On January 31st 2013, 21 year old Elisa Lam who was traveling on the west coast of the United States missed a check in call with her parents who were home in Vancouver. After not hearing from her, Elisa’s parents would then call the Los Angeles Police to search the infamous Cecil Hotel. A surveillance video from an elevator would be the last time anyone would see Elisa alive. 

Sources: 

Brknhrt, “Elisa Lam”, Find a grave, May 20, 2013, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/110876498/elisa-lam, Accessed July 27th 2025 

Gurley, Alex, “Elisa Lam’s Body Was Found at the Infamous Cecil Hotel 13 Years Ago. Inside the Mysterious Circumstances Around Her Death — and What Police Really Think Happened”, People, February 19, 2025, https://people.com/what-happened-to-elisa-lam-cecil-hotel-11680025, Accessed July 27th 2025 

Ishak, Natasha, “Elisa Lam: The Real Story Of Her Death In The Cecil Hotel”, Allthatsinteresting, September 1, 2023, https://allthatsinteresting.com/elisa-lam-death, Accessed July 27th 2025 

Biography.com Editors, “Elisa Lam Biography”, A&E; Television Networks, February 9, 2021, //www.biography.com/crime/elisa-lam, Accessed July 27th 2025 

St.Clair, Joshua, “The True Story of What Happened to Elisa Lam at the Cecil Hotel”, Mens Health, February 10, 2021, https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a35410248/elisa-lam-death-vanishing-cecil-hotel-true-story/, Accessed July 27th 2025  

Veliz, Leslie, “Tragic Details Found In Elisa Lam's Autopsy Report”, Grunge, January 30, 2023, https://www.grunge.com/706604/tragic-details-found-in-elisa-lams-autopsy-report/, Accessed July 27th 2025