Morbid Mystery: The Death of Elisa Lam

Sometimes the rational explanation is the most likely explanation.
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**CREDITS**
Mortician: Caitlin Doughty
Writing & Research: Louise Hung (@LouiseHung1)
Editor & Graphics: Landis Blair (@landisblair)
**Read More**
“Elisa Lam Drowned in a Water Tank Three Years Ago, but the Obsession with Her Death Lives On”
www.vice.com/en_us/article/3b...
“Negligence Lawsuit Dismissed After Downtown LA Hotel Water Tank Death”
www.nbclosangeles.com/news/lo...
“Cecil Hotel Employee Explains How He Found the Body of Elisa Lam”
laist.com/2015/10/01/elisa_lam...
“‘The Water Did Have a Funny Taste’: Body is Found In Water Tank at ‘Cursed’ Cecil Hotel”
www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...
“The Strange Death of Elisa Lam”
www.snopes.com/fact-check/dea...
Elevator surveillance footage: • Elisa Lam Video
Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places, Colin Dickey. Penguin Books. 2016.
Autopsy report: / elisa-lam-s-autopsy-re...

[@sierracrowe7077]

I hate how this case has become so much of a ghost story or urban legend to the internet that people forget that Elisa was an actual girl that died.

[@jaceyrogers5244]

The elevator footage is strange but why was is edited down before it was released? The hotel also has a crazy history and a lot of facts don’t add up

[@isitoveryet9525]

Guess it’s better than never being known about in the first place, like most people.

[@nissan300ztt]

people die everyday. Its a mystery and will always be a mystery.

[@HunterDriguez]

@@isitoveryet9525 it’s not doing Elisa much good. What’s the point of having notoriety if you’re dead?

[@heatherkeathley9124]

How are they forgetting that a girl named Elisa actually died by telling the story and investigating it? The story is literally about Elisa.... A GIRL WHO ACTUALLY DIED..... smh. I swear I wonder if some people type things to be sarcastic or if they really think its clever? Your comment is completely absurd. Lol. No one is forgetting she died. 😂🤔

[@GuadalupeGuacamole]

“Elisa Lam was a human being...”🖤🖤🖤Your compassion and dignity is always apparent & foremost.🖤🖤🖤

[@wolpertinger.]

NY Nurse unless she’s talking about men or white people, or god forbid, white men.

[@JLynnEchelon]

It upsets me that a lot of people seem to forget this. She was a real woman, not a fictional character.

[@WeatherMondacicci]

@@wolpertinger. What do you mean by this?

[@greenlemon5259]

@@wolpertinger. what

[@BehindTheGreenEyes]

@@wolpertinger. What.

[@Nessainthebuilding]

I think the worse thing the cops did was release that elevator footage. It's not like she's the first person to go missing and end up dead because of psychosis but because of that elevator footage people became obsessed with her

[@laurenc.2889]

Not only that, but the “internet sleuths” started accusing a guy who had been there a year before and wasn’t even near the hotel when she died. They literally started harassing him just because he was into death metal and it got so bad, the police started questioning him and they labeled him as a suspect on tv. It was so ridiculous and yeah, that footage never should have been released to the public. They turned it into a circus.

[@Romy---]

America. No respect for privacy, not for the living and not for the dead.

[@isitoveryet9525]

This was almost destined to become a spectacle bc of how it played out. The footage, the way the story kept changing in the media, the TB testing taking place at the apartment built across the street.

[@sweetheart_cosplays]

It should have been a good thing, because there was something off about the speed and timing of the footage. That it could have been edited should have been a huge cue to people

[@aimeekrieg9932]

@@sweetheart_cosplays the video has been edited...there's almost a minute missing...done by someone inside or police...thats the key we're all missing!! Wish they'd show it

[@georgeNconrad]

I have bipolar disorder too and prior to getting on pills (20+ years ago) would do stuff like this. One time I got into conversation with “ghosts” in a graveyard and was found asleep on a grave, convinced that I had to protect the person there.

[@rocker76m88]

My daughter did the same thing when she had a mental break down. She was thinking she was acting rationally, when we could clearly see she was not. We had to call the police so she could be taken to the hospital. I only wish someone would have helped Elisa.

[@TheQueerTailor]

As another person with mental illness, and the loved one of someone with BPD, I am so sorry you had to go through that. Mental illness is such a cruel mistress. I think though that it also says something really beautiful about you as a person that even when your brain was hurting so much that you weren’t even in control your brain wanted to protect someone you didn’t even know. I’m so glad people were able to find you and help you stay safe.

[@richbrake9910]

thanks for the honesty and giving info to help people understand it probably was not foul play.

[@katyaannagoodday]

Thank you for sharing. I have bipolar as well and have done some impulsive and reckless things and didn't dawn on me until later how abnormal it seemed to others but was normal symptomatic behavior for someone with my diagnosis.

[@user-yv2cz8oj1k]

Unfortunately medication in some parts of the world seems to be the only answer doctors give, and when given for so long they can have extremely harmful effects, just look at people like Chris Cornell, totally unexpected tragedies that just come out of the blue.

[@katieb.1184]

This is the *first time* that I have heard the lid was still open! That changes my view on the entire thing.

[@mazzuua2200]

@@BlurryBigfoot OMG WHAT

[@antwanr5058]

@@BlurryBigfoot I'm also not entirely sure what happened nor will I jump to a conclusion, but you have to play devils advocate with yourself as well. It is against any sort of safety regulation to not have an air tight seal on a rooftop water tank or any water tank for that matter. I find it hard to believe that there was no lid. I know what I'm looking at in that picture but that doesnt explain how ludicrous it would be for this hotel to have a water tank with no lid. Was it removed so they could try and get the body out? Maybe. Was the tank built with no lid? Very highly unlikely. Especially considering there was routine maintenance obviously considering the maintenance guy found her. All of this seems far to fishy for suicide. Although the maintenance guy said the hatch was open, key word "open". He also stated that you need keys to get on the roof in the first place. Did they just leave in unlocked? Did they pay no attention to an apparent water tank with no lid? Doubtful. Idk what happened but it's not as though your points are gonna inspire 100% accuracy on your end. Also seeing one or maybe 2 pictures of a city rooftop does not equal = she loved taking pictures from rooftops. That's a stretch and a half. Nonetheless interesting points.

[@antwanr5058]

@@BlurryBigfoot I was making a point about the no lid thing. I didn't think it was possible for there to be " no lid" I'm not denying reports.

[@LadyAnneJT]

@@antwanr5058 The video shown on this blog clearly shows the top was open. Leaving a water tank with no lid is illegal. Everything from acid rain to bird poop can fall into the tank. A bit of common sense here, folks.

[@brandyhinds9732]

ikr!!! every other video said it was shut!

[@amcaesar]

This is a nice, sensitive job with this incident.

[@desi1790]

Bill Scurry yes Caitlin always handles topics with class and respect and compassion

[@mimicrono]

Bill Scurry I cannot agree more.

[@amcaesar]

Yes she does!

[@jenniferbrewer5370]

I can see why Caitlin is so good at what she does. She CARES.

[@putri7659]

Bill, you have so many skin. Give me some

[@christmastiger]

This story is so heartbreaking, imagine struggling with mental health issues and being essentially alone and away from your friends and family during a mental break, and tragically dying. Then imagine for years having tons and tons of crackpot true crime enthusiasts speculate that you were possessed by demons or talking to ghosts. It's so disrespectful towards a human being that going through a really hard time having her entire life on display and her death under such public scrutiny. Thank you for handling this case respectfully and empathetically.

[@joohoneybun]

i completely agree. and it just further pushes people into believing all mentally ill people are "crazy" and "loony". i hate reading the comment section to these kinds of issues sometimes. sighs.

[@christmastiger]

@@joohoneybun I came back to this after watching the Netflix documentary just to remind myself there are people reporting respectfully about Elisa like in this video. The amount of focus they put on internet sleuths and their wild theories instead of the facts of the case and Elisa's humanity was really depressing. Thanks Ron Howard for making things worse instead of better for her friends and family. I hope she can finally find peace one day.

[@longlostsub33]

I definitely believe the spirit angle, I've seen and herd a lot of things in my life, to know these things exist. There could have been a mixture of mental illness and evil entities. Like I've mentioned a lot of evil has been in and out of the cecil. There are just some things science can't explain

[@sitcomsTV]

In the past people would say a demon was taking over someone's soul. Because there was no concept of mental illness like there is now. So in a way.. people are just that ignorant today as they were in the 16 century. That a depressing tough!

