Random Theories That Might Explain What Happened To Elisa Lam (11 items)

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  (#1) Some Believe Elisa Lam Took Her Own Life

  Elisa Lam shared in her Tumblr blog, Nouvelle-Nouveau, that she had bipolar disorder, and she used this blog to document her inner turmoil. Some have claimed that her writing's dark subject matter may have hinted at a desire to harm herself. 

  While staying at the Cecil Hotel, Lam seemingly experienced some sort of manic episode and began leaving angry notes for her roommates, who complained to hotel management. Lam was given a private room the same day she disappeared. She was also escorted out of a television taping earlier that day due to strange behavior. Hotel staff even recall Lam shouting in the lobby, "I'm crazy, but so is LA!"

  While some suggest that Lam's mental state factored into her death, police found no compelling evidence to suggest that she took her own life.
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  (#2) Lam's Death Was Officially Ruled An Accidental Drowning

  Following an autopsy of Lam's body, her death was officially ruled an accidental drowning. The medical examiner determined that Lam likely climbed into the water tank and was unable to get back out. In an attempt to stay afloat, she probably removed her clothing, which was found at the bottom of the tank.

  While this explanation is perfectly rational - and official - some have speculated online that the medical examiner's report was tampered with in some sort of cover up. Skeptics point to an initial police statement indicating that the tank’s hatch was closed while Lam was inside. This would indicate a second person was present, as Lam could not have closed the hatch herself from inside the tank. However, Netflix's Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel later confirmed that the hatch was still open, meaning Lam could have climbed in without help.
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  (#7) The Circumstances Of Lam's Death Seem To Mirror The Film 'Dark Water'

  Lam’s death is eerily similar to the 2005 horror movie Dark Water, and some believe this is no coincidence. Web sleuths across the internet have claimed that Lam could have died at the hands of someone trying to imitate the film.

  Not only does Dark Water depict residents of an old, haunted building complaining of dark, foul-tasting water coming from their taps, but much like in Lam's case, the cause is a girl decomposing in the roof's water tank. If this connection weren’t strange enough, the film’s main characters are a mother named Dahlia and her daughter Cecilia, which people liken to the infamous Black Dahlia case and the Cecil Hotel.

  The movie also features elevator malfunctions, and young Cecilia can be seen talking to an "imaginary friend" in the elevator.
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  (#8) Conspiracy Theorists Claim That Lam Caused A Tuberculosis Outbreak On Skid Row

  Days after Lam's body was discovered, a Tuberculosis outbreak ravaged Skid Row and even infected residents at the Cecil Hotel. Conspiracy theorists have pointed out that the TB test used in the area was the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, called the LAM-ELISA for short.

  Isoniazid is the most commonly used antibiotic for TB patients, and its side effects include confusion and abnormal behavior, which some have tried to link to Lam's conduct in the elevator tapes. Lam's toxicology screening didn’t find anything strange in her system, but many conspiracy theorists think the results were forged or somehow altered because of delays in the report's release.

  An even more outlandish theory posits that Lam was purposely infected with TB and sent into Skid Row to thin out the homeless population. According to the theory, she was then assassinated by the government. Conspiracy theorists pieced all of this together because Lam attended the University of British Columbia, which has a well-known TB research center.
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  (#4) A Fellow Guest Could Have Been The Culprit

  One of Lam's blog posts referenced a "creeper" at the Cecil Hotel she was hoping to avoid. Because of this post and the Cecil's reputation, some speculate that a fellow guest was responsible for Lam's death. Web sleuths even claimed that death metal musician Morbid was the culprit. While Morbid did stay at the Cecil Hotel, it was not at the same time as Lam.

  Those who believe the "creeper" theory also point out that Lam was found naked and her phone was missing; however, Lam's autopsy report shows no signs of trauma indicative of assault. Any abnormalities were likely due to decomposition after being in the water for three weeks.
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  (#9) Some Believe Lam Was Haunted By The Hotel's Dark Past

  Long before Elisa Lam walked the halls of the Cecil Hotel, tragic deaths and purported ghosts were associated with the property. Since its grand opening in 1924, numerous suicides, murders, and bizarre accidental deaths have occurred there. One of the most tragic occurred in 1962 when Pauline Otton jumped from the hotel's ninth floor and landed on a pedestrian, instantly killing them both. Some even claim the Cecil Hotel was the last place that Elizabeth Short, better known as the Black Dahlia, was seen alive.

  Conspiracy theories that Lam was being tormented by an evil spirit in the elevator have made the rounds on the internet in the years following her death. In 2020, the show Ghost Adventures visited the Cecil Hotel to retrace Lam's steps and explore the notion that she was influenced by supernatural forces.

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