Morbid - Episode 119: Dorian Corey: The Mummy In The Drag Queen's Closet

Episode Date: February 23, 2020

Featured heavily in 1990's documentary on the Harlem drag ball scene, Dorian Corey was a legendary queen and an iconic performer. However, a dead man, partially mummified with a bullet in his head was found in her closet after her death in 1990 and instantly made her name synonymous with something decidedly less glamorous. What happened to this man? How did he get there? We may never know. The New York Magazine Article about Dorian Corey by Jeanie Russell Kasindorf: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=OeQCAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA50&lpg=PA50&dq=drag+queen+and+the+mummy&source=bl&ots=9P9lNELRMV&sig=ExToyAJtmc1naRfg0uv2HqUzj5k&hl=en&ei=KRw-TczzLMeh8QP_j4DbCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result#v=onepage&q&f=false Check out our sponsors for this episode Vistaprint Vistaprint wants you to be able to “Own the now” in any situation, which is why our listeners will get free shipping on all business cards, any style, any quantity. Just go to vistaprint.com and enter promo code Morbid for free shipping on all business cards, any style any quantity. Limited time offer. Native For 20% off your first purchase go to nativedeodorant.com and use promocode morbid during checkout. Embark Right now, Embark has an exclusive offer you can’t get anywhere else! Go to Embarkvent.com now! And use Promocode morbid to save 15% off your dog dna test kit.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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That's ANGI, or download the app today. Hey, weirdos. I'm Elena. And I'm Ash. And this is super, super morbid. Morbido. It's just morbid. I Yeah, no more. Yeah, no more beat on the score. I don't know why I didn't mean to well, I think I'm just feeling it. I'm feeling frisky tonight.

It's the new hair. It is it is it's redder so it's more fiery. Yeah, I had to dye my hair and I have been dying at the same like Auburn color keeping it real keeping it one-hundred and then ash went and picked out a much friskyer color I'm waiting to and it's like a frescheer color. And I am way better. And it's like a dark red, and I'm not sure about it, but I like it a lot more than what I've like previously, different like deviations I've taken from my Auburn color. I think it looks really good

because I think it warms up your face. And you know what I trust you because you're smart in your hair stylist. Yeah, so. And also I gave you a blow dry last night, so have to. Okay. Ashtray me the best blow dry. Okay. Okay. And I was like, I don't even do my own fucking hair anymore. It's true though, that blow dry was great. I'm glad you liked it.

I feel like a movie star. You're welcome. The thing is so much. The funny thing is, it's gonna be really bad at blow drying hair. My boss used to make fun of me and used to literally use me as an example for his existence. I mean, Ashley used to suck. Look at me.

She's like, don't call me Ashley, I'll kill you. But you're so good now. Yay. You are. I love it. You know what else we're pretty good at together collectively? What are we good at? Live shows.

We sure are. I love live shows. I love live shows. It's 8-3-3-8. Normally, my password, actually I'm not gonna say this. It's just gonna know I am. I am. Normally, my password is fart.

And I think it's funny for my phone. I was gonna say not password for anything like in life. Just my phone. No, I'm gonna have to change it, yeah. In case I ever lose my phone, I guess. But for my eye up, a little bump. But a bump. For my iPad, it's not.

And she was just trying to open it. Anyways, we're gonna live shows. The next one is April 14th at the Punchline Comedy Club in Philadelphia. Be there, be square. I'm gonna eat five cheese sticks. I'm gonna go to the mother museum. Shout out to the person that messaged me on my Instagram and told me where not to get cheese sticks.

That's key. I was like, thank you. Not all heroes wear capes. No. Uh, then the next night we're gonna be in Washington, D.C. Yeah, we're gonna see all the monuments. The DC improv. Hell yeah. That's April 15th. May 6th we will be in Huntsville, Alabama at Stand-Up Live. Sure will. And the week before that I build, I want to say it's like the first, maybe it's the third,

I don't know, Google it, we'll be at CrimeCon con we sure will and I am so excited I think you can sell my tickets. I think you can buy them and if you want to use mobile mobile code mobile code if you want to use the mobile code the promo code more of a 2020 you can get some some situation I don't know it's cool use our code perfect Some happens when you use okay wait so May 7 7th we're gonna be at Zany's, which is a Nashville Tennessee. Did you know that Jackie Shimmel did a live show there? Wait, excuse me. I meant to text you,

but that I was in the shower and my hands were really wet, so I was like, don't text or yet. And then sometimes I fall if I text to the shower. If you need a podcast that is outside of True Crime, because sometimes I feel like we all sometimes need a break. I know like researching it constantly and stuff has caused me to need a lot more breaks from it. Just like some good, just fun podcast.

That's why I listen to like watch what happens in the sexy, unique podcast. The bitchbite. The newest one is the bitchbible with Jackie Shemmel. It's fucking hilarious. If you don't have a sense of humor, don't listen to it because you'll get very offended at various things. But if you have a great sense of humor, go listen to it and you will love it. It's incredible. She is amazing. I love her. I love her. I love her. I love her. I love her. I love her. I'm with a matcha latte every day, so I aspire to be her. She's amazing. I go listen like matcha. Go listen to it.

Okay, but anyways, so we're gonna be at Zaini's where fucking Jackie Shimmel the Queen was. Hell yeah, so listen to our podcast Jackie Shimmel. Um, May 7th we will be there early and then we'll be there late. We'll be there two times. We're gonna be all up in there. We're gonna be all up in you, Nashville. I'm gonna be glued to my seat at Zaini's. That's right. Taxidermini there. I'm gonna be glued to my seat at Xanies. That's right. Taxidermini there. Anyways, after that, June 12th, which is my birth weekend. So, weekend of birth.

Dang. Whoa. Who's me laughing? It's been a myition for me. We're gonna be June 12th at Talia Hall in Chicago. Oh, that place looks so badass. I think Annie's excited. Yay, Annie. She's also coming to Philly and DC. Oh, that place looks so badass. I think Annie's excited. I think Annie's excited.

