Man Lived with Lover’s Corpse

Carl Tanzler, a radiology technician in Key West, developed an obsessive attachment to Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos, a tuberculosis patient. After her death in 1931, Tanzler exhumed her body, preserved it with embalming techniques, and lived with the corpse for seven years. He stuffed the decaying body with cotton wool to maintain its form. Authorities questioned Tanzler about his relationship with the corpse after discovering her remains. Despite his denial of any inappropriate behavior, the cotton wool in the pelvic area revealed unsettling evidence.

Previous Fact Next Fact