[@fernandacappucci8412]

Imagine having your case dismissed just because you were bipolar, and having people pity you instead of trying to find out what actually happened to you, now that's heartbreaking. I'd rather have dudebros speculate about ghosts than the police literally saying: "nahhh this bitch was crazy, totally killed herself on accident, case closed"

[@vanessarichardson110]

I think she climbed into the tank herself because she was convinced something was after her in the midst of a mental health break of psychosis. She was probably beginning the psychosis episode when she traveled by herself. Her being alone made it worse. A similar story happened to a young lady where I live, she was found frozen in the woods on the other side of town, no foul play. They become paranoid and hide and unintentionally put themselves in danger.

[@darran311]

Same happened with my great aunt and she drown in a nearby river

[@vanessarichardson110]

@@darran311 it is unfortunate...

[@pirobot668beta]

Due to my condition, I cannot travel. If I can't readily see reminders of home, my anxiety goes out of control. Feelings of persecution, abandonment and paranoia become my reality. Two days and I am a wreck. The urge to flee is nearly unbearable, but where to go?

[@aunabreslingaming3279]

Exactly what i thought too..

[@FeedScrn]

A good deduction... It certainly appears with the footage that she was begging off or trying to reason with something that she thought was there. I don't know for certain about her case, but in many Missing 4_1_1 cases, it's the work of shapeshi-fting wi_tches... Usually they do their deeds in the woods, but there have been a few cases in the cities as well. Missing 4_1_1 is a thing on the 'net.

[@MagdalenRose]

I’m glad you covered this because I thought the way Buzzfeed handled this was really tacky and insensitive.

[@iamonlyming3390]

Super Princess Tea Party If you're interested in more info/numbers to help please check out kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKTbeHipZ7R8mdU by Cayleigh Elise on her series Dark Matters.

[@TheDanlovejoy]

Super Princess Tea Party the way BuzzFeed handles everything is tacky and insensitive, they are the textbook definition of sensationalist news.

[@ilovelongboarding201]

you should check out cayleigh elise!! she covers unsolved cases much more professionally than buzzfeed. high quality videos.

[@Laroling]

Super Princess Tea Party oh boy. I REFUSE to watch buzzfeed after their jollily joking around about the 'boy in the box' thinking a poor abused and murdered child can be the butt of a joke in an entire video. To me they are hardly better than logan Paul.

[@Laroling]

fuxkingshxt m she's great!

[@ginnyjollykidd]

As a bipolar person, I can say your speculation that she determinedly found a way into the roof is plausible. I have myself been in a hypervigilant paranoid state and even went to the local FBI office. "How did you get up here?" the agent who talked to me asked. "People don't come up here without appointments." Being in that Federal Building was not hard after you pass the metal detectors. And I had no weapons or metal. I was just scared. And the IRS is in the same building. "I just took the elevator," I told the agent. I was very lucky he treated me kindly, because anything else would have put me in a worse state. I thought people were getting into my apartment (impossible). I thought things were happening to me at work (they weren't). I thought that there were bad guys and good guys at the hospital, and I was trying to figure out who was who. It didn't help that one morning I woke up, found my room mate asleep, and when I walked into the hall one of the nurses said my roommate was dead. *freak out* Then they talked to everybody about her. ("Did you know her?") *freak out again* I'm surprised I actually was able to leave the hospital after a week, all things considered.but it worked out. Everything I went through seemed to make sense, if but a microsecond. I can see having an amazingly elaborate conspiracy scheme or disturbance that would make it imperative to her that she be where she was. So the explanation could be as mundane as that. (as if bipolar were mundane! 😵) I'm sorry to see a cohort die from such a tragic story if it were true. Mental illness lies to its victims. And sufferers of mental illnesses are subject to frightful themes.

[@hanaviko]

I know I'm 3 months late but I absolutely agree with your statements as a fellow bipolar person myself. Being bipolar, especially if it's severe, is pretty wild by itself (made... very complicated if you have more mental illnesses than just that) and even when you're on medication there can be moments where it just *doesn't work* and things happen... but they don't actually happen, of course, it's just your brain doing what it does... Despite being on heavy medication I hear my name being called when no one called it, see things out of the corner of my eye, etc... it's not so often and so bad that I'm terrified 24/7 but I'll have some points during the day where I get paranoid for no good reason On the topic of Elisa Lam, though... Honestly? My first thought was that she just climbed into the water for a dip or something and couldn't get out... but it's also entirely possible she was trying to hide from something she saw. As for her getting on the roof... like you said, when you're in that kind of state you can really do stuff you wouldn't normally do. It's really horrible that she died the way she did and it's horrible that the police didn't do more when they definitely could've (likely because... she was mentally ill... what more do I have to say?). I hope her family's doing okay, it must be really hard for them... (P.S. Hope you're doing well!! Life can get tough but it seems you're tough as well :) )

[@freudianslippers6567]

I (at one point) believed that there were cameras in the eyes of every poster I owned, so I tore them all up. This was before medication and diagnosis. I still have intrusive thoughts, but I am able to recognize they are paranoia and not reality. It's really scary to be in that place where reality is warped around you and you aren't aware that what you are perceiving isn't real.

[@actuallyNo...]

Ginny Jolly , I totally agree...and I understand your struggle. hope you are well and have been doing well as of late.😎😃🤗😉🦊🐴🐱

[@actuallyNo...]

Hana ,.me too ...same...onfeel your struggle. Stay strong, gal.😎😋😉

[@ginnyjollykidd]

@@hanaviko Thanks. I did get past it and continued growing to a better place.

[@GrtSatan]

I met Elisa Lam when she was working part time in the restaurant her parents owned, helping them as she attended school. She was a lovely person and her death is an unspeakable tragedy.

[@archangeldo913]

This almost nine minute video is so much better than that four episode drivel on Netflix. I wish I could get those minutes of my life back having watched just this.

[@AHGrayLensman]

The Netflix "documentary" spends something on the order of a third of its runtime on the internet sleuths' speculations. [*facepalm*]

[@SurvivorBri]

Yea it was an extensive painstakingly long borefest. I expected so much more.

[@Evielicious]

@@AHGrayLensman those events happened whether you like it or not

[@lex7492]

I agree I was really put off by the internet sleuths. Strangers who didn’t even know her in life trying to make it about themselves on tv was really distasteful.

[@PupRiku]

I watched the first episode...it took me three days to finish it in chunks. I didn't watch the rest. It was terrible.

[@RadiantBard]

As someone who's had a psychotic break before, I feel like she had one as well and unfortunately, didn't survive it.

[@susanbabcock6102]

do you have a blog or KZbin channel? If you're comfortable with giving insight and perspective of what that's like before, during, and after Id love and appreciate that understanding :))

[@communicationbreakdown256]

that seems to be the most plausible situation. That is my conclusion.

[@nicoleyatawara5825]

As someone with a masters in clinical and health psychology, I think you're absolutely right. It looks like either drug-induced (which reports indicate it wasn't) or a psychotic episode. The skeptic in me doesn't wanna say something supernatural is possible, but who the hell would know for sure. I do think it's possible that this girl was misdiagnosed though. I think this is more likely a schizoaffective disorder or a personality disorder. Schizotypal. That's not my area of expertise but it's my educated guess. Especially given the drastic changes between what was classed as BPD, schizoaffective, and schizotypal before 2013 and after. What we know now about those disorders and all the treatments available, I think if she had been getting the right medication and therapy for the right disorders, this would not likely have happened.

[@dsandoval9396]

I was thinking that her mannerisms looked like addicts I used to know that were high ("on a good one" as they would say), usually on meth. Quite a few of these addicts had pre-existing mental conditions and with a little bit of narcotics those mannerism come out looking extremely similar to everything presented by this unfortunate girl. No doubt a big reason for their behavior is that the narcotics aggravate their condition and in turn escalate the tell tale symptoms of their condition. Personally speaking the symptoms are pretty obvious as I live in a city with an exploding homeless population and quite often most I interact with present themselves with at least half the severity of the behavior shown by this young girl in the video for one reason or another. Very sad story.

[@nicoleyatawara5825]

@@dsandoval9396 oh wow! Makes sense. But I thought they didn't find any non prescription substances in her body though...

[@ladeeeeM]

I think she was having a psychotic episode, possibly seeing people or thinking she was being followed (hence the elevator incident), so she climbed up the fire escape. She then might have thought the water tank was somewhere she wouldn’t be found by whoever she thought was following her, so she climbed in to hide, but couldn’t get out and drowned. Poor girl, she must’ve been terrified whatever the truth. Mental illness is a horrible thing to suffer from.

[@ladeeeeM]

RayeRaye Art and Animations I agree, if somewhere has a bad atmosphere, it can definitely effect the mood of people.