Yay, Annie. Yeah, she's also coming to Philly and DC. Yay, Annie. Woo. And John will be coming to various ones. And just remember that like my birth weekend in Chicago. Just saying. June 12th.

My real birthday is June 8th. I was gonna say that's not your actual birthday, but. It's my birth weekend. That's your birth weekend, I'm sorry. And June is my birth month. So everybody that comes to a show in June, just remember how special June is. Wow, so there you go.

There you go. I'm humble. So now that we've discussed Ash's birth weekend in month and day, I think we should just dive right into this case because I'm real excited about it. Do you think I'm a narcissist? Yes, because you just brought it back to you. What I tried to bring it to the case.

I just want I had to ask that before. Do you see what I do with everybody? You see this? Well, I just have to ask anyways. So back to the case. We are doing the case of the mummy in the drag queen's closet. And no, not mummy as in like English. No No like an actual like Egyptian almost mommy not quite but like cool. Yeah. So this is a story surrounding Dorian Corey. If you guys have not seen the documentary Paris is burning by Jenny Livingston doing with your life go watch it because it'll just change everything about you. So do it. So both, so I was going to do two cases in this this episode that are both part of Paris's burning like revolver on people in Paris's burning, but I got so into the Dorian Cori case that I've decided we will cover the other one in a separate

episode because it'll be Paris's burning part two. Exactly. So the other case I was going to cover was the really sad and tragic murder of Venus' extravaganza. Oh. We will cover that in another one. But tonight is Doreen Corey's night. Also, if you don't watch Pose, which is, I think it's on FX, it's also on Netflix now. Paris's Burning, that's what they based Pose on. Yes.

Off of. Yes, I can do it. It's good that this is your case. It's happening today. I'm like, oh, oh, oh. So Paris is burning in case you don't know what it is. It's a documentary film from 1990. It was made by Jenny Livingston. The film explores the underground drag ball culture

from the time, which is still going on today. It's just like, you know, a lot of people don't know about this, but this film really dives deep into it. And it really displays the challenges that these people faced while trying to be, just be who they are. I was gonna say just, and just express their creativity. There's discussions of racism, homophobia,

transphobia, class discrimination. They talk about AIDS, the fear that surrounds the word AIDS and how AIDS was often used as a hurled as like an insult. Like as soon as they meet a queer person, they're like, you must have AIDS. It's like it's so... It's like, it's like, it's so terrible.

It's terrible. It's so terrible. They talk about sex work and how some queens at the time had no choice but to result to it to survive. And so they talk about the challenges for sure and it's eye opening, it's tragic at times, but it's also amazing and inspiring at times. So aside from the challenges and the hardships, the film also explores the fascinating side of drag queen, drag ball culture.

We get to see how voguing came into the lexicon, which is the most incredible thing I fascinating side of drag queen drag ball culture. We get to see how Voguein came into the lexicon, which is the most incredible thing I've ever seen. It's amazing to watch. Because it's not just like Voguein did not come from Madonna. No, and that's the thing that it's like a lot of people think Madonna, because I think it, and I could be wrong. I believe I read somewhere that she called herself

like the mother of Voguein. She's not. She's not. She's not. She saw a drag ball, and that's where she got the idea for the song Vogue and everything. But like her Vogue of just like framing her face is not what Vogue is. That's really nice.

She would have lost that part. Yeah, like Vogue is some serious shit. Like I was going to mention this at the end, but I know we talked about America's next top model and how we were watching old episodes. Incredible. I think we talked about it last week and the last week's episode. But if you guys ever watched that show and they had this posing expert on Benning Ninja,

he's from this drag queen ballroom vogue scene and I'll get into it later, but it's so all around us and so ingrained in everything, and we don't even know it. So yeah, so Madonna did not start the Vogueing thing. So you find out in this documentary, what reading is, how the term shade and realness were introduced into the mainstream culture. And it gave me an appreciation for the influence that ball culture has had on us all now.

Yeah, you don't even realize it. We all say, yeah, queen. And like, call people shady and say, like, realness and be like, oh my god, she just got red to filth. You know what I mean? Like, all that shit. This is all directly from these ball competitions. That's directly from them.

They made that shit up, they brought that shit into the lexical. And it lasted. And here's Dorian, I had to include this clip because it makes me laugh every time talking about shade and how in realness and all that, I'm so ready for this. Then reading became a developed form where it became shade. Shade is, I don't tell you ugly, but I don't have to tell you because you know you're ugly.

And that's shade. I love that. That is my favorite thing ever. Wait, that's like a mean girl's when she's like, I don't hate you because you're fat. You're fat because I hate you. I'm amazing. Amazing. Hey there, fellow podcast listener. It's Elena and Ash and we're taking you back to the days before streaming services. Whoa! You know when you would come home from high school and it was only a few hours until that TV show Everyone was watching was about to come on well in 1999 that show was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In our podcast with Wondery, the re-watcher Buffy the Vampire Slayer, we take it back to 1999.

So get out your knee high boots and paste that poster of Angel on the Wall. It's time to enter the Buffyverse. Some of you avid morbid listeners already know what we've gotten store. Join us. Join us as we sway our way through Buffy's drama, action, and romance. Episode by episode. Slacy. Follow the rewatcher, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and add free on the Amazon Music or Wondery app. Darn, un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un-un a quick 10-minute rundown every weekday on the motivations and behaviors of the criminal masterminds you read about in the news. I have decades of experience as a psychiatric nurse, FBI agent, and a criminal profiler.

