Elevator doors won’t close as student jumps in and out speaking to someone who isn’t there. She’s found dead in hotel water tank 3 weeks later

A 21-year-old Canadian student went missing at a Los Angeles hotel in 2013. The case became one of the most talked-about missing person stories in recent years. Elisa Lam checked into the Cecil Hotel (which has its own dark legacy) in downtown LA on Jan. 28, 2013. She was traveling alone along the West Coast. She was supposed to check out on Feb. 1, but she never showed up.

Lam’s parents called the police after they stopped hearing from their daughter. She had been calling them every day during her trip. Police brought dogs to search the hotel, but could not find her. All her things were still in her room. This included her ID, medication, and laptop. On February 13, police shared security video from the hotel elevator. It showed the last time anyone saw Lam. The video spread quickly online.