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The police investigated first the disappearance of Elisa, there first assumption was indeed foul play, interviewing I think every employee in the hotel to see if she was seen with anyone, as well as a book store owner where she went to that day. The police investigated again when her body was found, some pictures show a team of investigators on that roof apparently combing the roof for evidence, of which there was apparently none to indicate anyone else was involved. They investigated also some of the more suspect residents at that hotel, I think that was made public. Other than that, I don't think details of the investigation - i.e. detective notes, etc. were made public in that much detail, but I am not sure that is common practice anyways.
The only thing that stands out however is they never did a rape kit on her body. Why I am not sure but it's likely based on them seeing no signs of trauma in the autopsy that they concluded one was not needed.
One thing however - from the elevator she went straight to the roof, and the elevator does not show anyone else present.
Her parents, by the way, also sued the hotel for negligence in her death for allowed their daughter easy access to the roof. So apparently they also accepted the police findings and ruled out foul play.
They did do a rape kit. It's enumerated in detail in the autopsy report although I can't find any results online. The autopsy report also states the anus was edematous with blood pooled in the subcutaneous tissues around the anus. I've read other unattributed reports saying she had a rectal prolapse.
The coroner's investigator also stated the tank lid was removable, not hinged, supported by this story, where the fire dept is cutting the tank open to retrieve her body. Other reports have said the hatch barely accommodated her body. Since the coroner did not weigh her body, it's hard to say how bloated it had become. However, the picture shows how ludicrous it is to believe she climbed up to that tank, took the cover off, and slithered through the opening. https://allthatsinteresting.com/elisa-lam-death
My opinion is that she was a victim of foul play, the autopsy was cursory, and investigators weren't excited about dealing with another Cecil Hotel problem.
[This should be in the True Crime forum, not the Paranormal.]
The police investigated first the disappearance of Elisa, there first assumption was indeed foul play, interviewing I think every employee in the hotel to see if she was seen with anyone, as well as a book store owner where she went to that day. The police investigated again when her body was found, some pictures show a team of investigators on that roof apparently combing the roof for evidence, of which there was apparently none to indicate anyone else was involved. They investigated also some of the more suspect residents at that hotel, I think that was made public. Other than that, I don't think details of the investigation - i.e. detective notes, etc. were made public in that much detail, but I am not sure that is common practice anyways.
The only thing that stands out however is they never did a rape kit on her body. Why I am not sure but it's likely based on them seeing no signs of trauma in the autopsy that they concluded one was not needed.
One thing however - from the elevator she went straight to the roof, and the elevator does not show anyone else present.
Her parents, by the way, also sued the hotel for negligence in her death for allowed their daughter easy access to the roof. So apparently they also accepted the police findings and ruled out foul play.
Regarding the rape kit, my thoughts on that would be that there was a level of decomposition, and the water that she was in was not simple water like an ocean, or a lake or a river. It was water that had chlorine and other things in it that would very probably destroy DNA In a matter of days which since there was obviously some decomposition going on it might’ve been useless to do a rape kit.
Plus the fact that I think they would be able to tell if there was some sort of an assault that had happened. I think bruising would still be there probably more pronounced.
However, the picture shows how ludicrous it is to believe she climbed up to that tank, took the cover off, and slithered through the opening.
The picture shows the wrong angle - the building on the roof has a vertical ladder from the roof to the top of the building, and from there is it easy to drop to the water tanks. Besides, if one was to assume it was ludicrous to believe she climbed to the tank, it would be much more ludicrous to beleive someone carried her up to the tank. I mentioned all this already.
Below is the a better angle - see the ladder on the right of roof building? It's amazing most blogs on the Elisa Lam case ignore that. I think also the water tanks itself had some attached ladders (hard to get an angle to see).
As for cover - hinged or not really doesn't matter. As I said it may have simply been off and not replace due to lazy maintenance, it was likely stamped steel and lightweight regardless since obviously it was meant to be opened for servicing activities. I mentioned all this already. If she can open a cookie jar, she likely could have opened a hatch like that.
By the way there is/was a thread in the true crimes forum that, once again, I mentioned this (or linked to) already.
Thanks, topic has gotten around. Glancing at the LA thread, lots of misinformation however.
