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Obsessed Doctor Slept Beside Patient’s Corpse for 7 Years in One of History’s Most Disturbing Love Stories

August 6, 2025 11:18 AM
Doctor

Obsessed Doctor Slept Beside Patient’s Corpse for 7 Years in One of History’s Most Disturbing Love Stories

In a story that defies belief, a doctor’s obsession with his deceased patient led him to live with her corpse for seven years, turning a tale of unrequited love into one of the most macabre cases in American history.

The bizarre saga dates back to the early 1930s in Key West, Florida, where a 22-year-old woman named Elena de Hoyos was diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1931. She was admitted to Marine Hospital, where she met Carl Tanzler, a German-born radiology technician who introduced himself as Count Carl von Cosel.

A Love Born From a Dream

Tanzler claimed he had long envisioned a woman with dark hair and eyes in his dreams—his destined lover—and believed Elena matched that image perfectly. Despite her indifference, Tanzler fell obsessively in love with her.

In his desperation to save her, he attempted unorthodox treatments, including homemade tonics, electrical equipment, and false medical promises. Elena, however, never reciprocated his feelings and tragically died on October 25, 1931.

The Secret Tomb and Daily Visits

Tanzler paid for her funeral and constructed a private mausoleum in Key West Cemetery. Only he possessed the key and would visit her grave nightly, leaving gifts and even installing a telephone to “communicate with her spirit.” He later claimed that Elena’s spirit would speak to him, asking him to rescue her.

The Shocking Act of Exhumation

In 1933, two years after her death, Tanzler secretly removed Elena’s body from the mausoleum and brought it to his home. There, he preserved the corpse and treated it as his living partner for the next seven years.

Using coat hangers and wires, he reconstructed her skeleton. He recreated her face with wax and plaster, inserted glass eyes, and made a wig from her real hair. To mask the odor of decomposition, he used perfumes, chemicals, and antiseptics. Tanzler dressed the body, adorned it with jewelry, and kept it in his bed, continuing to live in a delusional version of their “relationship.”

Discovery and Legal Loophole

In 1940, Elena’s sister became suspicious and visited Tanzler’s home—where she discovered the decaying, yet well-dressed corpse of her sister. Tanzler was immediately arrested and charged with grave robbery and mutilation.

However, due to statute of limitations laws, the charges were eventually dropped. Shockingly, public opinion was largely sympathetic, viewing Tanzler as a tragic romantic. Newspapers dubbed him “The Tragic Lover,” and many praised his unwavering devotion.

A Public Exhibition and Final Burial

In a grim twist, Elena’s corpse was displayed publicly at a local funeral home, attracting over 6,000 onlookers. Afterward, she was buried in an unmarked grave to prevent further tampering.

Tanzler lived in isolation after the incident and died in 1952. According to reports, when he was found, he had with him a life-sized effigy resembling Elena, indicating his obsession persisted until death.

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