FROM THE VAULT: A H2H REWIND. Dolly Oesterreich: The Lover in the Attic.

Love, Lies, and a Man in the Walls

At first glance, Walburga Oesterreich seemed like any other 1920s housewife. She was elegant, sociable, and always impeccably dressed. Her husband, Fred Oesterreich, a wealthy apron manufacturer in Los Angeles, gave her everything—except affection. But Dolly had a secret. And that secret was living in her attic.

This isn’t just a tale of infidelity. It’s a story so bizarre, so deeply twisted, it sounds like something out of Hitchcock’s darkest dreams.

A Passion Begins

Dolly was born Walburga Korschel in Germany and immigrated to the U.S. as a child. By her early twenties, she was married to Fred Oesterreich, a successful, hard-drinking businessman who ran a Milwaukee textile factory. Though financially comfortable, the marriage was emotionally bankrupt. Fred was often cruel, moody, and indifferent.

Sometime around 1913, Dolly, in her early 30s, met Otto Sanhuber—a 17-year-old sewing machine repairman. What started as flirtation turned into a full-blown affair. But this wasn’t your typical tryst in a hotel or apartment. No, Dolly had a different plan.

Otto Moves In… to the Attic

To avoid suspicion, Dolly suggested something unthinkable: Otto should quit his job, sever ties with the outside world, and move into the attic of the Oesterreichs’ home.

And he agreed.

For over ten years, Otto lived like a ghost in the attic—silent, obedient, and utterly dependent on Dolly. He wrote pulp fiction stories by candlelight and read books she brought him. In return, he was her lover, her companion… and eventually, her accomplice.

Murder in Los Angeles

By 1918, the couple relocated to Los Angeles. Dolly, ever the manipulator, ensured their new home had an attic suitable for Otto’s continued isolation.

Then, on August 22, 1922, everything unraveled.

Fred and Dolly got into one of their legendary arguments. This time, Otto—overhearing the fight from above—burst out of the attic with Fred’s own .25 caliber pistol. In the struggle that followed, Fred was shot three times and died.

To cover up the crime, Dolly staged a robbery. Otto returned to his attic crypt, and Dolly locked herself in a closet, tossing the key outside to make it seem like a break-in.

It almost worked.

The Walls Close In

At first, police suspected a robbery gone wrong. But inconsistencies in Dolly’s story raised eyebrows. And over the next few years, gossip swirled.

In a twist worthy of a noir film, Dolly’s second lover—her lawyer, Herman Shapiro—uncovered the bizarre truth. Dolly had given him a watch she claimed was lost in the “robbery” and later asked him to deliver food to a man in her attic. Curious, Herman confronted Otto, who spilled everything.

In 1930, both Otto and Dolly were arrested.

Trial and Aftermath

Otto’s trial was a media circus. The public dubbed him “The Bat Man,” a reclusive creature living in the rafters of a murder house. He claimed he acted out of love, and the jury believed he’d been under Dolly’s spell. The statute of limitations had run out on his crimes. He walked free.

Dolly was tried separately for conspiracy to commit murder, but the jury deadlocked. She, too, was eventually released and lived out her days quietly. Otto faded into obscurity. Some reports say he changed his name, married, and moved to Canada.

Final Thoughts

The story of Walburga Oesterreich is not just true crime—it’s gothic horror. It's about control, obsession, isolation, and the twisted power dynamics that can unfold behind closed doors… or above the ceiling beams.

It’s also a chilling reminder: sometimes, the skeletons in the closet aren’t just metaphors. Sometimes, they’re flesh and blood, lurking right above you.

Want more tales of twisted love and hidden lives?Follow Hitched 2 Homicide for weekly deep dives into the darkest corners of true crime—with a Southern twist, of course.