This is really a good example of Occam's razor. There is nothing normal in this case, because it involves a person with a medical condition to cause her to act abnormally, thus there will always be an element of the unexplanable, and a huge audience to entertain other causes, and people to exploit it via blogs, youtube videos, TV shows, etc. - but still the rules apply: "the simplest explanation is usually the correct one". We can obviously rule out the supernatural, and we can rule out foul play because of the additional complexity and the total lack of evidence.
They did do a rape kit. It's enumerated in detail in the autopsy report although I can't find any results online. The autopsy report also states the anus was edematous with blood pooled in the subcutaneous tissues around the anus. I've read other unattributed reports saying she had a rectal prolapse.
The coroner's investigator also stated the tank lid was removable, not hinged, supported by this story, where the fire dept is cutting the tank open to retrieve her body. Other reports have said the hatch barely accommodated her body. Since the coroner did not weigh her body, it's hard to say how bloated it had become. However, the picture shows how ludicrous it is to believe she climbed up to that tank, took the cover off, and slithered through the opening. https://allthatsinteresting.com/elisa-lam-death
My opinion is that she was a victim of foul play, the autopsy was cursory, and investigators weren't excited about dealing with another Cecil Hotel problem.
[This should be in the True Crime forum, not the Paranormal.]
I have to agree with you on this. Even a woman in the midst of a manic episode isn’t going to look at a tank like that and think, hey, I need to be inside there. That is ridiculous to think so. Not to mention how could she even get up there and then make it look like the tank wasn’t messed with in the first place.
So let’s think of something plausible. She was messing around in the halls, caught the attention of a bad dude, who killed her. He must have had knowledge of the roof and the tank, and thought, the best way to stash her body is to put it in that tank and buy a couple weeks, instead of trying to take it down through the lower levels and someone seeing him.
Thanks, topic has gotten around. Glancing at the LA thread, lots of misinformation however.
This is really a good example of Occam's razor. There is nothing normal in this case, because it involves a person with a medical condition to cause her to act abnormally, thus there will always be an element of the unexplanable, and a huge audience to entertain other causes, and people to exploit it via blogs, youtube videos, TV shows, etc. - but still the rules apply: "the simplest explanation is usually the correct one". We can obviously rule out the supernatural, and we can rule out foul play because of the additional complexity and the total lack of evidence.
I don’t agree that you can rule out foul play. Lack of evidence only works if something happens and it is plausible that the victim died without assistance.
What’s plausible about her dying by her own hands, whether intentional or not, in a case with details like this?
Like I stated before, if she jumped to her death, case closed. No reason to think someone pushed her. But this is something else.
I don’t agree that you can rule out foul play. Lack of evidence only works if something happens and it is plausible that the victim died without assistance.
What’s plausible about her dying by her own hands, whether intentional or not, in a case with details like this?
Like I stated before, if she jumped to her death, case closed. No reason to think someone pushed her. But this is something else.
If you haven't, you don't understand. I don't either, but I've read several testaments on this from sufferers in reddit, there are several in the crime threads that had a relative, and related to the event. The delusions, the paranoia, the losing touch with reality, the risk taking. None of us would understand. What happened to Elisa was not a supernatural event (I think we all agree on that at least), not a conspiracy, not a crime...it was a tragedy.
If you haven't, you don't understand. I don't either, but I've read several testaments on this from sufferers in reddit, there are several in the crime threads that had a relative, and related to the event. The delusions, the paranoia, the losing touch with reality, the risk taking. None of us would understand. What happened to Elisa was not a supernatural event (I think we all agree on that at least), not a conspiracy, not a crime...it was a tragedy.
That’s an opinion, but sorry, I don’t buy it. The writer is comparing what happened to this woman to riding a bike in traffic. Seriously?
It’s very easy to jump on a bike and drift into traffic. It’s very easy to go to the roof and jump.
It’s just too difficult for her to get into that tank by herself, regardless of frame of mind.
That’s the problem I have. Apparently for you, it’s not a problem at all. We’ll just have to disagree on this one.
I have no problem with you believing that she was alone, but for you to completely discount the possibility of foul play just doesn’t work for me.
Thanks, topic has gotten around. Glancing at the LA thread, lots of misinformation however.
That thread was started just after the crime/accident/incident occurred. I can't help but think if Lam's parents had lived in this country and had been notified immediately of her disappearance, we would know a lot more about what really happened.
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Solly says — Be nice!
