Her Boyfriend Lived Secretly in Her Attic for Almost a Decade — Then He Murdered Her Husband

Every day you hear stories of infidelity. Men and women are caught cheating all the time. It’s no longer surprising in this day and age. It’s more surprising for someone to have an affair that isn’t found out about. This woman’s story gives an entirely different spin on having a secret lover. If this isn’t a Lifetime movie, it should be.

Jolly Dolly

Walburga Korschel, later nicknamed “Dolly” was born to German immigrant parents in 1880. It’s unclear if she was born in Germany or in the U.S. shortly after her parents arrived. Nonetheless, she grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and at only age 12, began working in a textile mill.

This mill was owned by Fred William Oesterreich, a fellow German immigrant who had found success in the U.S. He used his good fortune to better the lives of other immigrants by hiring them in his factories.

The beautiful Dolly was charismatic and had many friends. She was only 17 years old when she caught Fred’s eye, and they were married. Dolly became a housewife but was still active in her husband’s affairs at the factory, often acting as an intermediary between workers and her husband during labor disputes.

Dolly, Meet Otto

Rumors flew about the young, beautiful, Mrs. Oesterreich and her many lovers that she took while Fred was working at the mill. However, in 1913, when she was 33, Dolly met 17-year-old Otto Sanhuber, who worked in the factory as a sewing machine repairman. She invited Otto to her home to “repair her sewing machine”. She met him at the door wearing only a robe and stockings.

This began a very intense affair between the two. To prevent rumors among her neighbors, she explained that Otto was simply her “vagabond half-brother”. Eventually, this ruse proved useless, and she decided that Otto should just move into the couple’s attic, without her husband knowing of course.

The attic was only accessible through a panel in the ceiling of the closet located in the bedroom that Dolly and her husband shared. Otto was given a cot, food, reading and writing materials, and a lamp. During the day, while Fred was at work, he would do chores around the house and of course be Dolly’s “sex slave”. According to Otto, they typically had sex about eight times a day.

At night, Otto would climb into the attic where he would remain silent. He would keep busy by reading and writing science fiction stories, which Dolly would mail to potential publishers. Fred still had no idea that his wife’s lover was only a ceiling away.

A Cross-Country Affair

In 1918, the Oesterreichs prepared to move to Los Angeles. Dolly agreed, but under the condition that she could choose their new home. She picked out a home with an attic, which was pretty uncommon for the area at that time. Why? Because of course, her secret lover would have to move as well!

Otto traveled to Los Angeles and moved into the attic before the Oesterreich’s arrived. Here, the affair continued as it had in Wisconsin.

The Jig is Up!

As of 1922, Dolly and Otto had been together in secret for almost ten years. On August 22, 1922, Dolly and Fred had an argument. A very loud argument. The argument was so loud that it caused Otto, fearing for Dolly’s safety, to emerge from the attic. On his way to Dolly’s rescue, he grabbed two .25 caliber pistols from the bedroom nightstand.

When he approached Fred, Otto was recognized as having worked at the factory in Wisconsin. Fred was furious and they began fighting. In the struggle, Otto shot Fred three times. Fred was dead and Dolly’s secret boyfriend was the killer. In an attempt to cover up the truth of what had occurred, the two tried to stage the scene to look like a robbery gone bad.

Dolly gave Otto all of the cash and Fred’s diamond watch. Otto then placed Dolly inside a closet, locking it from the outside, and then took the “loot” with him to the attic. Neighbors who heard the gunshots called the police, who responded to find Dolly locked in the closet. She explained the course of events that she wanted the police to believe, but the police were still suspicious of her involvement.

It All Comes Out in the Wash

While the investigation into her husband’s murder took place, Dolly found a new flame, her attorney, Herman Shapiro. Shapiro became suspicious of Dolly when she gave him the diamond watch that she claimed had been stolen by the murderers who killed Fred. Dolly stated that the suspects must have dropped it as they fled, as she found it in the front yard.

Later, Roy Klumb, another of Dolly’s lovers, found out about her relationship with Shapiro. It was then that he went to the police and ratted out Dolly. He stated that after the murder of her husband, she had given him a gun to dispose of in the La Brea Tar Pits, which he did.

When the news broke, a neighbor also came forward, claiming that Dolly had also given him a gun to get rid of. She told him that it too closely resembled the gun that was used to murder her husband and she “didn’t want to get in trouble.” He buried the gun in his yard, underneath a rose bush.

Both guns were located by police and both were determined to be the same caliber that killed Fred Oesterreich. Dolly was arrested on charges of murder.

An Ending Worthy of a Movie

While Dolly was in jail, she asked Shapiro to check on and take groceries to her “half-brother” that was staying in the attic of her home. Shapiro did as she asked, but after a while of speaking to Otto, his true relationship with Dolly was revealed.

Shapiro told Otto to leave the residence, which he did, moving to Canada. When Dolly was released on bail, Shapiro moved in with her. They were together for seven years before their relationship ended on bad terms in 1930. Upon moving out, Shapiro went to the police and filled them in on his suspicions in regards to Fred Oesterreich’s murder.

A warrant was issued for Dolly’s arrest for conspiracy, and Otto was wanted for murder. Otto had just recently returned to Los Angeles and was arrested.

Otto was convicted of manslaughter but was later released because the statute of limitations had expired. This didn’t prevent the media from dubbing him “The Bat-Man” because of his cramped quarters.

Dolly’s trial ended in a hung jury in 1936, mainly because of the corroded state of the guns. The charges against her were ultimately dropped.

After the trial, Dolly found a new lover that she remained with for the next thirty years. They were finally married in 1961. Dolly died less than two weeks later at the age of 80.

***Story originally published on Medium.com by the author***