CA/Canada - Elisa Lam - 21 years old - Los Angeles/Vancouver - 31-Jan-2013 - #2

[Turk February]

<rsbm>

I've toyed with something that happened to me a couple years ago. Was turning down the temp on my hot water heater. Metal screwdriver slipped and clipped a wire ... sent me on my keester about 10 feet back, but ... folks down the hall and around the corner in the kitchen heard a loud boom come out of the kitchen sink. Not suggesting that electricity was involved in Elisa's case, but just pondering that something going with force through the plumbing system makes a loud noise.

Possible, dunno?

Couple of things I can throw on the table about that loud noise:

1. A blunt object being used to attack somebody

2. A door opening or closing shut.

3. A door being kicked open (fire escape grate door on the window?)

4. Somebody thrown on the floor

5. Somebody thrown on the wall

 

[Sillybilly]

CBSLA - the news outlet based in Los Angeles first broke the news live via aerial coverage on the rooftops, reporting a maintenance worker discovering Elisa Lam's body in the water tank (they didn't identify her body as Elisa in the beginning, just said a woman's body) and said that the body inside was nude, and floating face up in the 3/4 full water tank.

<rsbm>

Interesting comment re "face up" if accurate. Drowning victims are typically found face down with extremities dangling, not face up.

From a good read from the Captain of Missouri State Water Patrol wrt drowning investigations:

Investigators normally will find postmortem lividity, or blood pooling, on the portion of the body or head lying on the bottom after drowning. For instance, a corpse that ends up face down should have this condition evident on the chest, abdomen, face, or all of those areas. Typically, lividity is most evident in the head or neck because the body normally assumes a position of head down, buttocks up, and extremities dangling downward. Blood pooling not conforming to these patterns should alert authorities to investigate further to determine if death preceded immersion.

Full article:
[ame="http://www.officialcoldcaseinvestigations.com/showthread.php?t=4683"]DROWNING INVESTIGATIONS - Cold Case Investigations[/ame]

 

[kenmore]

Seems a friend of Elisa's went on Reddit and posted that she has "disappeared before." I think it's legit, the poster had no previous activity on Reddit, and subsequently posted about roaming cell phone charges. Google search of the user name yields nothing else, though.

http://fr.reddit.com/r/MorbidReality/comments/18udw8/breaking_body_found_at_hotel_where_missing/

 

[Ruth&Montgomery]

The http://www.stayonmain.com website completely changes my perception of the hotel. The renos are new, the rooms look funky, the marketing and website look attractive, almost upscale. The ratings on some of the independent hostel/hotel review sites aren't half bad either! I probably wouldn't have thought twice about booking a room there.

Vancouver's downtown east side is one of the worst in N. America in terms of homelessness, drug use, mental illness, etc., but I feel pretty ok walking through there, even at night, and many of the hip bars and pubs are close by. My visiting friends from Toronto felt scared walking into a back alley there the other nite to get to a bar, but I guess we locals are used to it, and hardly have problems. It has been said that the transients keep their problems to themselves and hardly bother passerby. So if Elisa was used to that here, I'm thinking she felt pretty comfortable going there.

 

[californiared3]

From this pic, you can see the ladder that leads on top of the elevator / maintenance building that is next to the water tower.

One can simply climb the ladder, assuming he is carrying a duffel / body bag and then jump down from the top of the elevator / maintenance building to the top of the water tower.

Assuming this would be at night when everyone is sleeping as likely not to get caught.

I'm assuming its illegal to lock fire escapes...because they are there for that purpose? To escape during a fire...., so I'm safely assuming that the ladders leading up to the roof are all accessible right?

[/QUOTE]

 

[Sillybilly]

Seems a friend of Elisa's went on Reddit and posted that she has "disappeared before." I think it's legit, the poster had no previous activity on Reddit, and subsequently posted about roaming cell phone charges. Google search of the user name yields nothing else, though.

http://fr.reddit.com/r/MorbidReality/comments/18udw8/breaking_body_found_at_hotel_where_missing/

Your link brings up a page with no info/posts on it?

 

[Turk February]

Kind of an aside, but the comment on Yelp by the girl who was ogled through the vent in the shower.. you can see how the vent adjoins the washroom next door in this video that Arnold originally posted, and how, covered in soap, it would be near impossible to run outside and stand outside the washroom door waiting for the peeping tom to come out to confront him. Knowing this, if I ever stayed there, I'd take something to cover the vent when I showered!

