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Project 3

As we further investigate the tragic story of Elisa Lam and her death, we begin to realize what many believe really happened to the young sharp college student. There are two main conspiracy theories about the mysterious death of Elisa lam one of which include an accidental death. The second and much more fascinating theory is that the death of Elisa Lam was caused by the actions of paranormal activity. Once we begin to debrief these theories, we will gain a more realistic conclusion on what happened to Elisa Lam and discover the unknowns of her death.

Many speculations began to rise which then created conspiracy theories about the death of Elisa. These theories included everything from foul play to the supernatural. The main theory that many seem to gravitate towards it was the death of Elisa Lam caused by the supernatural. Many individuals consider this theory to be true based on the eerie number of murder cases that have taken place at the hotel Elisa was staying in. The most realistic theory for Elisa’s case is that foul play was involved due to the fact that Elisa was staying in the hotel by herself. There are numerous factors that influence these theories, and we simply cannot decide what really happened to Elisa Lam until we look at the facts. 

As we take a look at the theories created from the death of Elisa the first conspiracy theory that is widely accepted and much more realistic is that Elisa Lam committed suicide. “On February 19, 2013, Lam’s body was found inside a water tank on the roof of the Cecil Hotel” (Cantrell 1). “She was discovered wearing the same clothes and her body barely had blood due to the decomposition” (1). Guests at the Cecil Hotel began to complain about issues with the water supply in their rooms. “A few guests staying at the Cecil Hotel reported a strange odor or dark color in their water. Some even reported that the water had an odd taste to it” (1). Elisa Lam was also facing challenges with her bipolar disorder and was inconsistent with her medications which included antidepressants and antipsychotics. “Elisa’s family described that she had failed to take her medication in the past, which led to her experiencing hallucinations, and, in at least one instance, she was hospitalized” (Weston 1). 

This conspiracy theory assisted LAPD to make the Elisa Lam case as “Solved” even though this is the most realistic incident that occurred to Elisa Lam “missing too many doses of her medication and suffered a psychotic break that, when given the opportunity, led her to commit suicide” (1). We cannot draw to conclusion that this is what truly happened. When the death of Elisa Lam was announced it became headline news in which the reported information became tainted by the media. 

The second conspiracy theory regarding the death of Elisa Lam’s death was a result of paranormal activity. This theory was created by the media once eerie footage of Elisa Lam was released of her portraying odd behavior on the hotel elevator. The video, which “shows Lam getting in and out of an elevator with the door stuck open, pushing random buttons, making strange gestures and movements, and looking terrified, became an internet storm due to the unusual behaviors Lam was exhibiting” (1). Many believed that this was due to paranormal activity since the Cecil Hotel in which Lam was staying in has had a long history for being known for not only suicides but also “murders, violence and even paranormal sightings” (1). This conspiracy theory was blown out of proportion due to the media and once the last sighting of Elisa Lam was release of her in the Cecil Hotel elevator. 

One key factor that disregards the death of Elisa Lam being due to suicide is the fact that once a toxicology report was conducted on Lam it showed tests did detect trace amounts of alcohol and Lam's prescription medication she took for her bipolar disorder and depression, but the exact amounts of the medication could not be determined. Months after Elisa Lam’s body was recovered, a toxicology report confirmed that “she didn’t have any illegal drugs in her system when she died.” It also confirmed that she “wasn’t intoxicated”(Weston 1). This determines that Elisa Lam most likely did not commit suicide. Although the coroner’s office ruled her death as an “accidental drowning,” the strange details of Lam’s case have fueled rampant speculation about what may have really happened(Ishak 1). Even though Elisa Lam was faced with numerous challenges involving her mental health many strongly feel that suicide was not the cause of her death and is just one of the many theories that was sparked due to the media.

As we analyze and consider the paranormal activity theory, we can conclude that this was not the factor that led to Elisa Lam’s death. They found no evidence of any sort of injury or trauma, nothing to indicate foul play. “There was no evidence of sexual assault, nor of any compounding factors that might have contributed to her death” (1). There are many pieces missing to reach a solid in the end, the mysterious death of the 21-year-old college student was caused due to an accidental drowning at the ominous Cecil Hotel located in Los Angeles, California. Will the death of Elisa Lam remain a mystery or will the truth unfold some day?