from STOMP
The body of 21-year-old Elisa Lam, the Canadian undergraduate
who had gone missing during a stay at the allegedly haunted Cecil
Hotel on Jan 31, has been found in one of the hotel's four water
tanks.
According to the Los Angeles Times, police confirmed her
identity through body markings yesterday (Feb 19) after she was
found by a maintenance worker investigating complaints about low
water pressure.
STOMPer A.N. contributed CCTV camera footage showing the young
woman acting strangely in the hotel elevator the night before she
went missing.
In the video, Lam could be seen pressing buttons for multiple
floors in the lift before stepping outside suddenly. She then looks
quickly to her left and right before moving her arms around
wildly.
According to the authorities Lam had intended to travel to Santa
Cruz as her final destination, which is about 563km north of Los
Angeles.
Police investigators say Lam remained in daily contact with her
family in Vancouver until she went missing, and never checked out
of the hotel.
She was last seen by the hostess and desk clerk, who confirmed
that she had been staying at the hotel alone. They also said that
they had not seen her with anyone else while she was there.
Hotel Cecil is known for having been home to serial killers like
Richard Ramirez, alias the 'Night Stalker', who was convicted of
killing 14 people, as well as Jack Unterweger who committed suicide
after being convicted for several murders involving
prostitutes.
Goldie Osgood, known as the 'pigeon lady of Perishing Square',
also was found choked to death in her room in 1964. Her case
remains unsolved.
These deaths have led to the Cecil Hotel acquiring a reputation
for being haunted.