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

• 

  (#6) Some Have Tried To Tie Lam's Death To The Cecil's Sordid History

  One reason Lam's death garnered so much attention was the Cecil Hotel's history of murderous guests. Throughout its checkered past, the Cecil gained a reputation as a place to commit a multitude of dark deeds.

  Amidst all the conjecture and speculation, it is true that at least two serial killers stayed at the Cecil Hotel: Richard Ramirez, the Night Stalker, lived at the hotel in 1985 while he terrorized the city of Los Angeles; writer-turned-serial killer Jack Unterweger also stayed at the Cecil in 1991 and murdered three sex workers on the premises.

  The proposed link between these figures and Lam is unclear, but this ambiguity hasn't stopped theorists from drawing connections between Lam and the hotel's dark past.
• 

  (#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.
• 

  (#10) Lam May Have Been Attempting A Popular Internet Ritual

  Some claim the infamous elevator footage depicts Lam playing the elevator game. To play the game, a person must enter an elevator in a building at least 10 stories high and press a series of buttons. According to internet legend, pressing the right buttons in the right order may open a gateway to a parallel dimension.

  This new dimension is supposed to look much like the real world, except it’s dark, electronic devices don’t work, and once the elevator doors reopen, you'll see nothing outside except a red cross. If anything seems “off,” you are not supposed to leave the elevator.

  The legend also warns of an otherworldly woman who may step into the elevator and ask you where you’re going. You are not supposed to speak to or even look at her. Since Lam pressed a seemingly random series of buttons in the elevator and appeared to speak to someone, many have speculated that she was playing this game before her death.
• 

  (#5) Some Allege That A Hotel Employee Killed Lam

  There’s no conclusive evidence that Lam was murdered, but this hasn't stopped skeptics from questioning her cause of death. Over the past century, the Cecil Hotel has attracted a number of criminals, and some web sleuths wonder if a killer could have been on staff when Lam died.

  If such a person existed, they would have known that Lam was traveling alone and would have had access to her room. They also would have been able to bypass the alarm system that would have gone off when the door to the roof was opened. A staff member would have also known where all of the security cameras were located and possibly could have tampered with footage.

  Regarding Lam's excessive button pushing, self-defense experts recommend doing so when being attacked in an elevator.
• 

  (#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.
• 

  (#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.

New Random Displays    Display All By Ranking