[@joannajamerson35]

Amina Jane Ishaq very true. I myself have an illness and I know several people as well. I just don't want death mysterys to be dismissed, or not taken seriously because someone has a mental illness

[@ladeeeeM]

Joanna deymonaz I have it too. It’s such a nasty illness.

[@agentredflag8932]

Demons. Not mental illness

[@millennialdisposition]

I think that's a very logical theory of what might have happened

[@BossBratwurst]

"Part of facing death is looking for the realistic not sensationalized answers" - love it!

[@dragonclaws9367]

My heart hurts for this girl made into a ghost story. I have mental illness too ;I've experienced psychosis. I hope she wasn't terrified but I know she was probably frightened. I hope you found peace Elisa. It makes me so sad the way you died.

[@rustyspoonss]

As others have said being bipolar i can almost feel the panic shes in, once the paranoia sets in you will do almost anything to get away from what you think is after you.

[@irmavela10]

...still, we dont know paranoia played a role the instant in her drowning.

[@rustyspoonss]

@@irmavela10 strikes me as a place i may hide in fear. Brain makes you do weird things

[@aazhie]

@@irmavela10 the fact that multiple professionals say she looked like she was having a break with reality is pretty good evidence though?? are you a trained psychiatrist who knows the outward signs of paranoia in a person suffering from Bipolar Disorder?

[@aazhie]

That sounds so awful and I'm super sorry you've had to experience that. Poor Elisa :C

[@irmavela10]

@@aazhie ...tell you what!. I wouldnt dig so deep to distort what shows.

[@nicolebutler9077]

I really appreciate you putting humanity first in this situation; Elisa Lam was a person, not just a prop in a mystery story, and that's important to remember. Not something you see a lot in videos like these on KZbin where everything is sensationalized, that's why I really enjoy your work!

[@robbert1014]

I completely and utterly agree with this statement. Thank you for providing an educational alternative to a story that is so often thought of as entertainment.

[@goldensprite3373]

100%

[@SickTwistedQueen]

Thank you for giving Elisa Lam the respect she deserves. There's so much ableism/sanism towards her by people who sensationalize her case. Mental illness is an extremely sensitive subject, and people need to stop acting like they know everything about mental illness, when they clearly don't. Her autonomy as a human being is frequently taken away by people who have disturbing misunderstandings about mental illness. Like you said, she's a person. Her health struggles are no one's business, and no one knows anything about what she was going through but her.

[@northernwind7344]

ableism, sanism 😂😂😂😂😂

[@fart63]

What is sanism?

[@NishaWinchester]

@@fart63 A quick google (I had to look it up as well despite also being mentally ill) says it's a term to refer to the systematic discrimination against or oppression of individuals perceived to have a mental disorder or cognitive impairment. I don't know how old the term is. It's newish to me (the more I read, the more I think it's one of those things I've heard before but forgot about), but that doesn't necessarily mean it's new in general. TL;DR: It's a term similar to ableism but targeted toward mental disorders/cognitive impairments.

[@ollieno971]

I was hesitant to watch this because I’m not a fan of how most “true crime” and “theory” videos treat the subject but I really appreciate you starting it with a focus on her and how she was a human being. And I really like how you didn’t humor at all the whole “demon and ghost” bs people spew about her *cough* Shane Dawson *cough*

[@user-yv2cz8oj1k]

Unfortunately media vultures have preyed upon these unfortunate deaths for generations, and with the increase in camera footage it has only become worse.

[@NahomiGonzalezMx]

Always expect that form this channel, she provides facts, knowledge and RESPECT for all the victims!❤

[@nikoatsume7406]

I’ve been dealing with some strong anxieties about death. Your videos have helped me find solace. Thank you so much. Never stop what you’re doing!

[@theprogressiveconservative7317]

Missy Elliot’s Fatass Cousin she has taken away a crippling fear of death that has plagued me for years. She's charming and soothing. IDK if she knows how influential she really is

[@KimmySaurusRex44]

I have been plagued by a horrid fear of death for years. my father in law died then the next day a close friend and a year later her son. a year after that my father passed. for a good two years I couldn't sleep properly because I was so afraid I just wouldn't wake up. I started watching her videos to try and get myself over that and it has been helping. I agree I don't know if she realises just how helpful these videos and herself are.

[@KimmySaurusRex44]

I have been plagued by a horrid fear of death for years. my father in law died then the next day a close friend and a year later her son. a year after that my father passed. for a good two years I couldn't sleep properly because I was so afraid I just wouldn't wake up. I started watching her videos to try and get myself over that and it has been helping. I agree I don't know if she realises just how helpful these videos and herself are.

[@GD-lj7mm]

Missy Elliot’s Fatass Cousin Same. I am terrified to die, but between Caitlin, Caleb Wilde, and Emma Holmes, I have been very calmed by their education and humour. It has helped me accept it as part of life and I even bought a book to fill out for after I pass. I think because they discuss morbidity in such a light manner, it helps. They really help to ease the fear of the unknown. Ps. I love your name!

[@downhomesunset]

Missy Elliot’s Fatass Cousin Live each day and know what you want to do because remember “We are all going to die.....”

[@KimberClosson]

FINALLY- a post that tells the tank was found OPEN! SOOOOO many other posts stated that both tanks were sealed and difficult to open! Thank you!

[@andrewhuckstable5996]

K C In my experience those hatches take about as much effort to open, as picking up a case of beer. Not very hard to do for a few seconds.

[@wolpertinger.]

K C I’m unsure of the truth but I know that Caitlyn has gotten facts wrong in other stories before. Just a heads up xx

[@Lindseyj1224]

The tank actually never had a lid.

[@happyhoney2000]

Yeah I always heard it was closed after she got in somehow!

[@elliottlupin]

@@Lindseyj1224 I mean, the pictures show a lid

[@graciayolandaputri6873]

fast forward to 2020-2021, netflix made a documentary about this and milking youtuber's theories about her death, which in my opinion is very insensitive and in no way it's a "documentary". your 9 minute video is way better than that 5 episode documentary. thanks Caitlin!

[@sitcomsTV]

I would never feel the compulsion to watch such documentary. Specially with a lot of episodes! It just SCREAMS «waste of time we are doing this to get viewers attention and we are going to drag this simple story with all the theories out there and some more not focusing on facts untill we need to further to the end»

[@irishjames]

it sucks that her family probably won’t have closure but i wish people would stop making such weird theories about this case. this video was informative and i appreciate how you reminded everyone that she was in fact a human being

[@SheHuntsZombies]

With the new info on the fire escape, I definitely think it's fully plausible that she climbed up them and just kept climbing, climbing up to the water towers wouldn't seem so out of context after taking the fire escape. With her mental state as it was, I fully think it was a sad accident of a woman battling mental health and unfortunately being far from her support system.

[@AlyRoad]

Colour Sound it was first though closed but the worker Who Found the Body stated later it was open.

[@downhomesunset]

Alita Road I wonder how difficult it would have been for her to open a twenty pound lid?

[@AlyRoad]

Downhomesunset I definetly did find that odd myself. The worker could have left it open and lied later so as to not get in trouble for forgetting. I won't rule out she could have had assistance either but the public info on it now seems so ambiguous.

[@phoebexxlouise]

Holly K yeah. I don't know why someone in such a state would go on holidays alone in another country.

[@sparklehunter4044]

Downhomesunset probably pretty easy, if she was determined enough.

[@newbyginnings5972]

Why wasn’t the lid of the water tank tested for her prints? That would explain if she opened herself or not.

[@Sashazur]

They probably did check, but it was 3 weeks before they found her and her prints would have been exposed outdoors, maybe they couldn’t find them - or anyone else’s. And even if they did find prints of a hotel employee, that wouldn’t necessarily prove that employee was up to no good.

[@shindrithargriethrat8408]

@@Sashazur Bingo. The absence of her prints would not be probative, nor would the presence of someone else's. Sunlight and weather would almost certainly obliterate latent prints by that point.

[@panchikofan123]

@@shindrithargriethrat8408 But she flipped the lid which made it covered from sunlight and rain.

[@JustAnotherBuckyLover]

@@panchikofan123 Not necessarily. If she grabbed it from beneath, then her prints would have been on the top when it was open. And as has already been said, her prints not being there don't prove anything, any more than prints being there from hotel workers. And really, shows like CSI give you a grossly unrealistic expectation of how easy it is to get decent fingerprints off objects and what they can prove, especially when it's in an uncontrolled environment like a space open to the weather and goodness knows how many other people.