Stay Hotel Downtown Los Angeles CA - YouTube

3:28 shows the shower and 4:18 shows the vent up high in washroom next door..

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unge9Zja8aY"]Stay Hotel Downtown Los Angeles CA - YouTube[/ame]


Hmm...I have an update to add to my shower scenario.

Say Elisa did manage to take a shower at midnight, only to find out a CREEP that was spying on her through the vent. She blows his cover, and confronts him threatening to call the security on him and telling the other residents he's a shower spy.




He gets nervous, one thing leads to another, and that voyeur pervert ends up offing Elisa and dumping her body in the water tank past the locked and alarm secure door - located in the rooftops with no CCTV cameras up there.

Resident? Staff Worker? Who could it be in this scenario?


I remember one resident living there who was a registered sex offender.

 

[kenmore]

The http://www.stayonmain.com website completely changes my perception of the hotel. The renos are new, the rooms look funky, the marketing and website look attractive, almost upscale. The ratings on some of the independent hostel/hotel review sites aren't half bad either! I probably wouldn't have thought twice about booking a room there.

Vancouver's downtown east side is one of the worst in N. America in terms of homelessness, drug use, mental illness, etc., but I feel pretty ok walking through there, even at night, and many of the hip bars and pubs are close by. My visiting friends from Toronto felt scared walking into a back alley there the other nite to get to a bar, but I guess we locals are used to it, and hardly have problems. It has been said that the transients keep their problems to themselves and hardly bother passerby. So if Elisa was used to that here, I'm thinking she felt pretty comfortable going there.

I'm not sure it's set in stone that Elisa was well-adapted to rough-hewn neighborhoods, as she lived with her parents in the more suburban Burnaby, not in Vancouver proper. It's not known whether she ever lived on campus while attending UBC, not that I even know if that campus can be considered urban. She wasn't very far along in school, we know that much (her LinkedIn said she was due to graduate in 2016.) On her Tumblr, she included a few days in Vancouver in her travel itinerary, which makes me think she was staying at a hostel there to experience the heart of the city and considered it part of her "travels" from her suburban life.

 

[kenmore]

Your link brings up a page with no info/posts on it?

The link works for me. The user miji_838 is quoted at the bottom of the original post, under the heading "Update 2".

 

[Turk February]

From this pic, you can see the ladder that leads on top of the elevator / maintenance building that is next to the water tower.

One can simply climb the ladder, assuming he is carrying a duffel / body bag and then jump down from the top of the elevator / maintenance building to the top of the water tower.

Assuming this would be at night when everyone is sleeping as likely not to get caught.

I'm assuming its illegal to lock fire escapes...because they are there for that purpose? To escape during a fire...., so I'm safely assuming that the ladders leading up to the roof are all accessible right?

[/QUOTE]



There are metal grated doors on the windows for those staying in hotel rooms situated with a fire escape next to it.

I have one report saying they are locked and can only be open with a key by staff (or smashed open), and another report saying you just simply slide the metal grate open.

Here's what I mean

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlnOqmzwZuQ"]Cecil Hotel- downtown Los Angeles CA - YouTube[/ame]

Fast forward to 2:05

 

[Sillybilly]

I'm not sure it's set in stone that Elisa was well-adapted to rough-hewn neighborhoods, as she lived with her parents in the more suburban Burnaby, not in Vancouver proper. It's not known whether she ever lived on campus while attending UBC, not that I even know if that campus can be considered urban. She wasn't very far along in school, we know that much (her LinkedIn said she was due to graduate in 2016.) On her Tumblr, she included a few days in Vancouver in her travel itinerary, which makes me think she was staying at a hostel there to experience the heart of the city and considered it part of her "travels" from her suburban life.

Not sure where the family lived or for how long, but the restaurant is on Hastings St in in Burnaby. I used to drive by there a lot, and while that part of Hastings isn't bad, i wouldn't consider it suburban.

 

[californiared3]

Valuable pictures from Chinese bloggers heading there to try to piece out things together!!

http://bigsishead.pixnet.net/blog/post/31700229

http://pic.pimg.tw/bigsishead/1361523855-2839628419_n.jpg

 

[Turk February]

Valuable pictures from Chinese bloggers heading there to try to piece out things together!!

http://bigsishead.pixnet.net/blog/post/31700229

http://pic.pimg.tw/bigsishead/1361523855-2839628419_n.jpg

It was this image that caught my attention the most.

