Comments on: Murder or Tragic Accident? The Mysterious Death of Elisa Lam

By: lissaredshoes

lissaredshoes — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 16:14:29 +0000

Hi Lise! I’m not sure that she did take her meds in the proper dosage. None of this was reported and her autopsy was not widely available although I did find it eventually after some digging.

It seems that she may not have been as diligent as she should have been in taking her meds regularly, which based on some of them could have also had adverse effects. It’s one of the things that frustrates me about this case. They say her “bipolar” was a significant contributor to her accidental drowning, but irresponsibly never bothered to explain what that actually meant! It confuses the issue and creates more damaging myths about mental illness.

If you look closely at the picture of the water tanks you can see a maintenance ladder against the one on the back left. This is the one she was found in. Additionally, the lid was not locked.

And yes, I think that you are right about the “tales and fibs” keeping her spirit alive, and one hopes it continues to do so, since so many questions have yet to be answered! I do wonder if the parent’s lawsuit will eventually shed more light on the matter.

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By: Lise Lasalle

Lise Lasalle — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 13:25:27 +0000

A beautiful and haunting piece you have written here. As haunting as Elisa’s life. But I think that the Cecil is only haunted by bed bugs. We had a hotel in Vancouver called the Cecil and many strange stories were reported about eerie events happening there also.

Strange that they say that drugs had nothing to do with her death because she took the ‘regular dose’. Meds as powerful as this can send someone in a spin if not properly prescribed. Even more than her condition could.

I saw a video of the water tanks and it is hard to imagine that she could accomplish this prowess but then again, reality is often stranger than fiction.

Maybe all the tales and fibs about her death are meant to try to keep her spirit well and alive somewhere. In beauty, in grace or in a moronic fashion but out there with us.

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By: spotted couch

spotted couch — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 23:32:05 +0000

Hi Pitchforks. Love your thoughts on the matter. I found this case fascinating because no one seems to want to accept it was very likely mental health related and instead prefer think that it was an evil ghost. I’ve always understood how the “uncanny” functions within art, but this was a perfect real life case that seemed to jive perfectly with that thinking. I suspect it was more likely an accident than it was suicide but I guess we’ll never really know for sure. I certainly believe the hotel is culpable for leaving an unsafe area of the building accessible to anyone, but we’ll see what happens there. The Princess Diana death is a GREAT example. I remember being at home the day that the tragedy hit the news. It’s been a frenzy of conspiracies ever since.

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By: Pitchforks

Pitchforks — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 21:32:37 +0000

So true – often we try to glamourize people’s tragic and unexpected deaths with fantastical stories when the truth is sadly very banal – banal in a way we don’t want to acknowledge lest it seem too close to home. We do more dishonour to their memory by speculating on unrealistic or ridiculous theories than we do to acknowledge what the true causes were, especially when it might raise awareness..
This is particularly so with famous people – the public can’t seem to stomach that celebrities die of all too common problems such as alcohol or drug abuse. In the case of Princess Diana, whose death was caused solely by irresponsible drinking and driving on the part of the driver and those who were in a position to step in, her death has been turned into idiotic conspiracy theories devised mainly by people who have no understanding of how the monarchy works, or who, like Dodi Al Fayed’s father, have a vested interest in portraying the British royal family in a bad light and in also denying his own role in employing an obvious drunken sot as a chauffeur,
Princess Diana would have been appalled that her death was used to sell a multitude of salacious books instead of as the trigger of an awareness and educational campaign about the dangers of drinking and driving.
Elisa Lam died in vain if her death, and the video of her final moments are not used to educate people about mental breakdown. Stories of ghosts and possession only pander to the lowest common denominator of primitive thinking.
Thanks for debunking a lot of idiocy, Lissa!

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