[@LunaBug80]

The Pinup Peach Good one ☝🏻 the whole thing is just weird. None of it makes sense. Why didn’t they fingerprint it? Hmm

[@asterlyons8564]

I'd never heard the details of the lid being open or the fire escape to the roof! Those make it seem much more plausible that she had a psychotic break and drowned accidentally. Especially if she was hallucinating someone pursuing her.

[@iggyrocks1]

As someone who struggles with psychosis, I feel the sensationalized answers do nothing but undermine the reality of what living with a psychotic condition can be like. It seems like every time a high profile death can be attributed to mental health, someone alsways has to swoop in with another explanation. I feel for this girl and the struggle I know she faced, and her death is a tragedy. I just hope she can Rest In Peace.

[@once-again-to-zelda]

This is my personal theory. ...But before I get into it, I'm putting in all caps bc people keep commenting about it: THE LID ON THE WATER TANK WAS OPEN. NOT CLOSED. The worker who found her has stated this on the record. It was initially reported that the lid was closed because it was closed *when the police arrived.* However, the lid was open when her body was discovered. I repeat: THE LID ON THE WATER TANK WAS OPEN WHEN ELISA WAS DISCOVERED BY THE HOTEL WORKER. Secondly: before you decide to contradict these statements, please research your claim thoroughly. Most facts can be confirmed or disproven easily by official court documents or autopsy reports. I'm tired of linking these things endlessly to people who can't be bothered to investigate anything themselves, but still want to argue about it. Why? It's a waste of your time, my time, and it just makes you look inept. Google is your friend and all of you have your own brains. I'm not paid to use these things for you. Kty. Moving on: my brother is Bipolar I like Elisa and he often experiences mania. Mania can cause hallucinations, psychosis, delusions, and paranoia. It is also associated with impulsive behavior and recklessness. Elisa Lam specifically mentioned that she can be impulsive in her actions (admittedly, telling a guy she just met that she likes him is very different than jumping in a water tank, but "lack of insight" - another symptom of mania - can explain this minimization. My brother never realized just how extreme his behavior was, even after the fact.) Feelings of invincibility are also experienced in mania; this could explain why Elisa didn't realize just how dangerous her behavior was. Even though her Tumblr posts could have indicated a common history of depression, it is impossible to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder without having experienced mania or hypomania at least once. Her sudden urge to travel on her own suggests that she had a burst of confidence, which could have started out as normal carefree optimism and then gotten out of control. It would have been exacerbated by her discontinued use of the mood stabilizer. We know from her autopsy that she was no longer taking it. Solely going off her posts, she had been relatively stable for a time. The onset of mania might have begun during her travels (change can trigger manic episodes) and it could have gone unnoticed, as she was alone and the behavior wasn't extreme enough to warrant attention. She was in contact with her family, but people with mania can sound normal (though usually have rapid speech), and her family has never commented on the content of the phone calls or her mood. The start of mania could have led her to cease taking the mood stabilizer, as she enjoyed feeling "better" than normal, not realizing that it could escalate. Again, lack of insight is present here, and it is common for people with bipolar disorder to stop taking medication because they enjoy the manic high. Someone with bipolar disorder who doesn't take a mood stabilizer with their anti-depressant can easily spiral into mania, as their mood is TOO elevated with no regulation, and they get "too up." Elisa's apparent erratic behavior was noted by her previous roommates, who were disturbed enough to request a room change. We don't know what exactly they witnessed; either way, "erratic behavior" is much more common with mania than depression. People in the throes of mania become unpredictable and, in more extreme cases, odd and disturbing. If she were experiencing depression, it is more likely that she would have been more unproductive or aloof in her final days - I don't see those traits as explaining why her roommates would complain. The bookseller who said she was “normal” might not have noticed anything odd, but I find it hard to believe they had anything but a brief conversation. The opinions of her actual roommates should be given more credence. Her strange behavior on the elevator can also be explained by psychosis, if nothing else. We can't account what was on her mind, but it really could be anything. My brother was often convinced people were following him and he claimed to see demons and ghosts. The elevator door stays open for a good reason. A photograph of the panel in the Cecil Hotel shows that she had actually pressed the "door hold" button; she's also leaning close enough to indicate that she can't see well (and she isn't wearing her glasses), so she might not have even known she pressed it. When the elevator didn't work, she might have been freaked out and thinking that there was someone there she couldn't see, holding the door open. She is seen waving her hands around in that space and then seems to be laughing and going back into the elevator. She presses the buttons all over again, but the elevator still doesn't move, because she presses the DOOR HOLD button yet again. Someone is not on the outside keeping her trapped in the elevator. The second time she pokes her head out, she looks both directions AGAIN, indicating that she did not see anyone there the first time. Eventually, she gives up and goes off screen, probably headed for the stairs instead. A recent interview with one of the police officers yielded information that a search dog got a “hit” on a window on that same floor. You can access the fire escape via the window, and the fire escape goes to the roof. Impulsively (a characteristic she does have), she goes to the roof instead of her own floor. She probably just wanted to admire the view and had no intentions, at first, of getting into the water tank. I doubt she even knew that was up there. We don't know WHAT she did on the roof prior to getting into the water tank, either. This needs to be noted because the sand on her clothes could be explained by a number of actions - laying on the roof to look up at the stairs, shimmying to the edge of the roof to look at the view below, or even just falling down and tripping on the platform or stairs leading up to the tanks, accounting for the one small abrasion she had on her knee (it really depends on what amount of sand we're talking about, and sand wouldn't "jump" on your clothes or into your clothes, but a minimal amount of disturbance might kick up tiny particles enough to account for it). After that, for one reason or another, she jumped in the water tank. Not to commit suicide, but to do something "fun" or "exciting", or maybe she was sandy and wanted to wash off. Whatever explanation, I don't think she had any intention of dying. After jumping in, the water level could have lowered - maybe due to a high number of showers from people inside the hotel, if she jumped in late or night or early in the morning. She couldn't lift herself back out. Even if she had been able to partially reach the top, it would take an enormous amount of upper body strength to pull her own weight out. Taking off her clothes could have been a last ditch effort to make herself lighter, or even to become more buoyant once she became tired of treading water. She also could have been in a stage of hypothermia, engaging in paradoxical undressing. This is much more likely than foul play, especially given that the autopsy notes no evidence of trauma, aside from the small abrasion on her knee. The anal bleeding and other changes are all normal water decomposition. Anyway, this is just my two cents. I think most people are making this more complicated than it should be. Blaming her death on mental illness isn't the objective, but is the unfortunate consensus and a valid, logical explanation for her behavior that doesn't need to be twisted to fit the facts of the case. I think that would be underestimating the effects of her medication (particularly the cessation of the mood stabilizer) could have on her brain, influencing judgment, mood, and behavior. It isn't the mental illness by itself, but elevated mania triggered to an extreme by the circumstances and her antidepressant.

[@mika9132]

thank you for sharing your point of view! i enjoy you attention to detail and own personal experiences

[@benjaminsurrette3034]

you gave a really detailed and logical response that actually makes a lot of sense to me!! especially when talking about the elevator, i’ve definitely had multiple instances with elevators taking forever to close, and then decided to take the stairs instead, and especially considering the fire escape led to the roof, and like you said she could have been feeling like she was being watched it makes a lot of sense to me why she would’ve attempted to take a much more discreet stairwell, i.e the fire escape, personally i think perhaps she like you said bumbled around the roof before going in, however i don’t necessarily think she decided to go in for a reason like washing up or something, personally i think maybe once on the roof, because she knew she probably wasn’t supposed to be up there, and because she had already possibly been experiencing paranoia at the elevator, i think maybe she heard a loud bang or some noise by coincidence because of the people inside and the big city, and then become frightened and then climbed into the water tank as a way to hide/ protect herself and like you said mania can lead to impulsive behavior and bad foresight, she probably jumped in or perhaps fell in while taking a look leading to her cut, and then due to not thinking through the design of the tank, forgot or if falling in was accidental soon realized there was no way of getting back out. she probably had to wait hoping that a staff member would find her, but like caitlin said it was a restricted area and no alarm would have made anyone suspect anything had changed up there. it’s very sad, i hope whatever happened that night she was able to come to some sort of clarity/ peace.

[@GlamGoreChaosQueen]

This. Exactly this.

[@Scialatielli]

i’m pretty sure she was trying to get away from someone though..

[@user-be8ef7dg2r]

Much obliged to you for taking as much time as necessary to clarify this episode in a consistent exact manner that assists individuals with fathoming better this case that was made more perplexing than it ought to be.

