Elisa Lam Case Overview

Background

• Elisa Lam was a 21-year-old Canadian tourist.
• She was traveling alone to the west coast of the U.S., including Los Angeles and Santa Cruz.
• Her parents allowed her to go on the condition that she called home every night.

Disappearance

• Elisa stayed at the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles.
• She called home for the first three days but not on the fourth day.
• She was supposed to check out and go to Santa Cruz but never did.
• Police were notified after she failed to check out.

Investigation

• Police found her belongings in her room, but no struggle evidence.
• Elisa had initially booked a shared room but was moved due to odd behavior noted by roommates.
• No leads for nearly two weeks.

Surveillance Video

• Released on February 14th by LAPD.
• Elisa was seen behaving strangely in an elevator, pressing multiple buttons, and appearing distressed.
• This was the only footage of her; no other cameras captured her.

Discovery

• Guests complained of low water pressure and discolored water.
• Elisa's body was found in a water tank on the hotel roof.
• Her body had been decomposing in the water for 19 days.

Theories

Accidental Death

• Official conclusion: Elisa entered the tank herself and accidentally drowned.
• Questions remain on how she accessed the roof and closed the tank hatch.
• Video demonstrates accessing roof via fire escape could have been possible.

Murder

• Theory suggests Elisa was hiding from someone in the footage.
• Possibility of a hotel employee being involved.
• Unexplained elevator malfunctions and edited footage hint at foul play.

Paranormal

• Cecil Hotel has a dark history, including prior murders and suicides.
• Some speculate she was playing a ritual known as the "elevator game."

Mental Health

• Elisa had depression and bipolar disorder.
• Noted misuse of prescribed medications could explain erratic behavior.

Other Strange Details

• Connection made between tuberculosis test named LAM-ELISA and Elisa Lam’s death – viewed as a coincidence.

Conclusion

• The case remains open to interpretation with several unresolved questions.
• Officially closed as an accidental death, but theories continue due to the bizarre nature of the case.