On Killer Psychie Daily, I'll give you my expert perspective on cases like the mysterious New York City drugings, Breaking Down Lori Valow, a.k.a. Mommy Doom stays motives, and what drove Caitlin Armstrong to murder? I'll also bring on expert guests who add even more insight into these criminal minds. I promise you won't regret adding these 10 minutes to your morning routine. Hey, Prime members, listen to the Amazon Music exclusive podcast Killer Psychie Daily in the Amazon Music app. Download the app today. It's crazy. So the balls were initially kind of started around the 60s and they

were mainly just for queer people of color to have a place to express themselves and a community of safety and acceptance. And it still is today at this point. Vogue was created at these balls. We get to see in this film all the massive preparation that goes into a ball, like from the costumes, which most of them create themselves from scratch. The themes, the performance, the competition, and the different houses that came about as a result. So like we said, Benning Ninja is from the House of Ninja. So the houses, you know, House of Ninja, House of LaBeja, House of Extravaganza, House of Cory.

These houses were created in the vein of famous fashion houses like Chanel, Dior. They were created as a sanctuary for members of the drag community and these houses have house mothers, they have house fathers. They have lots of people like straight up live together. Oh yeah, they literally act like surrogate families. And for performers, they provide shelter, food, support. I mean, they have families. Yeah, they literally are like in the, and again,

we're not talking about Venus Extravaganza in this one, but I believe one of Venus Extravaganza's actual like siblings after her death was referred to her drag family and her actual family. Wow. And he said like her drag family. And that was the Extravaganzas were her drag family. drag family. And that was the extravaganza's where her drag family. So they really were. Now among the various characters that this documentary put into the spotlight is Drag Queen legend, Dorian Corey. Dorian Corey kind of like she like resides over the documentary as this like grand queen. She's like the mother. Yeah, she just the documentary. She provides this amazing commentary over it and she's seen for much of it in her own apartment. Slow in her apartment

it's just like you see feathers everywhere and just like glamour her. It's what I like when I when I live by myself. But it's also like this like dark kind of like you see the kind of apartment but it has all this like glamour shit everywhere. And she's seen for most of it in that apartment slowly getting ready and full drag. Like she starts out with no makeup on her hair. It's just in a little bun. She's wearing just like a regular little like silk robe. And then she sits at her makeup table with her makeup mirror all that, all backlit. And she puts on a full face. And it is, and it's just slowly happening in front of you.

It's like transformation. Yeah, and it's like throughout the whole documentary, she's just putting on this full face while like giving this amazing commentary. It's just awesome. Dorian was the house mother of her own house, house of Corey. She was on the Joan River show in 1991 after this came out after this pair of season.

And she explained the house culture as, quote, you lend money to your friends, not very much money, and give advice sometimes. If someone got evicted or whatever, you might take them in. So she actually was initially house mother to one Angie extravaganza who went on to form the house of extravaganza. Which on to form the House of Extravaganza, which is also the first episode of Post. Exactly. Shout out to Amy.

So, Dorian's birth name was Frederick Legg. She was born and grew up in Buffalo, New York in 1937. She grew up on a farm and began doing drag at a very early age in Buffalo. She ended up graduating from Parsons School of Design, which is where Project Runway used to be filmed in the good old days of Project Runway. Hey, oh. Now they have Carly Claus being the host. I don't know either. And Tim Gunn is even on there. I won't even get on to that. I don't understand why they got rid of Tim Gunn. It's awful.

Or I mean, I love Christian Seriano, but he's no Tim Gunn. Nobody's a Tim Gunn other than than Tim Gun. But I digress. She started out as a window dresser, which is actually where a lot of famous people and fashion started. Like, Georgio Armani actually started out of this window dresser. It's kind of like a good way to dip your toe in, I think.

It is, because it's design. Right. She was extremely talented in design, and she used these talents in her education from Parsons to become one of the most sought after costume designers and seamstresses. seamstresses? I did it. seamstresses. Lots of these.

I got it. seamstresses for the drag ball scene in New York City. So throughout the 1960s, she actually toured with a drag cabaret group called the Pearl Box Review. Yes. Amazing. She often performed with a giant live boa constrictor, a strictor, a la Brittany. Why wouldn't you?

Way before Brittany. See how everybody's just for a circle. The group toured a ton of venues along the East Coast. They even had an LP called Call Me Mr. from 1972, and it was like four of them, and she was a part of it. She became a fixture at the drag balls in New York City in the 70s 80s and 90s. She won over 50 grand prizes at the balls. She mentored younger participants and also created costumes for them.

In the 80s, Dorian was a mainstay as the performer at Sally's Hideaway in New York City, which was a prominent venue for drag performers. She also moved over to Sally's too, which the original burnt down, the original Sally's Hideaway. So they moved to another place and just called it Sally's too. That's cool. She was beloved.

I mean, beloved. I mean, super, nobody had really a nasty thing to say about her. All they would say was like, she was gentle, she was kind, she would like, do anything for anyone, but you did not fuck with her. That's the only thing that feels sad. They were like, she would never come at you unless you came at her.

Unless you provoked her. And it was like, but when she, do not fuck with her, I would say, I love that. I love that. That's my favorite quality. That's all I want. Like, be a good person, but like, don't be fucked with. No love that. That's my favorite quality. That's all I want. Like, be a good person, but like, don't be fucked with. No. That's that's all you need to be. Don't let people

fuck with you. Now, drag queens of all ages and backgrounds said they could count on Dorian as a mentor, as a shoulder to cry on if needed. She would give out advice, clothing. She would take people in and under her wing, she was also fucking riot. Like, just watch her in Paris' burning and you will fall in love. And like, very like, like, like, understated. Oh yeah, like, she's witty and sarcastic, but wicked dry. And it out like, five of the likes that I have to say. Like, like, like, like, um, but watching her in that documentary makes you want her to be in your life.

Yes. Like in RIP because she's gone. But when you watch it, you're just like, damn it. I want to hang out with you. Right. Like I just want Dorian Corey to be sitting there just like commentating on shit. So she was a fierce competitor though. Like I said, you did not fuck with her.

On the ballroom circuit, she was a force to be reckoned with. One of her costumes had a huge feather cape that she created herself, and it turned into a tent that covered the entire audience. Stop. Like no shit. Can you imagine? Covered the entire audience. How do you even make that?

