Netflix Crime Series to Explore the Mysterious Death of Elisa Lam at ‘Serial Killer’ Hotel

January 14, 2021

An upcoming Netflix docuseries will look at the disappearance and death of Canadian tourist Elisa Lam, who stayed at the infamous Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles in 2013.

The details: The docuseries, titled “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel,” was revealed this week by executive producer and director Joe Berlinger, according to Variety.

The series attempts to deconstruct what happened to the 21-year-old Canadian student during her stay at the Cecil Hotel. There will be interviews with several people, including investigators, hotel employees and guests.
“As a true crime documentarian, I was fascinated in 2013 when the elevator video of Elisa Lam went viral and legions of amateur detectives used the internet to try to solve the mystery of what happened to her,” Barlinger said. “So, when journalist Josh Dean, who is also a producer on the project, brought us his research into this case, we realized there was as an opportunity to do something different by not just telling the story of Elisa’s disappearance, but to create a series that explores a particular location’s role in encouraging or abetting crime — or the perception thereof.”
The four-episode series will dive into the dark history of the Cecil Hotel, a rest stop for many well-known serial killers, including “Night Stalker” Richard Ramirez, Unilad reported.
“My past projects have leaned into individual crimes and criminals, but I have never explored the role a particular location has played in creating an environment in which multiple crimes seemingly take place over and over again,” Berlinger said. “The fact that Elisa disappeared in a location that has a multi-decade history of crimes is what made her case fascinating to me.”
The series will premiere on Feb. 10.

Unsolved death and timeline: The circumstances surrounding Lam’s death remain unknown to this day.

Lam traveled to California on Jan. 26, 2013. She was last seen by a Cecil Hotel staff member on Jan. 31, according to Global News. The mystery began when Lam failed to show up for check-out in early February.
On Feb. 6, the Los Angeles Police Department released a statement related to the suspicious disappearance of Lam. A day later, they held a press conference.
On Feb. 14, the authorities released CCTV footage of Lam displaying erratic behavior inside an elevator.

After several hotel guests complained of low water pressure, Lam’s naked corpse was discovered on Feb. 19 inside a water tank on a secured roof of the hotel.

Lam, who suffered from bipolar disorder, was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of her death, according to the toxicology report via Vice.

Feature Image via CBS (left), CNN (right)

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