Sources used for this podcast:

1.     Rose, C. (2021, October 25). 12 true crime cases with unexpected plot twists. Ranker. https://www.ranker.com/list/bizarre-true-crime-twists/chrissy-rose(Ranker)

2.     Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Walburga Oesterreich. Wikipedia. Retrieved May 8, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walburga_Oesterreich(Goodreads)

3.     Lardinois, A. (2021, April 13). The legend of Milwaukee’s most infamous love triangle. Milwaukee Magazine. https://www.milwaukeemag.com/the-legend-of-milwaukees-most-infamous-love-triangle/(Milwaukee Magazine)

4.     Franco, S. (2022, November 14). Dolly Oesterreich and the story of Milwaukee's strangest love triangle. The Vintage News. https://www.thevintagenews.com/2022/11/14/dolly-oesterreich/(thevintagenews)

5.     Murderpedia contributors. (n.d.). Walburga Oesterreich. Murderpedia. Retrieved May 8, 2025, from http://murderpedia.org/female.O/o/oesterreich-walburga.htm(Amazon)

6.     Nugent, A. (2016, June 7). The married woman who kept her lover in the attic. Atlas Obscura. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-married-woman-who-kept-her-lover-in-the-attic(Atlas Obscura)

7.     Rasmussen, C. (1999, September 5). Colorful tycoon lived up to his nickname. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-sep-05-me-7136-story.html(Los Angeles Times)

8.     Los Angeles Times. (1930, April 9). [Article title not specified]. Los Angeles Times. [Archive access may require subscription or library access.]

9.     Los Angeles Evening Express. (1930, April 17). [Article title not specified]. Los Angeles Evening Express. [Available via Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/sn95061002/](The Library of Congress)

10.  The Pasadena Post. (1930, June 18). [Article title not specified]. The Pasadena Post. [Available via Newspapers.com: https://www.newspapers.com/paper/the-pasadena-post/22474/](Newspapers)

11.  Vincent, A. (1991). Fatal passions: A chilling collection of true cases where love turned lethal. Time Warner Books UK.(Amazon)

Television Episodes:

1.     Morgan, P. (Writer), & Apted, M. (Director). (2016). Pride and joy (Season 1, Episode 8) [TV series episode]. In P. Morgan (Creator), The Crown. Left Bank Pictures; Sony Pictures Television. Netflix.

2.     Jean, A. (Executive Producer). (2014, December 7). I won’t be home for Christmas (Season 26, Episode 9) [TV series episode]. In J. L. Brooks, M. Groening, & S. Simon (Executive Producers), The Simpsons. Gracie Films; 20th Television. Fox.

3.     Goldberg, A. (Writer & Creator). (2017). Hogan is my grandfather (Season 5, Episode 2) [TV series episode]. In A. Goldberg (Creator), The Goldbergs. Adam F. Goldberg Productions; Sony Pictures Television. ABC.

4.     Falchuk, B., Murphy, R., & Minear, L. (Writers), & Gibson, J. (Director). (2016). The race card (Season 1, Episode 5) [TV series episode]. In R. Murphy (Executive Producer), The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story. FX Productions. FX.

5.     Levy, D., & Levy, E. (Creators). (2015). Bad parents (Season 1, Episode 4) [TV series episode]. In D. Levy & E. Levy (Creators), Schitt’s Creek. Not a Real Company Productions; CBC. Netflix.

Films:

6.     Brooks, M. (Director). (1974). Young Frankenstein [Film]. 20th Century Fox.

7.     Poitier, S. (Director). (1980). Stir Crazy [Film]. Columbia Pictures.

8.     Reitman, I. (Director). (1980). Stripes [Film]. Columbia Pictures.

9.     Reitman, I. (Director). (1984). Ghostbusters [Film]. Columbia Pictures.

10.  Landis, J. (Director). (1978). Animal House [Film]. Universal Pictures.

11.  Brooks, M. (Director). (1974). Blazing Saddles [Film]. Warner Bros.

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All information contained in this audio podcast or video presentation is provided for entertainment purposes only. The authors leave any and all conclusions to individual members of the audience. The author offers no statements of fact beyond those available through diligent private research or through information freely available in the public record. To the extent that pending or settled criminal matters or crime or possible crimes, are discussed in this audio podcast or video presentation. All parties or defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. To the extent that any pending or settled civil matters are discussed in this video presentation, all parties or defendants are presumed not liable unless proven liable in a court of law. Copyright for material incorporated and presented under Fair Use is retained by the original author or copyright holder where applicable. Our cases are researched using open source and archive materials, and the subjects are real crimes and people. We strive to produce each episode with respect to the victims, their families and loved ones. At Hitched 2 Homicide we are committed to always discussing how victims lived, and not just how they died. All podcast information is gleaned from sources given. All opinions in the podcast are solely of Hitched 2 Homicide and are for entertainment purposes only.

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