How do you even learn to make that? She's a fucking bad outspan. How do you get that many feathers? Hmm, she's supremely talented when it came to costumes. That's so cool. She lived in Harlem on West 140th Street and at the time it was a really bad neighborhood. Like real bad. Legit gun fights broke out during the filming of Paris's Burning. While it happened, Jenny Livingston said that all of a sudden she heard gunshots outside the window and Dorian was super casual, just said gunfight at OK Corral,

and then just moved on. Like just whatever. She's like, so that's really good. Her last performance was May 8th, 1993 at Sally's for their Grammy night, where she got entertainer of the year. Love it. She died at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in Manhattan, August 23rd, 1993.

From complications due to the AIDS virus, she was only 56 years old. That's pretty young. I know, that's really sad. That is sad. After her death, all of these costumes and belongings and treasures were left in her apartment. Her fellow drag performer, Lois Taylor, was kind of like her caretaker. performer, Lois Taylor, was kind of like her caretaker. Like she cared for Dorian during her final days. She was in charge of her estate. Lois is the one who found the shocking item in her apartment after her death that we are going to discuss. She had instructed her

closest friends and especially Lois, she said, take what costumes you want and then sell the rest or give the rest away. I imagine she just wanted her hard work to be used, you know, like she didn't want it just to be garbage. Right. So Lois told New York Magazine that they went into the apartment with customers. Lois said, quote, my God, with customers. Yes.

So Lois said, quote, child, it's what Dorian told me to do. Take the costumes I wanted and sell the rest. So I had customers. They were going to a Halloween show. When asked if it was a drag ball that they were going to, Lois said no, no, no, it was straight people. They wanted Dorian's capes. She was one hell of a seamstress, honey.

One time she wore a gold cape that covered the whole ballroom for. Amazing. So Lois brings these people up there. And it's just two like straight dudes. honey. One time she wore a gold cape that covered the whole ballroom for. Amazing. So Lois brings these people up there and it's just too like straight dudes. I'm pretty sure they're just like one of capes. And they enter the small walk-in closet that housed most of Dorian's amazing costumes. And in this room there was a green plaid garment bag that like a hanging garment bag. Yeah. It was big, it was bulky, and it was on the floor, folded over. Uh-huh. Did no one notice?

No one was like, what's that crazy garment bag? It was just a random garment bag. Sure. Lois said it weighed a ton. And they'd look through a ton of stuff. They couldn't really find what they were looking at for. So they went to this and were like, what's in this? Weight a ton.

So she was like, this is probably something really awesome because she loved doing like beating and shit. And she was like, this is probably something crazy beaded. And that's why it's heavy. Right. This didn't strike them as super crazy because I was listening to the red handed podcast about this, which red handed is a great podcast. Go listen to that. Have a listen to that. They're great. They point out in their coverage of this case that one of Dorian's gowns for one of the balls was a Marie Antoinette gown. She got a full huge gown and it had a guillotine attached to it. She got off like, so she did just, so maybe that's what that was. Yeah, she did not just wear a gown. She created a look like she's to go with it. Went for it. So she told one of the customers, so Lois was like, you open it, go look in it.

So she gave the customer some scissors that were there and she was like, just cut it open because it was so heavy that they couldn't even get to the zipper underneath. Right. So they did, and as soon as they cut into it, the unmistakable stench of human decomph filled the room. Fun.

They immediately called the police. Yeah. Good call. Lois told New York Magazine, quote, that's what I told the cops. I cussed them out, child. They said, if we find your fingerprints on it and I said, I'll tell you one mother fucking thing.

You might see my hands on top of that damn thing, but I only weigh 135 pounds. I couldn't move that thing. Now this is really sad because of course when someone finds a dead body, the first thing the investigators have to do is clear them. But I can't help like feel like in Harlem at this time,

a queer black drag queen was going to be looked at a lot. Well, they're just gonna peg it on you because it's the thing they're gonna peg it on you. And I feel like she felt like she had to be like, no, no Well, they're just going to peg it on you because it's the thing. They're going to peg it on you. And I feel like she felt like she had to be like, no, no, no, no, no. Like, my fingerprints are going to be on it because I just touched the bag, but like, it just, I have nothing to do with this.

And a lot of theories in this case are going to go back to the reason that this body was here and the police were not called, could have been because Dorian Corey was a black drag queen at the time. And that was not something that the cops, you know, were going to look at as take seriously. Yeah, they were gonna be, they were, this wasn't even now. I mean, even now people of color have to be careful who they call one day call what situation is going on, which sucks. Yeah, it's fucked up. But being a black drag queen in Harlem in the early 90s at this point,

it was gonna, it was not gonna be an easy situation. What I'm sure you had to kind of like take it upon your own hands. Yeah, is this worth. It's honestly and at this, at this point there's a quote from Dorian that says, he's talking about realness. And she says that if you can make it, realness is being able to walk from the subway home and returning home, not covered in blood. Oh, God.

As yourself, and that's when you have passed, and you're realness, and she says it's usually the younger ones that can do that. But like, she's literally talking about if you can walk from the subway to your home without getting the shit kicked out of you, just for being who you are, then you've passed the realness test. That sucks. That's awful. But that gives you an idea of what was going on at this time especially.

Right. And obviously today it's still a situation. Yeah. So just sucks. So inside of this garment bag, there was a dead body. Partially mummified. It was a man in the fetal position with a bullet in his head, covered in baking soda, plastic bags, and wrapped in nagahide. What is nagahide? Nagahide. Glad you asked. Nagahide is a rubber-based artificial leather. Like the kind that is in fake leather jackets. Oh, okay. Yeah. And why baking soda? Just for the smell. Oh, okay. So like you'll put baking soda

in the back of your refrigerator to kind of keep everything smell fresh. I did know that. So he was wearing ragged blue and white boxers and nothing else. Okay. He was yellow and purple and partially mummified, like I said. This means that he was also partially nothing else. Okay. He was yellow and purple and partially, I'm a fied like I said, this means that he was also partially decomposed. Right. Now inside real stanky. So inside of the bag with him was an array of beer can flip tops.

