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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  (#3) Lam Could Have Been Having Problems With Her Medication Or Other Substances

  According to toxicology reports from the coroner's office, the only drugs found in Lam’s system were her regular prescription medications for bipolar disorder. However, some web sleuths have speculated that in the elevator footage, Lam looks as though she was under the influence of something that would cause hallucinations.

  They also point to her being found in the water tank as a sign of drug use. Self-described "body language experts" concluded that her odd behavior on the security camera footage mimics that of someone using narcotics. These same experts also felt Lam was not afraid of whomever she was talking to off-camera due to her somewhat playful demeanor.

  All that said, the toxicology report only showed her prescription medication, although the levels were much lower than what she was prescribed. Experts have theorized that under-medication could have contributed to Lam's behavior.
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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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  (#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.
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  (#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.
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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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  (#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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  (#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.
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  (#11) Some Have Drawn Connections Between Lam's Death And Famous Occultist Aleister Crowley

  The Aleister Crowley connection is mostly a series of strange coincidences. The famed occultist claimed to have met a being, described as being similar to alien "greys," named Lam. After this interaction, Crowley allegedly used a magic ritual to open a portal between Lam’s dimension and ours. Theorists have drawn a connection between this supposed portal and whatever Elisa Lam was trying to do in the elevator. 

  Crowley also wrote a poem, "Jephtha," while staying at a London hotel also called the Cecil. In the poem, Jephtha sacrifices his daughter, Seila. Believers in this theory point out that not only does Seila sound similar to Cecil, but it is also an anagram of Elisa.

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