[@sebastianelytron8450]

Love it when I stumble on a KZbin channel goldmine like this one. Been binge watching so many of your videos past few hours and damn! Smart, funny, witty, engaging, charming and a joy to watch! So much for a death channel😂😂😂

[@marnusbrittz7664]

I cant bingewatch her videos now. I already watched all of them. Saaad

[@doredam8919]

Tia TT when you have her books you can binge read! I kinda did

[@caitlinveal5709]

Me too! I just subbed!

[@renukamuthuswami]

EXACTLY MY SENTIMENTS right now.

[@WatercolorMemory]

That’s how it happens! Haha

[@sandurzful]

Thank you for covering the story in a respectful and clear way. It truly is tragic what happened to her. Her family owns a Chinese restaurant a few blocks away from where I lived at the time, they are extremely lovely people. It's a very unique case don't get me wrong, but the sensationalization of it made me feel bad for her family.

[@palomafreitas3312]

As someone who has ocd and anxiety, my friends and loved ones are pretty aware that sometimes I’ll do some pretty seemingly strange things like walk up and down a flight of stairs several times or get fixated on screwing and unscrewing jaw lids so that’s what the footage looks like to me

[@americanfootball5939]

"The water taste funny". The thought that those people actually drank corpse juice is... killing me.

[@andie2933]

this story always creeps me tf out no matter how many times i hear it

[@wolpertinger.]

graphophilic same here, it gives me goosebumps every time I hear it

[@nickwright7340]

me too :(

[@sarahwardle5556]

Me too

[@QQ-og3ui]

Me too. I think I'm about to cry again

[@MichelleJ1822]

Especially the scene in the elevator. We will probably Never know the real truth and that is unfortunate

[@bhannification]

The thing I like about this channel is the same thing I like about "That Chapter": they know when to make a joke and also know when not to make a joke.

[@jenniferciaccio2940]

It seems there a lot of people who will believe any other reason before considering mental health as a real and valid issue. Thank you for being a voice of reason and advocate for those who are not here to advocate for themselves.

[@AbandonedVoid]

There are a lot of people who believe in demons and not mental illness. smh

[@nairsheasterling9457]

@@AbandonedVoid These people also see mental illness as inherently violent. As in, you kill someone else? Mental illness. You kill yourself? Ghosts.

[@Rayneuki]

I think, as someone who is Bipolar and has had a psychotic / paranoid episode, that she may have felt like she was being chased. She thinks 'oh I'll go to the roof they'll never get me!', she goes up there and the feeling persists (because it does that), so she sees those tanks and goes 'I'll hide in there, NO ONE can get me in there!' without thinking of the logical implications due to her brain being in 'RED ALERT' mode. It's a sad thing to see, and I hate that it happened to her. I hate that it also brought back the 'oh those crazy bipolars' shit because it only serves to highlight how bipolar is a hard to understand condition that needs therapy AND medication.

[@Elenkoism]

Yea, think that makes sense.

[@daveh3997]

I think you called it pretty much as it probably happened. The "Red Alert" brain mode can trigger some strange logic. And as far as her meds are concerned, sometimes a particular medication and/or dosage just stops working. Thank you for your insights, Moons.

[@LittleLulubee]

It still doesn't make sense to me. If she knew her condition causes psychotic breaks, why travel alone? Didn't she have the emergency number of her therapist, to call in case of problems? Didn't he instruct her to call the police, or go to an emergency room, or whatever, if she feels she's losing her mind? Why didn't she call her parents to tell them she was doing badly? Why didn't she call the hotel manager to say she was being chased? Why not run into the street and run away, or catch a taxi far away from the supposed pursuer? If she knew she had a mental condition, you would think there would be ways to avoid something like this.

[@toniacollinske2518]

Nicely said @moons. Thanks for sharing your logical and probable solutions.

[@toniacollinske2518]

LittleLulubee apparently she wasn't traveling alone as she originally had a shared room. It's naive to think she possessed as much control as your questions imply. She was young, inexperienced and it appears pretty much in control of her symptoms until suddenly, inexplicably, she wasn't. It happens. Bless her poor family's hearts.

[@Jhud69]

I usually groan at every time a popular horror youtuber decides to tackle the case of Elisa Lam, but you're one of the very few that actually don't jump into any supernatural conclusions and actually mention the facts about Elisa, about her mental illness as well as her blog. She has used her tumblr blog the whole time she was on vacation yet barely anybody mentions it for some reason. As a mentally ill person myself I hate how people jump to make demon possession conspiracy theories about people who could just have been mentally ill.

[@twilafreek25]

This was the most respectful video about Elisa Lam I've ever seen. Well done! I've never seen so many photos of her outside of the elevator before. Nobody talks about her hobbies and interests. It's sad that her final moments are the only thing she's remembered for

[@jeanprice2514]

If I were that guy morbid. I would sue each and every one of these people that said he killed that girl. That's what you call defamation of character. It seems that some people need no evidence but their own over active imagination. Pathetic

[@Julieengler]

Bro straight up ever youtuber who talked ab him should have their lives ruined

[@jeanprice2514]

@@Julieengler no..the one's who called him a murderer. They didn't mind trying to ruin his life....so why should I have sympathy if he would ruin their lives???

[@quintork4100]

@@jeanprice2514 its just such a shame the guy got a literal witch hunt for his art poor guy i hope he gets some real help they didnt just ruin his career but his mental health was smashed im looking for his music as as a fan of crazy metal he sounded talented xx

[@BRBonGiediPrime]

I really think he just wants it all to go away, and long court cases would drag on forever.

[@quietgiant474]

Just recently the poor dude said he still gets hate for it. Shoulda sued their arses.

[@KatzenwagenTV]

from all the Elisa Lam-related videos I've watched, you were the only one who mentioned the fire escape. thank you, Ms. Caitlyn for that! :)

[@jd-no7rw]

The the reports I've read, the maintenance worker stated he found it open: "I noticed the hatch to the main water tank was open and looked inside and saw an Asian woman lying face-up in the water approximately twelve inches from the top of the tank," he said.

[@TarunoNafs]

Colour Sound Well then it is quite cleared up, isn't it?

[@dogmoms2798]

As a longtime hotel employee, I can give a little insight about the doors. Most hotel elevators have a button that locks the doors open to allow for maid carts. Catering carts, paramedics, etc to get on to the elevator without fighting the door. There is a blip in the footage, so I do believe some footage may be cut out of the lock button being released. Just my opinion. Probably because of a liability issue for the hotel

[@ceil5001]

dogmoms yeah, that lost footage confounds me as well...

[@SoYouCallThisComedy]

The door closed by itself after 3 minutes, does it do that after the button is pushed? she said in the video that it is common for older elevators to jam when all the buttons are pushed, I know that the newer ones would stop at every floor.

[@Tracymmo]

@@ceil5001 That's what the police released. A lot of it would have been uninformative, just Elisa standing in the elevator or an empty elevator if she stepped out. They showed us what was unusual because that's what was odd and needed answering.

[@SavageBunnyGetMoney]

@@Tracymmo there was no reason to mess with the time stamp

[@Stefengris]

Really liked this coverage. It was very sensitive. I am Bipolar, and sometimes when I hit psychosis, I do things like this (when I saw the footage of her in the elevator, I immediately was "oh yup, that's psychosis."). I really wish people could see it for what it is instead of needing to chalk it up to a fun mystery; and just try and take a moment to realise the true reality of this illness and learn. Maybe it's because no one can be demonised that people insist on pursuing these ideas. That she didn't hurt anyone, wasn't shaking and talking to her self in an alleyway, drinking and using, self harming, abusing loved ones, committing crimes and causing public upset. Maybe the death of a person who appeared to be an otherwise, happy, healthy, beautiful, close with family, functional, every day human being (with no relatable reason); more terrifying to people than a seedy hotel worker. But these are the vast majority of people with bipolar. TL:DR, stop calling your moody teens bipolar. this is bipolar. and it's not a joke.

[@kaylinstevens7958]

The lack of security cameras really bothers me. If they had so many issues with illegal on goings, you'd think they would have had more cameras throughout the facility.

[@jnewcomb]

It's a residential hotel in downtown LA. It's amazing they had working cameras at all. Poor people can't pay much and security cameras are expensive. With 19 floors & 700 rooms? No way.

[@kaylinstevens7958]

@@jnewcomb Did I say in every room? They had issues with criminal activity. It wouldn't have been much to put cameras in ALL of the corridors and elevator lobbies, I assure you.