Like when they opened the bags, the bags like fell out, like all these flip tops fell out. Yeah. These flip tops had not been used since the 70s, which made them believe he was dead between 15 and 25 years at the time. I have a little problem with that being used to time him,

like to date his death, because like those could have just been in the bag that they used to put on top of him, like for he was, you know, I mean, because I don't think he was dead for that long. Right. I just don't believe I have no real basis for that. I don't know. I mean, because I don't think he was dead for that long. Right. I just don't believe I have no real basis for that. But that been more decomposed. I don't know. I know. I mean, he could have been fairly,

because he was partially mummified and keeping them him in like an airtight thing like that definitely would have helped. But I don't know. I just, like, I think the timeline doesn't add up with what I think happened. So just like, maybe I'm forming it to my timeline. But I still just think, I mean, they didn't use those lip tops as like the definitive. Yeah. But they used it as like helping to aid the timeline. Right.

So a murder investigation was now active. Because you know what? The bullet hole in his head. It's like we know. The lead investigators on the case were Alfred Travers and John Rowe. The forensic specialist on the case was Raul Figueroa. Raul Figueroa is the only one that will actually like talk about this case. The other two are just like,

hurrump hurrump. It's an act of investigation. I'm not talking about it. Like rude. Yeah. So Figuero is great. He's real. He's real. And he was also like a mortician. I mean, he was awesome. Yeah. So Figaro was really innovative as well in forensics. And he, so we need to find out, we, I'm like me, I was involved in this message. They needed to find out who this guy was. Right. And obviously, you know, he was not different. He was not different. And so they were like, who the fuck are you? So what they did was they cut the fingers.

And each finger at the second joint. Oh, fine. And they used them to try to identify the body. He used a secret technique that he will not give away, which like good on him. That's cool. He did it over seven days to make the fingerprints readable again. He basically hardened them up somehow with like some technique.

He was able to get all 10 fingerprints, which is nuts. Wow. To this day, he still won't say what he did. Still won't say what he did. I wonder why though, because it's a good technique. Well, because like, it's his technique. But what if he dies, and then, then he dies with that technique? I think that kind of stinks. I think he should share it. I don't know. Go figure Ella. That's what I say.

I just think he could like aid in further investigation. I'm sure other people have techniques as well. Yeah, whatever. But you know, um, I digress. What happened was the finger tips had all the they'd all worn away to some like because of the first layers of skin had worn away because of slippage and it basically causes those layers of skin to goo away. Yummy. And that's a scientific term goo away. And I thought you were talking about slippage. No goo away.

Oh, okay. That's very scientific. One word or two. Slippage is a scientific goo away is not. Slippage. Slippage had occurred because the body was decades old. Since, like I said, it had partially decomposed. Figaroa said, quote, when you have, and this is real gross,

when you have all of this wrapping, no air is getting to it. But it's still losing liquid out of its body. So the body sort of floats in its own soup. Yummy. So that's why the slippage occurred. Like a floats in its own soup. Yummy. So that's why the slippage occurs. Like a floating in its own soup. So slippage is occurring. And I'm just gonna get sciencey for a second here

because any chance I can. You are? You are? You never do that. If anyone listened to my body farm episode, you might know a little bit about this, but the two phases of decomposition can be simplistically broken down to autosys and putrefaction.

I like that word, which one? Putrefaction. I like that too. Putrefaction. Autosys is basically self-digestion. Wow. So where examples of aerobic organisms, opposed to anaerobic organisms, which means we thrive in an environment with oxygen.

We also respire anaerobically, but like that's another podcast entirely. But when aerobic organisms die, the body becomes rife with carbon dioxide. This environment causes necrosis, or one of the forms of cell death, the other being apoptosis. Apoptosis is different because it's triggered by pretty normal things in the body like menstruation. It's called programmed cell death apoptosis. Necrosis is triggered by injury, trauma, and it's premature cell death. Okay. So necrosis is unprogrammed cell death, and it will cause a cascade effect that breaks down other cell-yostructures in the body. And because the body is not actively producing an immune response to clean up those dead

cells, because normally, like, phagocytes would come out and they would clean up those dead cells. So these dead cells collect and they break down other structures. So autosys is happening in a couple of days and first there's going to be bully, which are postules on the skin filled with fluid. That's what happens right after. That's what all of those tools are. Like cysts on the skin.

So skin slippage starts occurring at this point and the skin will slaw off in big sheets. I don't like cold slaw. Like it. Okay. Like an entire sheet of skin on a hand will come off in like a deep loving situation. Are you done? So that's fun. I just wanted you all to know the signs.

No, you're really smart. I bet a lot of people appreciate that. I hope you guys did. Including myself. I do. I also appreciate science. No, you're really smart. I bet a lot of people appreciate that. I hope you guys stay. Including myself. I also appreciate that. Thank you. You're welcome. So anyways, this went to Harvard.

Anyways, the body was identified as Robert Bobby Warley. He was a black man. He was 510, 140 pounds approximately. He was born December 18, 1938. He had been arrested in 1963 for assaulting and raping a woman. Great. And he served at Sing Sing for three years. And he kids called Sing Sing?

It's called Sing Sing. You've never heard of that prison? No, wow. Look at that guy. Thanks for calling me out. Yeah, 2020. So he came from a family of seven kids from North Carolina. So the question was, what happened here? And how did he end up

with a bulletinist head stuffed in a garment bag and Dorian Corey's apartment closet? Self-defense, I'm already calling it. I think so, Dorian Corey does not call it. No wrong. Well, the theories were mainly that they had a relationship and she had to protect herself. Maybe, you know, she shot him in self-defense during a fight. He already raped one woman. Or that he was in a that he was an intruder who was robbing her since it was a bad neighborhood and she shot him in self-defense. Dorian did have a 22 caliber gun for protection.

