CA/Canada - Elisa Lam - 21 years old - Los Angeles/Vancouver - 31-Jan-2013 - #4

[four_seasons]

Thanks. Can anyone translate what they're saying (if important)?

I find it interesting that two of the water tanks have the lids off. Still. It's like an invitation to put another body in there. You'd think they'd have at least covered all 4 tanks up in light of recent events...

I'll leave the translation to Anansie, I think she's doing a great job at it and better than what I can do.

As for the lids on the tanks, I can understand about the one where EL's body was found. But why is the other one open as well? Are we going to find another body in there?

 

[FiveFelines]

Also, the climb up the fire escape (even just 1 floor) looks harrowing. I'm not scared of heights and I'd be freaked out. Makes me wonder:

If EL was in some sort of delusional/drugged state, could she really climb that ladder w/o falling?

If she was suicidal, I guess she could be motivated, although you'd think she'd just jump off the ladder/roof.

I doubt someone could haul a dead body up that.

Conclusions du jour:

1. EL went up the ladder willingly with a friend or by herself but sane and sober (maybe with the goal of seeing the view).

2. EL knew the fire door wasn't always alarmed (someone told her? she tried it before?) and went up that way, either alone or with someone.

OR

3. EL was killed elsewhere and brought to the roof via the door by someone who knew the door wasn't always alarmed or locked. Or someone who had a key.

 

[FiveFelines]

I'll leave the translation to Anansie, I think she's doing a great job at it and better than what I can do.

As for the lids on the tanks, I can understand about the one where EL's body was found. But why is the other one open as well? Are we going to find another body in there?

Honestly, I'm surprised they haven't covered them both up. It just seems like a hazard. Not that this hotel seems particularly safety-conscious.

 

[anansie]

Thanks. Can anyone translate what they're saying (if important)?

I find it interesting that two of the water tanks have the lids off. Still. It's like an invitation to put another body in there. You'd think they'd have at least covered all 4 tanks up in light of recent events...

I already translated that video. Its in my previous post here :

[ame="http://websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8958896&postcount=463"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - Found Deceased CA/Canada - Elisa Lam - 21 years old - Los Angeles/Vancouver - 31-Jan-2013 - #4[/ame]

 

[four_seasons]

a closer look of the the tank where EL died:
(notice where the pipe is on the side and pretty small)

[ame="http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/1h7_XyJLxE0/"]Ë®ÏäÌØд_ÔÚÏßÊÓƵ¹Û¿´_ÍÁ¶¹ÍøÊÓƵ Ë®ÏäÌØд[/ame]

 

[anansie]

Honestly, I'm surprised they haven't covered them both up. It just seems like a hazard. Not that this hotel seems particularly safety-conscious.

One reason why we should probably only drink bottled water when living in a hotel - especially a cheaper one.

 

[four_seasons]

I already translated that video. Its in my previous post here :

Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - Found Deceased CA/Canada - Elisa Lam - 21 years old - Los Angeles/Vancouver - 31-Jan-2013 - #4

i thought you did but i just couldn't find the post. Thanks.

 

[Borris]

I already translated that video. Its in my previous post here :

Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - Found Deceased CA/Canada - Elisa Lam - 21 years old - Los Angeles/Vancouver - 31-Jan-2013 - #4

I think this is another of your translations? It's very good!

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8947313#post8947313"]Found Deceased CA/Canada - Elisa Lam - 21 years old - Los Angeles/Vancouver - 31-Jan-2013 - #3 - Page 51 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community[/ame]

 

[four_seasons]

One reason why we should probably only drink bottled water when living in a hotel - especially a cheaper one.

I will never drink from the hotel's tap. No matter how expensive the hotel is.
we always buy bottled water and just bring it in.

 

[Sillybilly]

Guys who wear bow ties and suspenders are well-dressed?

Oookay.

I guess i should send my avatar into storage :floorlaugh:

 

[Borris]

The fire escape seen in the videos which allows roof-access is enclosed with a chute near the roof-top, hard to bring a body up through that.

 

[four_seasons]

I think this is another of your translations? It's very good!

