Carl Tanzler

Elena Milagro Hoyos

Preserved body of Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos

Carl Tanzler by the Associated Press on October 12, 1940

Elena Milagro Hoyos body

Carl Tanzler (February 8, 1877 – July 3, 1952), also known as Count Carl von Cosel, was a German-born radiology technician at the Marine Hospital Service in Key West, Florida. He is best remembered for his morbid obsession with a young Cuban-American tuberculosis patient, Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos, whom he attempted to revive and preserve after her death in 1931. Tanzler's actions, straddling the line between devotion and desecration, have been the subject of numerous articles, books, and documentaries, exploring themes of love, madness, and the macabre.

Early Life[edit | edit source]

Carl Tanzler was born in Dresden, Germany. Little is known about his early life, but he emigrated to the United States in 1926, settling in Zephyrhills, Florida, where he had family. He later moved to Key West and began working as a radiologic technologist at the Marine Hospital Service, now known as the U.S. Public Health Service.

Obsession with Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos[edit | edit source]

In 1930, Tanzler met Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos, a beautiful young woman of Cuban-American heritage, when she was brought to the hospital where he worked. Despite having no medical training, Tanzler became infatuated with Hoyos, claiming he had visions of a dark-haired beauty who was destined to be his bride. After Hoyos was diagnosed with tuberculosis, a deadly disease at the time, Tanzler attempted to treat and cure her with a variety of both conventional and unconventional methods. Despite his efforts, Hoyos died on October 25, 1931.

Post-Death Obsession[edit | edit source]

Unable to accept her death, Tanzler paid for Hoyos' funeral and with the permission of her family, constructed an elaborate mausoleum in the Key West Cemetery, where he visited her almost every night. In 1933, Tanzler removed Hoyos' body from the mausoleum, transporting it to his home. He used a variety of methods to preserve her, including replacing her eyes with glass eyes, reconstructing her face with silk cloth soaked in wax and plaster of Paris, and stuffing her abdominal cavity with rags to maintain the illusion of a lifelike figure. Tanzler lived with Hoyos' body for seven years until his actions were discovered by Hoyos' relatives in 1940.

Legal Proceedings and Later Life[edit | edit source]

Following the discovery, Tanzler was arrested and detained. However, he was eventually released as the statute of limitations for the crime had expired. The case was highly publicized, and public opinion was divided, with some viewing Tanzler as a hopeless romantic, while others saw him as a despicable necrophile. After the trial, Hoyos' body was reburied in an unmarked grave in the Key West Cemetery to prevent further tampering. Tanzler moved to Pasco County, Florida, where he wrote an autobiography and continued to claim his love for Hoyos until his death in 1952.

Legacy[edit | edit source]

Carl Tanzler's story has become a part of Key West folklore, illustrating an extreme example of unrequited love and obsession. It raises questions about mental health, consent, and the boundaries of love and obsession. His life has inspired numerous works of fiction and non-fiction, exploring the darker aspects of human affection and the lengths to which one might go to preserve it.