So according to the New York magazine piece on this case, which I'm gonna link in the show notes because it's a great piece and everyone should read it. Cool. Bobby Warley got out of Sing Sing in 1966 and around 67-68. He went to live with his brother Fred in New York City just for a bit. He changed his name to Bobby Wells and he was a raging alcoholic. Perfect. His brother said he had a son that he abandoned like didn't see great guy and while living with him He became infatuated with a woman who lived next door He ended up quote roughing up her son who was seven years old when she refused his advances

Roughing up her son. Roughing up a seven-year-old because his mother would not date him Like that was gonna make her want to date him. Exactly. And she threatened to call the police. So after three months of living with his brother, he just split and disappeared. What is that? That was the last he had, or no, he heard from him in one more time, but he was like, he basically just disappeared after that.

As soon as he heard police, he was like, by now. And he was probably like, good riddance. And it's like, yeah, rough up a seven year olds, a child of a woman and she'll definitely fall all over herself for you dating 101 you fucking idiot and you know what I'm I'm sure somebody's gonna email me like he is dad how dare you call him and idiot he's a great to woman and he beat up a seven year old so I really don't even don't have that came from Vogue. Yeah. So let's see. So he just appeared.

In fact, when they heard he was dead, his family, they had him buried in a potter's field in Hart's Island. They unclaimed and buried by the city. Because they were like, yeah, cool. All right. I relate to that. Yeah, like they were not into it. You're buried in a potter's field.

So his brother also ended up talking to this reporter for the New York magazine piece. And he said his brother did have a relationship with a transgender woman. He said one night he called him shitfaced and thought he had called this woman. So he just stayed on the line and just like, what's the tea? So he called her Dorian. Okay. When asked if he

could have abused, so the reporter was like, could he have abused or tried to hurt Dorian? He was like, he was an artist. And his brother believed that it was likely as he was a piece of absolute garbage. So they were like, he was like, yeah, he definitely could have abused her and that could have been something that happened. When asked if it seemed like Dorian had intentionally wrapped the body, they asked some of her friends or the investigators, like, did you think that Dorian intentionally wrapped the body like a mummy in some Egyptian process because she was extra?

Like was this something she wanted? Maybe she just didn't want it to stink up her house. Well, Figaroa said, no, he said quote, and I love this, I love this quote from him. Himmier. Quote, I don't think so. People just wrap a body in whatever's available. It's just spontaneous.

You wrap it up, then you put it in a suitcase, then you put it in the closet, then you just look at it periodically and wish it would go away. I mean, same as one does. Absolutely. Now back to the theories. Okay. There is another theory that I hate. I don't like this theory. It says that Dorian was protecting the killer of Warley, like she was not actually the one who killed him,

that she was protecting whoever killed this guy. I don't like it because it doesn't make sense. You don't think it's it doesn't make sense. You don't think it's possible? People postured that maybe when Dorian moved into the apartment in the late 80s, because she moved 10 blocks from another apartment in the late 80s. Okay. Whoever lived there before was someone she knew and that person left her a little prison in the form of a dead body in a bag.

So people think she may have harbored this physical thing as well as the secret for whoever did it. I don't agree I don't think this is it. I think this is relying too hard on that beer flip can flip top theory Oh, okay, because the thing is the em the medical examiner said he could have been dead between one year and 25 years Oh, wow They just couldn't time it because he was so Oh, wow. They just couldn't time it because he was so, they had just very estate. Nest with the time of death so much with this wrapping and like partially decomposed, partially

mummified. There was literally no way to tell. Yeah. No way. So, to say that just because of those flip tops were in the wrapping that he had to have been killed when those were on the market. It doesn't fly with me. You're right.

It doesn't make all the sense. So I think he could have been dead for much less time, but sorry, I have something in my eye. I personally think he was in there for a few years at least, for sure. Yeah. And I mean, it could have been like close to 10 at that point and still put him in the apartment alive when she was there. Right. I just, that, that one just doesn't have been like close to 10 at that point and still put him in the apartment alive when she was there. Right, I just, that one just doesn't have enough

like grit to it. Well, like you said before, like she would protect you until you wronged her. I feel like she probably would have viewed that as like wrong in her. Like don't leave me with your fucking law. Like I'm sorry, who was she gonna protect for that? Yeah.

And a lot of people, and I think I mentioned it a little while, like a lot of people point to lowest tailor, the one who found the bag for this, but I'll get into that in a second. Okay. So the second theory is about... I think that's too convenient. It is.

So the second theory is about like a robbery or an intruder or a home invasion. Sure. Several sources said that there was a note attached to the body, Endorians handwriting that said, quote, this poor man broke into my home and was trying to rob me. No note has ever been put forth of that.

And the dude was dressed in only boxes. Right. So I mean, I can't speak for all home invaders, because I'm not one, but I know I wouldn't break into someone's house wearing just my underwear. I just like, that's just, but I don't know. What are you wearing, Jake, for a state home. I just don't think he would break into

her apartment wearing just boxers, like just ragged with boxes, and then people are like, well, maybe she got rid of the clothing he had on, but like, first of all, why would she get rid of his clothes? That's stupid. That's stupid. And two, why would she only leave his boxers on? Maybe he was wearing something hella fetch.

And she used it for a costume. She used it. I'm not kidding. That'd be sick. Maybe he had like a nice leather coat on, and she was like, this would go lovely with my thing That's gonna cover the entire fucking ballroom floor. There you go. And you wronged me so I'ma use it I just don't think so probably not but you know, that's nice

And remember the police That again if this was this whole like intruder robbery self-defense thing. He was also shot in the back of the head Mm-hmm. You don't normally shoot was also shot in the back of the head. You don't normally shoot home invaders in the back of the head. I don't know. You're usually just shooting at them because they're in your home. We're not really like execution styles.

Shooting them in the back of the head. I mean, again, I don't know. But to me, that's not super lining up with it. And then it's like people will be like, well, if that was the case, she could have just called the police and been like, he was invading my home. But not back to shoot him.

