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One of Florida’s strangest love stories didn’t happen in a novel — it happened in Key West.
In this episode, Joe travels to the southernmost city in the continental U.S. to unravel the eerie, unsettling, and infamous tale of Carl Tanzler and Elena “Helen” Hoyos — a story that has fascinated and disturbed Floridians for nearly a century.
It’s a tale of obsession, delusion, and the lengths one man went to in the name of “love”… even long after death.
Part Florida history, part gothic tragedy, part true crime, this is one of the Sunshine State’s most bizarre chapters — and it’s one you won’t forget.
📌 In This Episode:
• The real history behind Carl Tanzler
• How a radiology technician became consumed by a vision
• Elena Hoyos, her life, and her tragic early death
• The break-in that shocked Key West
• The aftermath, the trial, and the lingering questions
This is Florida at its strangest — beautifully atmospheric, deeply human, and undeniably unsettling.
🎧 Love the show?
Follow, rate, and review — it helps new listeners discover Floweirda.
🌴 Links & Extras:
Show notes, photos, and bonus content → floweirdapod.com
Instagram → @floweirdapod
🖊️ Written, researched, and produced by Joe Turino
🎵 Original music by Modern Mimes — modernmimes.com
By Joe TurinoOne of Florida’s strangest love stories didn’t happen in a novel — it happened in Key West.
In this episode, Joe travels to the southernmost city in the continental U.S. to unravel the eerie, unsettling, and infamous tale of Carl Tanzler and Elena “Helen” Hoyos — a story that has fascinated and disturbed Floridians for nearly a century.
It’s a tale of obsession, delusion, and the lengths one man went to in the name of “love”… even long after death.
Part Florida history, part gothic tragedy, part true crime, this is one of the Sunshine State’s most bizarre chapters — and it’s one you won’t forget.
📌 In This Episode:
• The real history behind Carl Tanzler
• How a radiology technician became consumed by a vision
• Elena Hoyos, her life, and her tragic early death
• The break-in that shocked Key West
• The aftermath, the trial, and the lingering questions
This is Florida at its strangest — beautifully atmospheric, deeply human, and undeniably unsettling.
🎧 Love the show?
Follow, rate, and review — it helps new listeners discover Floweirda.
🌴 Links & Extras:
Show notes, photos, and bonus content → floweirdapod.com
Instagram → @floweirdapod
🖊️ Written, researched, and produced by Joe Turino
🎵 Original music by Modern Mimes — modernmimes.com