 

[californiared3]

So the stairs on the right of the elevators according to the evac plan is the only one with the roof access, and I'm guessing the one that is alarmed. Elisa did walk to that side after the elevator video.....

 

[Turk February]

So the stairs on the right of the elevators according to the evac plan is the only one with the roof access, and I'm guessing the one that is alarmed. Elisa did walk to that side after the elevator video.....

But what about the fire escape?

The one in the hallway, and as well as the ones in the hotel rooms.


Are those activated by an alarm as well? Or just locked? Or unlocked?

 

[californiared3]

my guess was the perp used one of the 3 fire escapes...someone would carry a duffle of her body and carry it up the roof up the ladder, then carry the body up the roof of the maintenance building next to the water tower, thats why they chose that water tower...closest to the roof, just drop down. that would be my take on how the body was moved there.

don't know if they are locked, but fire escapes under law should not be obstructed.

my thinking is it is probable the youtube video on the roof got there by that method as well. it also would show the lack of security if they were able to enter the hotel and roof to make a video. i wish the person making the video would shed some light on how he gained access.

But what about the fire escape?

The one in the hallway, and as well as the ones in the hotel rooms.


Are those activated by an alarm as well? Or just locked? Or unlocked?

 

[BlazerJH]

So the stairs on the right of the elevators according to the evac plan is the only one with the roof access, and I'm guessing the one that is alarmed. Elisa did walk to that side after the elevator video.....

Yes, to the left as you exit the elevator or to the right as you face the elevator. I would speculate she took the stairs to the roof and the door wasn't properly locked or alarmed. That would explain how she got to the roof. She may have run into some unsavory characters up there or been followed by someone if she was trying to get away.

 

[Turk February]

my guess was the perp used one of the 3 fire escapes...someone would carry a duffle of her body and carry it up the roof up the ladder, then carry the body up the roof of the maintenance building next to the water tower, thats why they chose that water tower...closest to the roof, just drop down. that would be my take on how the body was moved there.

don't know if they are locked, but fire escapes under law should not be obstructed.

my thinking is it is probable the youtube video on the roof got there by that method as well. it also would show the lack of security if they were able to enter the hotel and roof to make a video. i wish the person making the video would shed some light on how he gained access.

Then we need to confirm

A. ARE there CCTV cameras in the hallways on the SaM (stay at main hostel) and Cecil Hotel hallway floors? My friend has told me she did not see any.

B. Can people get up the fire escape through the street level?

C. Are the fire escapes locked and secure with an alarm like a fire escape door?


Also, You would need a ridiculously large duffel bag to stuff a 5'4 woman inside. Maybe something like a hockey bag, but I can't see something like this being possible just yet.


What about something simple like multiple black garbage bags wrapped up together? If you were a janitor, nobody would suspect you if you used this. I'm sure janitor staff are in operation at night. I'm also guessing they might have access to restricted areas like the rooftops as well...

 

[summer_breeze]

Good morning all!

As a reminder, WebSleuths does not permit links to psychics or psychic sites please.

With regards to social media sites, including youtube.com, please limit your links and discussion to Elisa's or mainstream media at this time. Don't introduce innocent parties into the discussion.

Don't post the quotes from Twitter or Tumblr accounts. Direct our members to these comments of interest to you.

For Example: You can post the link to Twitter and Tumblr, with the date/time of the comments you wish to discuss. You can paraphrase what these comments say.

Don't encourage people to post and don't re-post links that are not permitted on the public forum. And then delete. This is something that will earn you a forced vacation (Time out) from WebSleuths! Both parties.


I am going back through the thread now, and it is possible that I will be <modsnip> posts or removing posts that violate our Terms of Service in any way. If you quoted a post that I remove, your post will also be removed.

Thank you in advance.
~Summer_Breeze

 

[Dr Hua Sheng]

Is it possible that Elisa wanted to commit suicide, but didn't want to bring shame to her family?

Is it possible that she didn't intend to go to the organic farm, but planned to go the The Cecil Hotel all along because she was aware of its reputation?

Is it possible that she intentionally acted as if she was being followed / was drugged? (did she look at the camera?)

In an interview with the bookshop worker it was said that Elisa wanted to buy books and records for her family as presents - but why would a traveller - of which I was one for many years - want to carry books and records to an organic farm? and aren't books and records available everywhere? on Amazon etc?

Perhaps she spent the 3 / 4 nights at the hotel figuring how best to make her suicide look like a murder - to save the 'face' of her family.

I'm not saying I think this - just throwing the idea out there.