[@jnewcomb]

@@kaylinstevens7958 I didn't say every room either. Let's do what you're saying. Pretend each security camera is $200 (and that is cheap). We install a camera at each entrance/exit point. Let's say there are 2 exits and 2 entrances. That's $800. Now we put one in each elevator. There were 2 so we're up to $1200. Now we put 1 in each hallway. There were 19 floors but we'll exclude the lobby because they are "covered" by our first 4 cameras for who enters and exits the building. Each floor has three sections for guest rooms and one corridor to access each section making a total of 4 corridors that would require coverage. 4 corridors, 18 floors, we now need 72 more cameras. That's a total of $14,400 plus our $1200 from earlier is $15,600. 1 camera angle per hallway would not give you adequate coverage but because the Cecil has hallways essentially shaped like a capital "E" we only need to add 2 more cameras per floor to "see" both ends of each hallway. 2 more cameras on 18 floors is $7,200 plus our previous $15,600, we're now looking at $22,800. I don't know how long each hallway is or if there would be any line of sight problems placing a single camera at the end of each hallway but let's call that adequate coverage. Now we have to connect each of these cameras to a single network so they can be recorded simultaneously at a single junction. Each camera will need different lengths of cable run depending on its distance from the junction but let's just guess an average of $50 (again very cheap) for wiring each camera into the network. There were 4 cameras in the lobby, 1 for each elevator and 6 on each floor. To run wire alone for 113 cameras, as we've estimated here, is $5,650. Plus our $22,800 from just buying said cameras, we now have to pay $28,450 to simply set up a very, very basic security camera set up. Now we have to hire a contractor to maintain it or hire someone to be in house to watch it. You pay for the extra electricity, network bandwidth and maintenance of each camera and its wiring. It is not as cheap as you think when each guest only pays $8 a night. It would take 3,557 rentals just to break even for an installation.

[@tori2dles]

They should have had alarms on those windows and cameras, too. They had to have them accessible in case of fire. But they could have set at least an alarm on it, as well.

[@tori2dles]

@@jnewcomb - It would take some funds, that’s true. But they could have done it incrementally, like a floor a year starting with the 15th (top) floor. When the new manager came in 2007, she did a significant make over and restructuring on the hotel. Note: The building was 15 stories without a 13th floor, not 19 stories. The manager moved tenets to the 2nd & 3rd floors. Then she renovated the 4th -6th floors, refurbishing them into hostel-style rooms with fresh paint, new bunk beds and linens. They created a completely different name and lobby for these rooms. Last off, they rented regular hotel rooms from the 7th floor on up (8 floors total). So they had some money. The manager said they started to see a profit and good reviews. So, they could have recouped it since they were able to charge more. During the time Elisa Lam was there, guests paid $85 a night for a shared hostel room. Elisa was in with two other gals, so that was $255 a night. That’s quite a bit more than $8. Last thought: They wouldn’t have had to purchase a brand new system or new cameras. One can purchase used equipment from hotels that are upgrading or even through state or federal surplus (either auction or brick & mortar building). There are ways to cut those costs.

[@007MrYang]

Finally early on one of your videos, I better say something smart.... *BENTHAM'S HEAD*

[@AG-mt3xs]

007MrYang - Its "Haydn's Head" now. LOL We need more famous head videos

[@itwasagoodideaatthetime7980]

Ashley Godfrey Hayden's Head is cool but for me it's Team Bentham's Head or nothing! *BENTHAM'S HEAD!* 💀

[@madalyns9594]

bEnthAM’s hEAD i love it sm

[@Pschokid]

I just had to rewatch both of them because of this comment

[@rukusan]

Beat me to it... Jerk! :P

[@jasper3706]

I was scared to click, thinking "has my favourite death role model perhaps fallen prey to the cruel cruel broken telephone of lies about elisa lam?" As soon as you mentioned the open hatch I realized that lo, our queen has not failed us! As a mentally ill person the possibility of elisa falling victim to suicide or accident on account of illness really saddens me, and the constant sensationalizing makes it difficult to even think about. Thank you for doing a good rundown on this case. Here's some more clues that point towards your suspicion: 1. The original surveillance video was doctored in a weord way by the police, likely to aid in people identifying her. It was slowed down and the time stamp was partially blocked, but from the changes of the pixels a youtube channel recut it to the proper speed. In that video, her mannerisms seem much less posessed and much more paranoid/uncomfortable. 2. As you pointed out, the roof is accessible with a bit of effort. People have done it and posted it on youtube if anyone wants to look it up. 3. She was not wearing her glasses. It was speculated that she may have had difficulty reading the numbers and pressed every button on the middle row because that was the row with her floor. The "door open" button is also on the same row, and she likely clicked it. That possibly explains the door not closing (as well as why she left the elevator, out of frustration because it wouldn't move).

[@e.sterling141]

Jasper Stuart What?? You doubted our Caitlyn??! Never! 😜

[@what_equals_42]

Having a psychotic break while alone in an unfamiliar place must have been a terrifying experience. What a tragedy. 😞

[@elisebrodeur-jacobs5215]

So people were drinking water that held a corpse...every part of things story makes my stomach turn. RIP Elisa 🙏

[@rowanspring9623]

Hi, I’m one of those internet sleuths, lol. I have gone over this case so many times. I’ve read the medical examiner report and I think I’ve watched a lot of “documentaries.” One aspect I learned was that Lisa was known for climbing up to the roof to take pictures. She also had only been taking her Effexor and not her other meds. That is what may have contributed to her psychosis. I believe as you do. It is tragic and the reality isn’t as glamorous as some would believe. I hope the family can find peace and this young lady can rest peacefully.

[@TheRainstorm97]

Yeah, as someone with bipolar disorder, I was warned heavily that taking just the antidepressant is very dangerous. I was on SSRIs previously before the diagnosis and found that they did destabilise me. I don't know if that is generally better or worse than SNRIs such as the one I'm on now. Regardless I think most likely that it was an episode. Even if she had been taking her mood stabiliser as well as the antidepressant, that doesn't mean that she couldn't still have had an episode on them. Also, people are only mentioning psychosis - I think that the strange behaviour we have during manic episodes could have been a cause as well, especially due to the spontaneity and lack of consideration for potential consequences. I could easily see myself exhibiting this behaviour and I'm going to take it as a tragic reminder not to mess with my medication myself for any reason.

[@VtBabyGirl802]

I’ve heard so many people who has been prescribed Effexor, myself included, have had horrible reactions with that medication! I wouldn’t recommend anyone to take it! I hope this girl can RIP!

[@Nostalgicguy2242]

@@VtBabyGirl802 would you sleep in the room she occupied in her stay?.. or ride the elevator she rode?

[@jillianatthedisco]

CPTSD here and was prescribed generic Effexor. It GAVE me full blown mental breakdowns, likes of which I never had before. I HOWLED, thrashed, and hurt myself while having an episode. I have never had episodes like that prior to Effexor. Once I weaned off, I never had any episodes like that again. It is super scary looking back on it. I can easily see Elisa climbing to the roof in a psychotic episode. Effexor is nasty. That poor woman.

[@janedoex1398]

@@TheRainstorm97 Effexor is an SNRI , NOT AN SSRI. The one I couldn't handle at all at 1/2 37.5 mg tablet despite the usual dosage is in the 300 rds. Shit is SSRI don't work for me at all and SNRI give me the nastiest of all side effects. I literally can't stand and start to vomit 24/7.

[@ashlynrenee4603]

I have bipolar disorder and I know that manic periods can be rough... In my opinion she committed suicide or was in the middle of an episode and accidentally drowned. During manic times ive felt invincible, so perhaps she did too?

[@dallaswalker340]

Ashlyn Stiff me too. I see the latter as more likely. Kind of sad how her death became sensationalized...

[@camillastacey4674]

Ashlyn Stiff I've thought I had super human powers at times when manic.

[@jst4juls77]

Ashlyn Stiff , I also have bipolar disorder, and thought pretty much the same thing. Such a sad story.

[@serosona2322]

Ashlyn Stiff It could’ve been a pyscho manic episode

[@hannahstahl1857]

I have more of manic depression than the wild crazy moments for bipolar disorder. When I get crazy-paranoid it’s bad but I dont think I’ve ever decided to do something dangerous like that

[@wanderer4951]

I love how you are so respectful ❣The mind is definitely a powerful tool, it can be for you or against you.

[@jeannie7255]

The link between the Cecil and the fascinating/heart wrenching history of skid row will always fascinate me. The silver lining of Elisa’s tragic demise brings attention to mental health and the secret LA history of skid row.

[@Pri-ze7fv]

Why do you look like Morticia’s cheerful cousin? That’s a compliment btw 😍

[@celine7557]

Zuko’s Honor it’s like Debby and morticia had a love child

[@mizzprezli]

Zuko’s Honor I was thinking Elvira’s daughter

[@karentucker2161]

She does

[@laurie8868]

Bettie Page

[@jnichols3]

When it comes to looks, something about dark haired women with bangs gets my attention. Looks like Bettie Page.

