000 people came to see the corrupted corpse for themselves. 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. Her mother was worried about her declining health, but neither of them probably thought Tanzler would take an interest in her. Now the big necrophilia question arises: did he or didnt he? p. 1 + 19. He restored her corpse, then kept her cadaver for seven years. Morticians found him beside his life-size replica of Maria Elena Hoyos, a mannequin reproduction that featured a mask of Elenas face. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. There is a problem with your email/password. Unfortunately for her, Tanzler immediately became besotted by her beauty. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. 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. Try again later. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Mesa left for Miami, leaving Elena alone as her illness worsened (Harrison 1996). But why? The Journal of Critical Care Medicine, vol. The disease would later claim the lives of almost everyone in Hoyos immediate family, including her sister, Florinda Nana Milagro Hoyos. Later he was removed to Trial Bay to a castle-like prison on the cliffs, and there the work in this narrative was accomplished. They called him an eccentric romantic and felt sorry for his psychological disorder. The former three, as he describes them, are quite applicable to Tanzler. Key West put her corpse on display. 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. 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. He showered her with luxurious treats, hoping that Elena would accept his hand in marriage. Key West, Monroe County, Florida, USA. Key West, Monroe County, Florida, USA. Tuesday, October 6, 2009 Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos Most people have never heard of her. [6], Around 1920, following his return to Germany, Tanzler married Doris Schfer (18891977). Learn about one of Key West's most haunted homes. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. Yet Carl Von Cosel was unable to resist peeking at Elena Hoyos. 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