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

[AnotherCanuck]

oh and I see it on the same side as the elevator panel (buttons) but slightly on the edge

I see what you're talking about, but I highly doubt it is a person. I think it's just a crappy camera...

 

[AnotherCanuck]

So I'm watching dark water, the japanese version right now. Has anyone else watched it? I'm only about 1/3 of the way through and really it's uncanny how many elevator scenes there are and how it's almost a focal point . I wonder if anyone else thought so. tks

I'm not going to watch it because I don't feel like not being able to sleep tonight But there are lots of elevator scenes in Asian movies. As far as I remember, the Japanese version of the Grudge, and maybe the Ring, had elevator scenes, too.

 

[walklikeacat]

Just for the record, a corpse in water is alway floating face down. This is all spelled out in the linked forensic guide.

This text gives an explanation why some corpses are floating face up, but I don´t know if it fall within the scope of scientific evidence.
http://fouzan.weebly.com/why-a-man-floats-face-down-while-women-are-not-after-drown.html

 

[houndstooth]

Oh I think there's pics, here's a couple

Here's one of the coroner on scene with the LAPD copter in the background

via news.nationalpost.com

LAFD removing the body

via http://www.enstarz.com

I've seen that same top photo without a helicopter hovering in the background.
Here is a link that says this was a 'worker', not the coroner.
Mouse over the photo to see the photoshop.

http://fotoforensics.com/analysis.php?id=a2ecc2b129f394b3554ff265133fd410ee9514c4.60339

 

[Xavier]

I am thinking if the clothes got sucked into the pipes, surely they would come out somewhere or got stuck somewhere thereby causing a choke wouldn't they? Because this is the water supply system, not the drainage system.

Also, I find it curious why the LAPD think the clothes got sucked into the pipes if they found the body "completely naked". What was it that made them come to the conclusion that she went in the tank with her clothes on?

Certain things just do not make sense in this very strange case. Hoping that someone can enlighten.

I've read Elisa was completely nude in the cistern, no clothing, no socks, no shoes

I've also read LE/Fire Dept believe the clogging of the water lines were her clothes and it's possible they know this because some of her clothing may have been stuck in the drainage valve...

Which makes me believe the perp's likely an employee, since who would've thought of dropping her clothes into a chlorinated water tank --which would pretty much cleanse/bleach off DNA, prints, etc of the perp after she was killed?

I seriously think the average perp would'nt be aware of this oppotunity to hide the crime evidence in this manner...The perp has to be someone very aware of the hotel's facilities

 

[CanManEh]

I think one of the things that is odd in this case is the amount of info that were NOT hearing I mean where this crime happend and the fact that there's that creepy video then finding her where they did the people that were in the hotel drinking the water It all says a huge bizzare and mysterious murder that normally it would be all over the news and internet . Thats what it is for me at least is the amount of news were Not getting......One more thing does anyone know if thier was a lock on the lid of the water tank and if so then aren't we looking at a worker say a janitor . Someone with a key ?

 

[bakergurl]

I don't believe its ever been asserted there wasn't more footage? They released the video they did because it was initially a missing person's case, and that was the last recorded video of her. Once the body was found it turned into a death investigation, and LE most likely doesn't have much to gain by releasing more footage to the public.

As much as we like to consider ourselves sleuths, it's LE's case to solve, not ours. They aren't obligated to release all of their evidence to us.

Yes thank you I am aware of that. Was just thinking out loud and speculating.
If nothing does come back I am hoping they have more video of her movements.
Re: solving the puzzle.

I have seen both versions of Black Water. The similarities are very striking.
After watching the video of Elisa I had nightmares as I did after watching the movies.

 

[Borris]

The flooding on the 4th floor and many other floors occured AFTER Elisa was missing...

After a room on the fourth floor flooded and others experienced weak water pressure at the Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, a maintenance worker went to check one of the large metal water cisterns on the roof on Tuesday and discovered the woman's body, the Los Angeles Times reports.


http://www.heavy.com/news/2013/02/body-found-in-tank/

What's strange is that the hotel uses a combination bathroom where the shower and toilet are in close proximity, so it always has weak water pressure, to avoid the stream from the shower head flooding the toilet area. They must have had complaints about water pressure all the time. It would be interesting if that particular cistern had nothing to do with water pressure inside the hotel.

 

[AnotherCanuck]

Anyone clue in there's another Cecil Hotel right in Elisa's parent's home Vancouver BC? This is getting weirder

The Cecil Hotel
1336 Granville Street, Vancouver Downtown, Vancouver (BC), Canada (Show on map)


http://www.agoda.com/north_america/canada/vancouver_bc/the_cecil_hotel.html

Actually, the hotel has been closed for some time now: http://www.yelp.ca/biz/cecil-hotel-vancouver

 

[Figuring]

Actually, the hotel has been closed for some time now: http://www.yelp.ca/biz/cecil-hotel-vancouver

Their restaurant was in Burnaby, which is a suburb.