[@SpookyWhispering]

"Dark pedigree" my rear. Any hotel older than 20 years has had a death in it. I worked at three hotels and this was something the owners told me. There were 2 deaths while I was working there, 1 was a murder.

[@SpookyWhispering]

just saying all hotels other than brand new ones have a "dark pedigree", all hotels have seen ods, beatings, heart attacks and more.

[@user-hx5vh7no1b]

My dad once work at a hotel before me or my sister were alive, three deaths, all natural causes, I've stood next to two places in the hotel where two men had heart attacks, also one right outside in the shade near the entrance door an old man died in a chair, then this wasn't a death but a man and a woman had a fight, woman had a gun, shot at him, and hit him in the hand, the rest of the bullets when into the car I believe, hotel history is so interesting

[@RandomRangerRambles]

All of which does not detract from the dark pedigree of THIS hotel.

[@aemxo]

I think the two serial killers known to have lived there plays into it as well.

[@ivyrose779]

Do they all have serial killers stay too?

[@collin4555]

All I think about what happened to miss Lam, is that it was tragic. It feels kind of, voyeuristic, to see the security footage from that night.

[@DollyKauionalani]

I wish all KZbinrs had your tact and respect for the dead as you do. Even when you're being funny and laughing about certain issues, you are never disrespectful and you never make fun of an individual. Thank you for that!

[@murphyleigh6319]

I'm gonna second the Black Dahlia suggestion, but I'm even more interested in your takes on the Isdal Woman and Bella-in-the-Wych-Elm, since Bella's body was lost and the Isdal Woman remains unidentified

[@tawnya0627]

I'm glad you tackled the topic without sensationalism. We don't want to believe mental illness is real, let alone that it could cause death. I have family members who still believe mental illness is made up because I'm lazy. Yes, this is a reality in the US. Sensationalism and sleuthing are more exciting than accidental death caused by psychotic break. Especially, when there are no answers for the many questions created. Another great conversation, Caitlin!

[@harveyabel1354]

Tawnya Luke I agree, Caitlin was very respectful, which I also appreciate.

[@jenniferryersejones9876]

Don't want to believe mental illness is real, but, by golly, perfectly willing to believe in some supernatural crap or conspiracy! It seems to be epidemic, these days, here in Canada, as well.

[@chrisbarnett5303]

@@jenniferryersejones9876 It's gotten much worse now with Q anon.

[@jenniferryersejones9876]

@@chrisbarnett5303 I must look up this Q anon. Don't know anything about it, but what I hear is it's either really horrible or really wonderful.

[@chrisbarnett5303]

@@jenniferryersejones9876 It's a repurposed anti-semitic conspiracy theory designed to make a fascist pedophile look like the savior of children and humanity. It's far from wonderful.

[@debranielsen2002]

I stumbled on this channel one day and have never been disappointed. Not only do I learn about history I never would have known, I get to hear a clear-thinking person talk about people respectfully and with compassion.

[@RonnieStewartJr]

I’m obsessed with this case, and I LOVE the way you’ve made this video!!!

[@amandanic5998]

I don’t have bipolar disorder, but I do have periods of blacking out due to other mental illnesses. Often times I get lost in my own apartment building. My episodes go on for 1-10 minutes, so I definitely think Elisa could have looked purposeful and no one questioned why she was going to the roof. I never thought it was ghosts or aliens or anything, just a girl suffering from a condition beyond her control. It’s really heartbreaking and scary for me. Any one of us mentally ill individuals could be Elisa. I’m sending love to her family, even after all these years 💖

[@HelloXiuXiu]

Thank you for sharing your story! I deal with mental health issues, and I truly think the more we share our truth, and our struggle, it could help end the stigma associated with it. You are courageous, and valued . All the best to you!! 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

[@Heather-xm9ul]

My mom had a student who has a strange kind of seizures. Unless you knew which questions or prompts to give, a regular person would NEVER know he's having a seizure. He can have regular conversations and continue in his routine without any apparent issues. They only know after the fact if he's had an episode. At that point his assigned aide, or his mom will go through the known steps of his routine to make sure nothing bad happened, or to find out if he'd committed to anything they needed to be aware of. My mom often had to give reviews, and tell them which library books he'd checked out that day.

[@LordDarque]

When I die, I am expressly requesting that it be as sensationalized as humanly possible. Do not let me down internets.

[@kitteekittee4010]

Got it

[@cutiesgoodgirl]

Hahaha same

[@robertnett9793]

Duly noted - just send me your GPS-coordinates and I see, what I can do with the orbital ion cannon. Edit: There is no kill like overkill.

[@theembersinside1420]

Yikes, I wouldn't wish that on myself! 😬

[@Marcus51090]

When I die I want stuffed/taxidermy. Placed on a chair in a room and dressed in fabulously outrages ridiculous outfits with big giant jazzy hats. Posed in interesting positions.

[@demaris7598]

Your coverage was so much better than any other source I have seen. Thank you, you're great. BTW- I love your necklace, it has amazing color.

[@jordancridland9657]

"That the Dark Ghosts of the Cecil Hotel Held the doors and ..." Sounds good to me

[@coyotegraysr]

“When you remove the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

[@angi4912]

Yes. Nice Sherlock Holmes reference

[@anditchangedmylife]

I really appreciate your practical and respectful approach to this. Those videos with these ghost/supernatural theories are really insensitive. Elisa Lam went to the same school as me, and though I didn’t know her personally, I remember the news of her tragic death greatly affected the local community, especially when it was reported she had struggled with her mental health. Many university kids struggle too, often silently. I don’t know, it just really hit home, and it’s upsetting to see people sensationalize her death.

[@TerminallyPerky]

I love to hear stories like this from your point of view. ♡ thanks for making these videos.

[@dorisfromage2349]

Oh, this is one of my *FAVORITE* sensational news stories!! Just getting started - can't wait - couldn't hold off on letting you know of my excitement!!

[@CrankyPantss]

Hey! The ads are finally running. This channel is one of the few channels that I am happy to let the ads play for.

[@ash-bob3398]

This is so great. I’ve seen other videos of people talking about what happened only from a supernatural or conspiracy point of view. I love the realism you bring. Also, your profession brings so much more validity to your statements.

[@paullarocca3070]

Somethings I appreciate about your channel is that you are allways very respectful and show compassion, grace, and dignity towards people and their families.

[@canadiansfirst3636]

Paranoid schizophrenia often goes hand in hand with bipolar disorder. She may have crawled into the tank thinking she was hiding from a perceived threat.

[@BRBonGiediPrime]

Thank you, I have been reading through these comments and everyone's first thoughts are no, it couldn't possibly be mental illness! Those are people who know nothing about mental illness, don't have a friend or loved one with it, or have one themselves. It's insane the things people will come up with.

[@canadiansfirst3636]

@@BRBonGiediPrime My husband has it. As soon as I saw her I knew what it was.

[@nureallycool]

What surprised me is that people drink tap water from a hotel.

[@grimlund]

Up here in Sweden the tap water is normaly excellent. Even in hotels. The water quality in Sweden is I think one of the best you can find in the world. My experience of tap water in other countrys in Europe is that it doesnt taste good. I doubt that tap water in a California hotel is tasty. Especially if its contaminated with a corpse.

[@sunflowermouse307]

I'm not super familiar with California's water, but my state's tap is totally safe basically all the time. However, taking a shower in dead-body-water sounds just as horrifying as drinking it. Yikes!

[@emmanuelmayoral9779]

Even nowadays, a lot of the folks who live in the old hotels of downtown LA (like the former Cecil or the Alexandria) are pretty low-income people, in and out of homelessness.

[@DarleneRuiz08]

What's wrong with hotel tap water?

[@communicationbreakdown256]

@@grimlund all Scandanavian countries' tap water

[@kattatonic1]

This poor young woman. I think she was terrified during a mental health crisis, searching for a way out and then drown. Thank you for being respectful in all your videos.

[@laurencollins6290]

I love your videos! you are so knowledgeable and compassionate in the way you approach mysteries and stories. Keep up the good work!

[@jessicabadrak1757]

I am so glad you did a video on this. Mental health care is so so important and you shared information that people tend to ignore.

[@marisathebibliophile1519]

I’m not going to lie, Caitlyn, when I saw you were covering this I was like “nooo we’ve lost her to the true crime part of the internet” and then you covered this case in such a pragmatic and educational way. I mean foul play could potentially be involved since it would still be within the realm of well not ghosts of serial killers but it looks more like a psychotic break ending tragically. Thank you for covering this case the way you did.

