The Strange Death of Elisa Lam: Part 2
9 September 2026
Deep Dive
The strange and mysterious death of Elisa Lam at the former Cecil Hotel in 2013 went from a local missing person case to a worldwide spectacle in a matter of days. When bizarre CCTV footage of some of Elisa’s movements in the hostel’s elevator went viral, internet sleuths quickly started forming increasingly outlandish theories as to what could have happened to her. But is the truth behind her tragic passing much easier to explain than the online posts would have you believe? In Part 2 of Episode 100, Chyaz explores the facts of this unusual case, addresses and debunks some of the most viral theories and highlights some of the exceptionally weird coincidences linked with the story.
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Source Shout Outs:
BBC Article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-55994935
Refinery29 Article: https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2021/02/10293283/what-happened-to-elisa-lam-cecil-hotel-timeline
Elisa Lam CCTV Footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rfLSVIA0L0
Snopes Article: https://www.snopes.com/articles/346221/elisa-lam-mystery-that-wasnt/
People Article: https://people.com/elisa-lam-cecil-hotel-case-everything-to-know-11908647
CBC Article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-woman-missing-in-l-a-described-as-caring-kind-1.1384716
Elisa Lam’s Blog: https://etherfields.blogspot.com/
Bipolar UK Website: https://www.bipolaruk.org/about-bipolar/what-is-bipolar/
Burnaby Now Archive Article: https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/burnaby-now-archive/news/condolences-notes-left-for-family-at-burnaby-restaurant-2935849
CBS News Article: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elisa-lam-case-autopsy-fails-to-find-a-cause-of-death-for-woman-found-in-los-angeles-water-tank/
Cosmopolitan Article: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/a35488625/elisa-lam-theories-cecil-hotel/
Men’s Health Article: https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a35492685/morbid-musician-cecil-hotel-elisa-lam/
LA Times Article: https://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-tb-outbreak-20130222-story.html
CNN Article: https://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/21/us/california-hotel-water-corpse
Marie Claire Article: https://www.marieclaire.com.au/latest-news/elisa-lam-dark-water/
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Themes
- Mental health and crisis
- Internet sleuthing and conspiracy culture
- Coincidence and pattern-seeking
Questions Explored
Who was Elisa Lam? + −
Elisa Lam was a 21-year-old University of British Columbia student from Vancouver who had paused her studies to travel; she blogged under the name Ether Fields and lived with Bipolar 1, according to the episode. Chyaz explains her family background, daily contact with her parents, and her time in Los Angeles in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 100: The Strange Death of Elisa Lam.
Where and when did Elisa Lam disappear, and where was her body found? + −
Elisa went missing while staying at the Cecil Hotel, initially called Stay on Main, after arriving in Los Angeles in late January 2013; she was last seen around 31 January or 1 February according to differing accounts. Her body was discovered in a rooftop water tank on 19 February 2013. Chyaz Samuel lays out this timeline in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 100: The Strange Death of Elisa Lam.
What is unusual about the elevator CCTV footage of Elisa Lam? + −
The roughly four minute elevator clip shows Elisa pressing multiple buttons, moving in and out of the open doors, making animated hand gestures as if speaking to someone unseen, and jerky movements, while the timestamp on the video is blurry and disputed. Chyaz Samuel walks through the footage and its public impact in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 100: The Strange Death of Elisa Lam.
What did the coroner conclude about Elisa Lam's cause of death and toxicology? + −
In June 2013 the coroner concluded Elisa's death was an accidental drowning, finding no signs of trauma and no evidence of illicit drugs or significant alcohol, while toxicology and items left suggested low levels of her prescribed medication. Chyaz Samuel goes into the coroner's findings and their implications in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 100: The Strange Death of Elisa Lam.
Why did conspiracy theories and online accusations grow around this case? + −
A mix of factors fuelled internet speculation: the strange elevator video, the discovery in a rooftop tank, initial conflicting reports about whether the tank hatch was open, a local TB outbreak whose test acronym mirrored Elisa's name, and mistaken online accusations against an unrelated musician. Chyaz Samuel examines these dynamics in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 100: The Strange Death of Elisa Lam.
What key questions remain about how Elisa reached the roof and why she was found in the tank naked? + −
Authorities could not fully trace Elisa's movements because CCTV coverage was incomplete; scent trails from tracking dogs ended before the roof, and early searches did not note an open hatch, leaving uncertainty over how she accessed the tank and why her clothes were found separately. Chyaz Samuel explores these unresolved details in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 100: The Strange Death of Elisa Lam.