I have been reading about this case for a while but have not chimed in until now. I am amazed at the amount of info thathas been deduced by everyone with little to go on. Very good. I find myself fascinated by this case as I have been with others in the past such as JtR, another bizarre and incredibly mysterious red herring. Have been trying to put together a scenario that fits everyithing including the video and I think i may have one.
When I was first told about this case a day or two after Elisa was found I read some MS news reports and watched the elevator video. Immediately my gut feeling (always trust my gut) even before knowing some of the inner workings of the Cecilas uncovered here, was that a staff memeber was involved. The video is definiely bizarre and prob is not as significant as everyone thinks and only serves to muddy the waters. But what about this? Elisa decided to head up to the rooftop to take pics or see the lights at night or whatever. She entered the roof throught the stairwell door and DID set off the alarm in the lobby. Security/night watchman/doorman was alone at his post and heads up to investigate or has already seen elisa heading up on the CCTV. Upon noticing that this is a lone young girl, and possibly knowing that she was planning to check out (buys perp more coverup time) or has been 'keeping an eye on her', perp decides to act.
Perp heads upstairs, either stair or elevator and uses his key to 'lock' elevator. (I believe most have a key hole in the hallway by up and down buttons). Elisa on roof hears perp come through the door and heads down fire escape, (or perp entrance and her exit could be vice versa). Elisa heads down hurriedly, losing glasses in process but being spooked and realizing someone has pursied her she carries on (could have slipped on the ladder and dropped off fire escape). Getting to the 15th floor the sound of her goign through the grate tips off perp that she has gone down off the roof and he goes down the opposite waythat she did. Or he was calling to her and she fled. Elisa reaches elevator and a bit flummoxed but much more calm as she hears no one apporaching presses the buttons and waits nothing happening. Hears door close. Peeks into hall, nothing. Becomes more tense, hides in corner. Upon coming out from corner can hear perp coming, possibly calling out to her. She hears perp coming (or sees him in the mirror) or she has been spotted and recognizing him as hotel employee she lets her guard down and 'jumps' out in a playful manner, thinking shes only busted for being on the roof and trying to lighten the mood. Perp says soemthing like 'Miss what are you doing on the roof at this houryou shouldn't be up there, why didn't you stop when i called' She puts her hands to her head (classic child's 'busted' pose) as she tries to talk her way out of it. Perp persists 'you are trespassing, come along with me'. Elisa thinking this is bs heads back into elevator looking fed up tries buttons again including door close perp says 'elevator is locked and isn't going anywhere, come with me your'e in trouble' or 'elevator is broken youll have to take the stairs' She comes out a final time and gestures are her saying something to the effect of 'i'm jus trying to go down and i don't know whats going on here with the elevators'. Feeling spooked she does not turn directly to perp who is in the hallway and keeps her back half to the elevator this whole time. The finger counting is her pleading that 'i'm lost, lost my glasses you scared me, i just want to go' perp insists she come along, finally seeing no recourse whe goes along and while being led perp grabs her from behind, covers mouth and takes her quickly either to roof or vacant room/utility room and assaults her, prob suffocates her during assault and already had tanks in mind as dumping place.
Sorry this is real long and probably reads like a stream of consiousness style, but my gut is screaming employee right now. Employee might know that she was cheking out that morn and would buy him some time before anyone came looking for her. Perhaps she had previously mentioned she was 'drifting' around cali and he saw a chance that night, or seeing she was alone he had an eye on her. Her glasses, room key, phone and clothes will be huge clues in this case. There is an unsubstantiated chinese report that an employee was found in possession of her room key. If this is indeed the case he could have removed items from her room that identified her afterwards (phone, glasses, computer, wallet, etc.) and destroyed them or hidden them.