[@sparkybish]

I like the true crime part of the internet too.

[@Dynamaik0220]

Just imagine involuntarily drinking corpse liquid...

[@superdemonboy]

delete this nephew

[@mariblue72]

Thank you, but I've been trying very hard not to while I'm enjoying my coffee...

[@ashmaybe9634]

Yep, this is the second worse part of this story after the death of a young woman.

[@TheChugg11]

Maik Kiehlmann Just imagine drinking it voluntarily...

[@omargjuarez1]

Maik Kiehlmann YUMMMMMY! In "arby's commercial voice"

[@lindabb621]

You are so kind and thoughtful and ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS! Thank you!

[@jaynehyde8735]

i use your videos to fall asleep. not sure why you’re so relaxing but i love the way you tell stories!

[@saggguy7]

Thank you for taking the time to acknowledge her family and friends and her humanity. This is one of those iconic cases that’s so popular in the community of people that like creepy things, and we’ve all seen so many videos and read so many articles about this that it almost feels like a fascinating urban legend. Especially because the whole situation literally sounds like something straight off creepypasta, I think it’s really easy to forget that she was a real person and that there are people who are still grieving the loss of a young woman with a promising future. Every time I read or watch something about this case, I can’t help but think about the fact that this case even torments those of us who didn’t know her, so imagine being someone who loved her and having NO answers as to what happened. I’ve seen so many youtubers talk about this case and (probably unintentionally) seem to forget that this REALLY happened to a person. While the circumstances surrounding her death are intriguing and I think it’s okay to be curious about it, I think we have to remember to keep a measure of empathy in our hearts for her and the people that were close to her. So thank you. ❤️

[@wazup581]

She did talk about how she felt like she was being followed on her blog so that backs up the phsycotic break theory. This is definitely the way I think it happened and I'm glad there is someone else out here who thought about this logically

[@DavidMaruca_]

The recent netflix documentary prompted me to find this video, you've pretty much nailed it. It's a fascinating hotel, with a pretty mundane and sad accident.

[@annickbrennen8779]

I appreciate your respectful and sensitive approach to such events.

[@Spongebobs4Life]

Having watched Shane Dawson talk about this, and Buzzfeed Unsolved's video on this mystery, (plus many other videos and articles on this), it's so interesting to see your interpretation and report of the story. It truly is a mystery, because we'll never really know. A horrible, but completely compelling mystery, mostly because of the CCTV. It's just bizzare.

[@NorwaysTroll]

When did buzzfeed unsolved do a video on this?

[@jocelynking2421]

Norwegian viking It was one of there first episodes in the unsolved mystery series. So it was made a while back.

[@iamonlyming3390]

For anyone interested in more info/numbers to help please check out kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKTbeHipZ7R8mdU by Cayleigh Elise on her series Dark Matters. She does just a good/better job than most on talking about these cases.

[@megananne7]

- keanu another vote for Cayleigh Elise. She is great.

[@withelisa]

I have BP 1 w/ psychosis, and truly didn't think her behavior on the CCTV was that out of line with my own actions during a manic episode 🤷‍♀️

[@Sabatuar]

Honestly refreshing to see a sober, non-woo coverage of this.

[@BSG0005]

I love the way you presented this case with such tact and delicacy.

[@stews9]

Excellent coverage of the case and commentary on the wild theories. Brava.

[@samanthamcneish8833]

My thought at first was the the door had been opened for maintenance and she got up there without them realizing. But the fire escape is something bbn i had not though went all the way up there. I also think it was a psychological break. If she believed in the paranormal, she could have possibly focused so much on it that she began to associate it with different aspects of her daily life, which eventually got her moved to the single room, then to her odd behavior.

[@samanthamcneish8833]

James Rhodes i had meant the door that lead to the roof. But water tanks tend to look like those.

[@maywenearedhel]

She was probably looking for a hiding place. A manic breakthrough episode can leave people pretty paranoid.

[@e.sterling141]

maywenearedhel That's exactly what I was thinking. It seems she thought she needed to hide, so climbed into a great hiding space no one would ever check. Unfortunately it got her killed. Really sad story,

[@pdxtina]

many people with BPD are drawn to water & will play in/around/with water for HOURS. i know someone personally who does this naked during her psychotic/manic BDP episodes

[@anniehuckaby2649]

I love the way you handle death, such professionalism and sensitivity for the living and deceased. The way in which you desensationalize Elisa Lam, as well as Charles Manson and the Aokigahara forest, is truly an admirable cause! So much love and respect for you!

[@MoyaBrennan6825]

Thank you for adding subtitles

[@adric9246]

I always appreciate your compassion and respect for the humans/ people in the stories you tell.

[@shillcreativeworkshop]

She had a paranoid delusional episode. She was looking for a place to escape whatever she felt was after her. The fact that it took place in a spooky old hotel may have contributed to the experience, but has very little if anything to do with it. I'm sure if we new her complete history we would see a pattern of behavior.

[@bunbunyami]

But she took her meds. Unless these meds that worked so well up to this point magically weren't effective anymore. The meds should be built up in her system from a routine of taking them, and the fact they found them in her system was just more proof of her staying on said routine. Thats how psych meds work. I've experienced psychological episodes, and the ones youre speaking about usually happen when someone isn't taking their meds anymore and abruptly stop, or they never have been given or prescribed any sort of medication yet. So if this was the case it would have to be the first option. Her stopping her meds for a period of time and then taking them out of desperation when the side effects became harrowing. Her mental diagnosis does not guarantee delusional episodes though. Someone having a panic attack with anxiety issues could break down like this, but it doesn't mean she would be talking to ghosts. Somebody was outside of that elevator.

[@SaraH-jn5db]

@@bunbunyami this isnt entirely true, in my experience extreme stress can cause your meds to stop working and you can go into psychosis even on a long term, usually perfectly functioning medicine. Its only happened to me twice but its definitely possible

[@annahanson1511]

chubean no psychosis can come at any time. Bipolar can have psychotic features not that are not always treated with mood stabilizers initially. This may have been her first episode.

[@EspeonMistress00]

@@bunbunyami I know this is late. But apparently she didn't take her full medication which probably caused her to go into a psychotic episode

[@benjaminsurrette3034]

@@bunbunyami like the comment above i heard she hadn’t been taking everything she was supposed to, and in addition anti-depressants and anti-psychotics etc idk what she was on specifically are a very new branch of pharmacology, and the sheer diversity and differences in the anatomy and functions of human brains is just too unpredictable to be able to say something like she couldn’t have had an episode and also been on medication. often times those types of medications lead into hard to break and sometimes toxic cycles of sensitization, and tolerance meaning she could’ve been going through a time where she was taking the correct meds and doses, but do to the way brains work and the different receptors work, they could have started to become ineffective. i’ve known multiple friends and family members who’ve been prescribed a specific medication and then had it change to something of a higher or lesser strength. she could’ve been in a time where she may had needed to schedule an appointment and see if any changes needed to be made to her meds. also she had been traveling alone to a historic creepy hotel, like many have said for people who’re bipolar or manic depressed that can cause a lot of anxiety, and erratic behavior. anyways although i can’t completely say that there wasn’t someone there, because personally that theory makes sense to me also especially when caitlin said someone could’ve been holding the elevator open at the main desk, perhaps someone was in closer contact with her than let on in the investigation but either way, i think it did in large part have a big correlation to her mental state, and i don’t mean to say that to belittle her, or to try and disrespect the situation in any way, its just a very hard and emotional truth to accept. especially because of the way mental illness is seen in this country and society, i mean it’s literally referred to as illness.

[@macclownn]

I've heard, read and watched so many different "explanations" for her death and it's so nice to finally see one that's not full of criminals or the supernatural. A young girl died and that's heartbreaking, it turning into something else to sensationalise it is kinda sad.

[@Hromovlad1]

Yeah, since the lid was open, the "accident" or "suicide" scenarios sound as the most likely ones

[@sagency]

You are such an entertaining storyteller. I could listen to you talk for hours and hours!

[@MrMongo321]

Even with such morbid topics, Caitlyn always manages to make me smile and chuckle!

[@threestoogesfan2]

Thank you for providing clearer information about this case that’s been so sensationalized. I feel like you’re one of the few KZbinrs to cover this in a respectable manner. Good job, Caitlin. P.S. I’m still waiting on a video about the Hinterkaifeck murders.

[@mattnobrega6621]

Thank you for covering this story. You shed some light on this dark tragedy. Btw, your hair looks gorgeous! It captures the light marvelously : )

[@lynnewooten2542]

I appreciate the info. I've been curious about this case since I first saw the video.