The Doctor Who Kept A Dead Girl

One of the most bizarre, true and tragic love stories is that of Carl Tänzler (also known as Count Carl von Cosel), a German immigrant whose tale of love and madness continues to horrify.

Photo of Carl and Elena's life-size doll wearing her mask

A Glimpse into the Past

Carl Tänzler was born in Germany and spent much of his early life experiencing what he believed to be the supernatural. As a child, he was regularly visited by the ghost of a deceased relative, who would show him visions of a dark-haired woman. Carl was convinced that this apparition was his one true love.

Carl grew up, became a doctor, married, and had two children. Seeking new opportunities, he immigrated to America, where he worked as a radiologist. Yet, despite his successful career and family life, Carl never forgot the mysterious woman from his dreams.

An Obsession Ignited

By the time Carl was 53, He had left his family and was now living in Key West. That's when Elena, a strikingly beautiful local woman with dark hair, entered Carl's life. At just 20 years old, Elena was diagnosed with tuberculosis, a condition that, at the time, was considered a death sentence.

Carl became obsessed with curing Elena. He dedicated himself to her treatment, even bringing X-ray equipment to her home to provide personalized care (I'm not sure how that works, but he was trying). His infatuation led him to shower her with gifts, including jewelry and clothing while professing his love for her daily. This obsession continued despite Carl's ongoing marriage and the significant age difference between him and Elena.

A Heartbreaking End

Tragically, Elena succumbed to her illness after 18 months. No records indicate that Elena ever reciprocated Carl's feelings, but for him, her death marked the beginning of an even darker chapter.

In his grief, Carl went to great lengths to preserve Elena's body. With permission from her family, he paid for her funeral and constructed an elaborate above-ground mausoleum in Key West Cemetery. He insisted on an airtight casket filled with formaldehyde to prevent decay. Carl visited the mausoleum nightly, claiming Elena's spirit would sing to him.

The Dark Descent

Two years after Elena's death, Carl's obsession reached its peak. He sneaked into the cemetery, removed Elena's body from her mausoleum, and wheeled her home in a toy wagon. Over the next seven years, Carl engaged in a macabre project to preserve Elena's remains. He used piano wire to hold her together, fitted her face with glass eyes, replaced her decomposing skin with wax-soaked silk cloth, and employed perfumes and preserving agents to mask the smell.

During this time, Carl's odd behavior attracted attention. Neighbors noticed his frequent purchases of women's clothing and perfume, and a boy reported seeing Carl dancing with what appeared to be a large doll.

The Shocking Revelation

Elena's sister eventually grows suspicious and visits Carl's home. He openly showed her Elena's body, or what remained of it, in his bedroom. The authorities were alerted, and Carl was arrested for "wantonly and maliciously destroying a grave and removing a body without authorization."

Psychologists deemed Carl sane, but the public was divided. His story captivated the media and the public, with 8,500 people attending a public viewing of Elena's body. Many saw Carl as a hopeless romantic driven mad by his love.

The Final Act of Defiance

Denied the chance to live with Elena's remains, Carl expressed his anger by bombing the site of her mausoleum to demonstrate what "wantonly and maliciously destroying a grave" really looked like. He lived another 12 years before dying alone.

In his final diary entry, Carl wrote, "Human jealousy has robbed me of the body of my Elena, yet divine happiness is flowing through me for she has survived death. Forever and ever, she is with me." Three weeks after his death, Carl's body was found next to a homemade life-sized doll wearing Elena's death mask.