Found Deceased CA/Canada - Elisa Lam - 21 years old - Los Angeles/Vancouver - 31-Jan-2013 - #3 - Page 51 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

Anansie does a GREAT job at translating them. This is why I think we need to have a thread just for the translations because they are not available elsewhere and it's valuable information for others.

 

[four_seasons]

The fire escape seen in the videos which allows roof-access is enclosed with a chute near the roof-top, hard to bring a body up through that.

there are 3 different fire escape routes.
the one that this group used is easy access:

http://bbs.tianya.cn/post-free-3077181-100.shtml#ty_vip_look[VB%E8%B0%83%E6%9F%A5]

 

[Qrious]

I'm extremely nearsighted. My contact prescription is -7.5 and -8, so that's pretty bad. If she were as nearsighted as I am, she absolutely would have to look that close at the buttons. Without my contacts or glasses, I can only see my hand clearly if it's about 2 inches from my face...

Mind if I ask, if she were as nearsighted as you are, in your opinion, would she be able to stride into the elevator and dart in and out the way she did?

 

[FiveFelines]

a closer look of the the tank where EL died:
(notice where the pipe is on the side and pretty small)

Ë®ÏäÌØд_ÔÚÏßÊÓƵ¹Û¿´_ÍÁ¶¹ÍøÊÓƵ Ë®ÏäÌØд

Thanks. Yes, and opening at the top is larger than I thought from other pics of it. Also interesting that the wooden ladder (which I thought was placed there by maintenance or LE) is still there. It's almost like LE came in, did their thing, took away her body, and everything else was just left as-is. Good job, Cecil Hotel.

 

[jetsetsam]

"why would I kill someone and dump the body on the premise I live in or work at"

Because the emotional impulse to kill or abuse outweighed the instinct for caution.

And once EL was dead, it would be hard to remove the body from the hotel, unless you were a guest.

A guest could take the body out in a large suitcase.

But an employee or a long-term resident would be concerned about being caught, or seen, leaving with a large bag. And lots of employees would use the garbage disposal system, so that wouldn't be an obvious solution either.

 

[FiveFelines]

"why would I kill someone and dump the body on the premise I live in or work at"

Because the emotional impulse to kill or abuse outweighed the instinct for caution.

And once EL was dead, it would be hard to remove the body from the hotel, unless you were a guest.

A guest could take the body out in a large suitcase.

But an employee or a long-term resident would be concerned about being caught, or seen, leaving with a large bag. And lots of employees would use the garbage disposal system, so that wouldn't be an obvious solution either.

Right. Presumably the same reasons why someone would kill someone and then bury the body in their yard or whatever. That's why I don't think the perp (if there is one) is a crafty serial killer. I think it's somebody who killed her on impulse and then needed to hide the body.

 

[Borris]

Anansie does a GREAT job at translating them. This is why I think we need to have a thread just for the translations because they are not available elsewhere and it's valuable information for others.

I was reading in Anansie's translation that there is a water-in / water-out set-up for the tank. I don't see how you can get 3/4 full of water down to 1/4 tank like that. I thought they may have drained it to get the body out, but that would leave a residue ring. Maybe the initial reports of the 3/4 tank were incorrect.

 

[Xavier]

"why would I kill someone and dump the body on the premise I live in or work at"

Because the emotional impulse to kill or abuse outweighed the instinct for caution.

And once EL was dead, it would be hard to remove the body from the hotel, unless you were a guest.

A guest could take the body out in a large suitcase.

But an employee or a long-term resident would be concerned about being caught, or seen, leaving with a large bag. And lots of employees would use the garbage disposal system, so that wouldn't be an obvious solution either.

Good points JetSet -- But consider too the long term residents @ the Cecil have been there for a long, long time from what posters have said

And maybe these resident's know they don't get bothered much at all by the hotel staff

Maybe it's a long term resident, who feels they can fly under the hotel staff's radar and knows how to avoid detection and unusual, unused rooms, areas of the hotel...IMHO a long term resident would likely know more about the location of the water tanks and how the hotel operates than a guest on a 2-3 day layover

 

[anansie]

I feel dumb, lol
Prior to this Elisa Lam case, I have never known about water tanks on hotel rooftops. I just never even knew that the water in hotels may not come from taps!
Oh well.. its definitely bottled water in hotels for me from now on...