But it goes back to this is a black drag queen. Right. The police are not going to buy. He broke into my home and I had to shoot him out of protection. She would have been a jail forever. Right. Like that would have just been it. So the third theory is the lovers theory. Okay. This I believe, I think. Okay. So this is the theory that says that Dorian Corey and Warley had a relationship of some kind,

be it like a full-blown relationship or just like a sexual relationship, like some form of relationship in that it was either abusive, you know, just in general or that they got in some kind of fight, she felt threatened and she shot him in self-defense. Right. Maybe he came at her, we don't know. Again, the only people who know this are Dorian Corey and Bobby Warley. Correct. But they both took it to the grave. I think the fact that his own brother said that he called him once and called him Dorian. It was talking like they were in a relationship. In fact, Fred, his brother, said that when he was calling her him Dorian, he was like acting like he was trying to smooth

over a coral with it. Oh. So this all kind of adds up. And then also Dorian's door man said that they were lovers and that he used to see him come into the apartment. Right. And he also said like, yeah, he's dead. And then he was like, I also used to hear them

fighting and he was definitely abusive. So this all kind of leads me to believe, I mean the Dorian thing with his brother really makes me think that this is what the case was. Right. No one can really confirm this because everyone's like, I don't know, she might just not have told us about Bobby. Right. I don't think he was really someone you and told your friend about. So I think that is the case. And again, if this is the case, she's not going to go to the police as a self-defense thing for the same reasons.

Right. So it all makes sense. So Lois Taylor said that she gave a paper to police and it was a yellow and old. And the paper had handwriting by Dorian and it was a story idea of sorts. Lois said, quote, it said something about wanting her to have a sex change. It said something about revenge and revenge ends up in murder. And then she said, quote, she wrote,venge and Murder and she put a question mark. It was like she was writing a story, honey, like murder she wrote.

But I don't know. The way this shit was written out, I know it clarified me. Can you explain further? What I think happened was she wrote this little story about this person who wanted her, about these two lovers, and that this man wanted this person to have a sex change. Oh, okay, okay. And the other person didn't want to.

Yeah, and that they didn't want to do it. The person got angry and ended up in murder. Now, what if the case was that Bobby Warley maybe found out that she was not fully transitioned? Like, as in, like, did not have full, like, sex reassignment surgery. Warley maybe found out that she was not fully transitioned. Like as in like did not have full like sex reassignment surgery surgery. And got angry and it ended up violent. And this is what happened.

Right. And then maybe she was writing what happened. Yeah. You know, as a form of like, forming it like a story. And I mean, she did like I said, she did have a 22. She once handed Jesse Torres, her good friend and the owner of Sally's 2, her handbag before performing and it was super heavy. So Jesse was like, what the fuck is in here? And she said my 22. She said, quote, just a little 22. If someone messes with me,

I'm gonna fill in with lead. Yes, honey. so. Yes queen. She was like this gentle loving, caring, amazing, like witty sarcastic human. And then also she was like, I will fuck you up if you fuck with me. Yeah, don't fuck with me, which I think is just funny. She's too real. Now, lowest tailor is like I said, she was part of this whole like maybe she was covering for someone. So people think that lowest Taylor could have did it and planted Bobby Warley. They think like maybe they had maybe something that's going to pick up the bag. Exactly. Now they think like you know did she plant it after Dorian died she thought this is perfect.

I'll just put this body in her apartment. She's gone. She can't get in trouble for it. But then also why would she have abandoned somebody's scissors? Well, that's the thing. Well, people say that that is her not touching and not being the one to discover it. But it's like, why would you even bring attention to it? Exactly. That's exactly the reason I don't believe this one is because if she did do that, then she could have just done what Doreen Corey probably did, which is just leave it in a bag, leave it in your closet, and when you die, someone else will find it,

and no one will know what happens and you're out of the fear of free. Right. So it's like, why would she purposely bring it out into the light? I just don't think any sense. And then hope that no one ties it to her. Like that doesn't. Well, especially at the time that it was still, I don't think any sense. And then hope that no one ties it to her.

Like that does it. Well, especially at the time that it was still, I don't think she would have been like here, open this bag. Exactly. I did this. And then she, and she probably knew that. So I don't think she would have done that.

Like you have to know that like as careful as you can be, you could be tied back to you if you did. So one at that time, I just feel like you couldn't be careful enough. Yeah, exactly. So that one, I just feel like you couldn't be careful enough. Yeah, exactly. So that one, I don't believe. Yeah. Drag queen Pepper Lebesia, who you will meet from the house of Lebesia in Paris is burning.

Pepper Lebesia thought she did it. Pepper Lebesia thought that Dorian. It's thought that Lois Taylor did it. Oh, okay. The story was supposedly given to police, that story that lowest claimed that Dorian wrote, that story about the whole revenge. That story, that little piece paper was supposedly given to police, lowest said she gave it to the police.

No one's ever seen it. Okay. Now again, I don't believe this. Do you think it's hearsay? Do you think it was never written? I think it was written. Okay, I think that's a very weird thing to make up. Yeah, like a very specific thing to make up.

Right. Again, we don't know all of these people, most of these people are gone now. So it's really just anybody's guess. But to me, if Lois Taylor did do that, and then like put it in Dorian Corey's closet, because she was dead and she couldn't get in trouble, that's a recipe for an angry ass ghost.

So I don't think that's a good idea at all. And you know Dorian Cori would like come back in the ocean and fuck up your shit. She would read you to filth every day of your life. That's what she would do. She would be keeping it real from the grief. Keeping it real. And so there is also to further back up that Bobby Warley and Dorian Corey probably knew each other in some capacity.

There's a deathbed confession of sorts from Dorian Corey. Okay. So she, she's like, don't clean my closet. She spoke to another friend Sally. While she was in her final days, she was on the medication for the AIDS virus. She was deteriorating rapidly. She was kind of out of it,

kind of talking a little bit of nonsense here and there because it really does neurologically fuck you up. Yeah, of course. And when she spoke to Sally, Jesse heard her tell Sally, I have a secret. And basically mentioned, like there's no like full transcript of this conversation.