 

[Chorley8]

Question in the following well known photo of Elisa is the person in the background, somewhat blurred wearing a surgical mask or more likely an anti-pollution mask as are commonly worn in polluted Chinese cities? Hopefully this link works if not it is the picture of her in plaid, glasses smiling. Thanks.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...05358621.82564.222558184447365&type=1&theater

 

[Qrious]

If there was flooding on the 4th floor the night Elisa disappeared, maybe that is what she is describing with her weird hand gesture in the video, and why she was roaming around the hotel.

If that was the case, would not it be easier for her to go to the lobby and inform the staffs there, instead of roaming around on some empty floors?

 

[noodled1]

I've seen that same top photo without a helicopter hovering in the background.
Here is a link that says this was a 'worker', not the coroner.
Mouse over the photo to see the photoshop.

http://fotoforensics.com/analysis.php?id=a2ecc2b129f394b3554ff265133fd410ee9514c4.60339

What am I supposed to see? That is says "worker" There was only three types of people on that roof once the cops arrived, Cops Coroners and firemen, there were no hotel workers in that area for probably a 10 hours easy

 

[jon999]

I think one of the things that is odd in this case is the amount of info that were NOT hearing I mean where this crime happend and the fact that there's that creepy video then finding her where they did the people that were in the hotel drinking the water It all says a huge bizzare and mysterious murder that normally it would be all over the news and internet . Thats what it is for me at least is the amount of news were Not getting......One more thing does anyone know if thier was a lock on the lid of the water tank and if so then aren't we looking at a worker say a janitor . Someone with a key ?

To me, it's another indication that LE is pretty sure it's an accident/suicide. If there's no murder and no one is in danger, releasing more infos about Elisa's death would just tarnish her reputation and memory.

Or maybe it was the perfect crime and they have no clue whatsoever.

 

[AnotherCanuck]

So we are supposed to be believing every word quoted in the MSM here?

Snipped because the only thing I want to comment on is...What does MSM mean? There are lots of abbreviations used here that i don't recognize and I can't find a list or anything.

 

[kingsway]

I know right. It doesn't make sense to me either. Her gym shorts can be sucked into the pipes? The water current is able to suck the shorts, elastic fastening around her waist and all, from her waist all the way down past her ankles so it can get whirled into the water pipe? :waitasec:

And her sandals too?? Or do they have their own theory about the sandals they are not revealing? Or have they found it? Hmm... what a mystery. I don't really get this part of the police reasoning. But since they are keeping mum about most aspects of this case, I suppose we may never know unless they say so...

Well we don't know how big the exit pipe is from the water tank, nor the currents in the water tank. If it's anything like a washing machine, then all sorts of things can happen. I know my socks always disappear inside another piece of clothing, or how things turn inside-out.

As for the other information you provided, if accurate, they provide a rough time frame for when Elisa disappeared. She didn't make it down to her room again. This is assuming that she or her assailant didn't decide to take the stairs up from her room, otherwise Elisa would have a more recent video of herself in an elevator.

 

[esuma]

I've been thinking today.

I believe her last post on her twitter was "SPEAKEASY"
So EL went to SPEAKEASY, "hoping no creeps will follow her" (late post on her tumbler)
It may be a creepy bar close to Cecil.
She got drugged with bath salts.
She went back to Cecil, body temperature shot up so that's why she wore shorts and flip-flops.
Negative effects of bath salts start to happen in the elevator.
She becomes too hot so goes up to the roof (or led there by someone) to cool off
Her clothes come off (this may not be true)
Sadly, had to go to a water tank (was the water cold?)

 

[AnotherCanuck]

Their restaurant was in Burnaby, which is a suburb.

Yes, it apparently is in North Burnaby, which is actually quite a ways from Vancouver itself. Not sure why that's relevant though? :waitasec:

 

[kingsway]

To me, it's another indication that LE is pretty sure it's an accident/suicide. If there's no murder and no one is in danger, releasing more infos about Elisa's death would just tarnish her reputation and memory.

Or maybe it was the perfect crime and they have no clue whatsoever.

Not the perfect crime since there were so many screw ups. If the hotel had contacted police the first day she didn't check out, or if the police had looked inside the water tanks, or if Elisa didn't press the hold button in the elevator.

 

[Chorley8]

Question: she seemed to have a limited amount of money for travelling yet obviously wanted to travel. Why go to Toronto and THEN soon after head down to California? Seems to be a strain on her limited resources - how much time separated her return from Toronto from her departure to San Diego? Someone asked how she came to be on the George Stromboloulos TV set not sure if that got answered.

Did she fly to and from Toronto?
We know she stayed in a hostel on College Street in Toronto - by the way for those going over and over the word/name "Cecil" yes there is a Cecil street close to the hostel.
I realize some posts haven't liked the Ching Hai direction but IF we can find out that the farm she wanted to work on was linked to that movement and IF she visited the restaurant Loving Hut in Toronto and San Diego - that would be interesting and signficant IMO. I have emphasized that it does NOT mean that the movement is a cult - it sounds like there are many very idealistic aspects which would catch they eye of a spirited youth. Let's face it it is a fact that lots of young people disappear into groups some people call "cults" and never emerge again - I knew people when young who joined the Children of God (now The Family) and are STILL joining and in fact creating their own new groups.....forty years later. It is interesting to consider because they have the power to engineer things to some extent, they have money, power.