Count Carl Von Cosel's Freakish Love Affair

"A truly disturbing, yet freakishly romantic Frankenstein love story." - S.P.

Carl Tanzen a.k.a. Count Carl Von Cosel, as he wanted to be known, was a German-born radiographer working at the military hospital located in Key West, Fl. One day a beautiful young lady by the name of Elena Hoya came to the hospital in search of a cure for her tuberculosis, a disease that had previously taken the lives of most of her immediate family. Von Cosel, who became immediately obsessed with the young Elena, offered her hope. Desperate, Elena agreed to become his patient. She could not know that this seemingly educated man was an imposter and had no real medical training. The treatment was unsuccessful and she succumbed to the disease on October 25, 1931.

With a relative’s permission, Von Cosel commissioned a burial tomb where he visited her religiously. On one particular night, almost two years after her death, Von Cosel is convinced that Elena’s ghost came to him singing an eerie song asking him to marry her and take her body home with him.

Employing a little toy wagon, Von Cosel hauled her coffin to his home where he laid her remains in his bed. In an attempt to stop her decay and make her beautiful once again, he surgically removed the peeling skin and covered what remained with a layer of cloth strips dipped in wax. He filled her chest with rags giving the lifeless body a renewed feminine figure and to prevent the cavity from caving in. He then added glass eyes, makeup, and fashioned her hairpiece made of locks of her real hair.

Von Cosel claims that he and Elena had conversations together and that she interacted with him every night. It is also possible that he had sexual relations with the body, but that has never been proven. This charade went on until 1940.

After hearing rumors about Von Cosel’s bizarre lifestyle, Elena’s sister grew suspicious that Von Kossel had stolen Elena’s body. She demanded Von Kossel to take her to her sister. He led her to his home where, to her horror, she gazed upon Von Kossel’s morbid creation.

Local authorities confiscated the wax and plaster creature, while Von Cosel was taken into custody. The court, having never dealt with such an extraordinary case, did not know what to do with him. It was decided that the only crime that was committed was the defacing a tomb and the unauthorized removal of a corpse. But so much time had passed that the statue of limitations demanded he be set free.

Curiously, most of the local’s reaction upon hearing of the bizarre saga was that of sympathy. Popular thought was that Von Cosel’s dedication to Elena Hoyos was romantic rather than comparing his actions to that of a mad man.

Before the nightmarish figure was reburied she was reexamined and then placed on public display with over 6,800 spectators (including children) flocking to see her. She was then returned to the cemetery in which she had originally been laid to rest, only this time in an unmarked grave to prevent further tampering. This “cruel” secret was Von Cosel’s only real punishment.

He soon left the island, but not before he blew up the solemn tomb he once commissioned. (Or so they say… no one has ever officially been held accountable.) Perhaps it was his way to say to the court…you want her tomb defaced…I’ll show you defaced.

In any case, Von Cosel relocated to Pasco County, Florida where he remained until his death in 1952. Some say he was found lying on the floor clutching a home-made death mask of his beloved Elena.

Side notes: One eyewitness tearfully remembers what he saw on display long ago as a school age child. It was horrible. The waxy skin was more of a gray color and did not resemble skin at all. He and his adult sister still have nightmares to this day.

The location of Elena Hoya’s final resting place is known only by the grandsons her grave diggers. According to them, Elena remains undisturbed.