And like, obviously. But basically told her I killed someone. Okay. Like said it. And so people were like, I don't know if that's just like her nonsense, because she's on this medication and she's in her final days and she's really like everywhere. Or if this is real, I think it's too much of a coincidence.

Yeah, it is, it's very coincidental if it is a coincidence. Exactly, so that was a really dumb thing to say. It's really coincidental for a coincidence. That would be real coincidental for a coincidence. This is why I'm too sick. The person should ever have me around. I love you. This is why no person should ever help me around. I love you.

This is why we should all have that. So that's basically all that we have of the case. No one knows to this day what the hell happened. That was a full moon. All we know is that Bobby Warley died with a bullet to his head. He was partially mummified in Endorian Cory's closet. And he was an asshole. And he was an asshole. He got read to filth. Now, the Dorian Cory Awards are a thing now. And they're known as the Oscars of Philly Ballroom.

Yes. And they're on like the 25th annual one now or something. Wait, in Philly? Yeah, in Philly. Can we go? Right? I don't know when they are, but I want to go. Let's find out.

It'll be amazing. And like Ash has mentioned about Pose, Pose had an episode inspired by this story. The episode was called Butterfly Cacoon. Okay. And it was one of the drag queens they find a body momified in their closet. Oh, shit.

I haven't seen that episode yet. I think it's like a lecturer is the drag queen who ends up. Because a lecturer is who Dorian Corey is the model after. There you go. Because Electra in the first episode, Venus leaves Electra. Oh, that's what I'm talking about. Spoiler. And like I mentioned earlier, Benning Ninja is on America's next out model.

And he is first father of House Ninja. And that title was given to him by Willie Ninja, who was in Paris's burning. Oh, I love this so much. He gave up that post to Javier Ninja after, and this is really sad, he was emotionally shaken and injured by a trained derailment. Oh, jeez.

He was okay, like he lived, but he just like was really shaken up by it. Right, so he had to give up his title as house father. And he's like an amazing dancer. Yeah. So, yeah, so he was on America's next top model. And before we end this, I just want to leave us on a quote by Dory and Corey from Paris's burning. One might say the best quote.

One might say. So here it is. I was at hopes of being a big star. And then I looked as you could hold it, you know. You hang a little lower. And I just say, well, yeah, I just still might make an impression. Everybody wants to leave something behind them. Some impression, some markup on the world.

Then you think you left a mark on the world if you just get through it. And a few people remember your name. And you left a mark. You don't have to bend the whole world. I think that's an amazing quote to end this on. Hooray for you. Hooray for you. And Dory and Corey certainly left her mark on this world.

She lives on. And I'm sure, you know, Bobby Warley had potential to be a good person, but he chose the other way. We all have potential to be murdered. No one deserves to be murdered. I'm not saying anybody deserves to be murdered for sure. But you know if it was self-defense it's self-defense. I don't know what to tell you. Yeah don't be rude. And you know we don't know. We don't know. We don't know if Dory and Cory murdered

anyone. We just don't know. We just don't know. All we know is that she was a fabulous queen. I feel like we're gonna have really good posts for this, when we posted my episode. I think so too. I think so too. And if you haven't seen Paris's burning, go watch it guys, because it's seriously. It's really good.

It'll give you so many different emotions all at once. Back when me and Alina could watch movies together, now we can't, because there's always like 500 kids running around this place. Just three, but one of them didn't even walk. It feels like five. We watched it like one afternoon of the summer and I remember being just like glued to the day.

Yeah. Like the thingy was so cool. It's just crazy. And I the first time I saw it was in my gender studies class in college. And I was like, whoa, like it just blew my brain apart because I had no idea. I'm just some like, no, and how girl from Massachusetts, you know what I mean? Same. Like cisgender straight white girl from Massachusetts,

I knew nothing of this. That shit will culture you. But it was so cool to me. And it's like, and it also was like really sad that like these people didn't have anywhere to go, you know what I mean? But it was, and then it was like all at once uplifting that they like created a place for them to go.

You know, it was just like all these different like, oh man, this is sad, all that's so cool. Oh, it's so inspiring. Like, well, it's like an inspiring thing. And then at the end, it's really tragic. So, yeah. So yeah, so, and then watch it. When you're done watching that, go watch Posed.

I think there's two seasons. Yes. I just started it, and then I took like a long break because I can never keep up It's really good neither can I it's really good. I actually haven't watched pose yet. I've been remiss It's from this same. I can't think of his name. I suck, but the same director that does I can't see yeah, so I'm in yeah, it's so good. Yeah, I'm gonna go watch it when I get home. I'm gonna do it So go watch that and go watch Paris burning and look out for our Instagram post about this. Yeah, and if you don't follow us on Instagram I love a good transition at

morbid podcast. Hit us up on the Twitter a morbid podcast Join the Facebook group morbid colon a trueid podcast. Join the Facebook group. morbid colon, a true crime podcast. Send us an email, but not one that says that we shouldn't have said some of this stuff, because we said it, and there's no going bad. Sound the universe. morbidpodcast.gmail.com. And then you could donate to our Patreon.

Patreon.com slash morbidpodcast. And that's all we have. That's all she wrote. That is all she wrote, all we have. That's all she wrote. That is all she wrote, right? Yeah. That's all she wrote. All right. Oh, and, uh, hey, keep your eyes peeled this week. Oh, yes. Because we're going to be announcing a couple things. Keep your eyes peeled.

Couple places, couple, uh, couple things, couple, events, couple of situations. So I'm going to show my mouth now. I don't know. Just keep a look out on Monday maybe. I don't know. I'm just saying. I'm just saying.

Phone a friend. Yeah. Let me know, son. I liked it. So we hope you keep listening. And we hope you keep it. Weird. Weird.

But not so weird that you got a clubs in your closet of over 20 fucking years. I hate you. But just like do it anyway. Don't do that. Don't do that. Don't do that. Don't do that. Don't do that. Don't do that. Hey, Prime members! You can listen to morbid, early, and ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music app today, or you can listen ad-free with Wondery Plus and Apple podcasts.

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