Historic documents reveal the horrifying past of the world’s most haunted place, the Cecil Hotel located in Los Angeles California.  

The Cecil Hotel is known for its  history of murder and suicide. Records of the 1900s convey that at least five men or women have jumped or fallen from their hotel room at the Cecil Hotel leading to their death.

Helen Gurnee: jumped from the seventh floor, 1954

Robert Smith: jumped from the seventh floor, 1947

Julia Frances Moore: fell from the eighth floor, 1962

Grace E. Magro: fell from the ninth floor, 1937

Real name unknown, identified as Alison Lowell: fell from twelfth floor, 1975

Many mysterious murders have occurred at this hotel. Mothers have killed their children, women went missing without a trace, serial killers had wandered the halls, and nobody knew what went on behind the hotel doors.

We’ve all heard the name Richard Ramirez, also known as the night stalker. He grew up in Texas, began breaking into people’s homes, and then he dropped out of high school. Ramirez then went on not only to continue his crimes but to take them a step further. He began stalking people, breaking into homes where he would assault both men and women and then finally end their lives. His residency was documented at the Cecil Hotel in the 1980’s where he stayed on the fourteenth floor, conveniently at the prime time of his murders. 

The most intriguing and daunting case at the Cecil Hotel is the 2013 disappearance of Elisa Lam. She was a 21 year old woman who suffered from bipolar disorder as well as depression. On January 1st, she checked into the Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles where she planned to spend a month alone. For the first few days of her trip everything was normal. Elisa would call her parents every night but suddenly the calls stopped.

Nearing the end of her stay Elisa began experiencing odd behaviors such as hallucinations and paranoia. Elevator security cameras capture the last seen footage of Elisa Lam where she is looking around frantically and hiding as if she was running from someone. She is seen shoving herself into the corner of an elevator and pressing numerous buttons yet the doors remain open. She begins rocking back and forth, and then she is seen talking to someone, however no one is there. She runs out of the elevator and finally the doors shut. 

On February 1st Elisa was officially reported missing. 

On February 19th her deceased body was found after hotel guests complained of the bizarre water pressure, taste, and smell. The guest complaints resulted in a hotel worker going to check the water tanks on the roof. When he opened the tank he found the body of Elisa Lam. An autopsy revealed the official cause of death was an accidental drowning. 

Many people do not believe this case was an accidental drowning as access to the roof required a key, the water tanks required a 10 foot ladder and the lid of the tank weighed over 20 pounds. 

Some people believe she had stopped taking her prescribed medication a few weeks prior to this incident leading to her severe bipolar episode. This would explain her hallucinations as well as frantic behaviors. 

Other people believe there was an accomplice involved in this case and a good cover up or poor investigation. 

To this day the Cecil Hotel remains the most haunted hotel in the United States. The hotel is still up and running. That being said, if you find interest in paranormal activity the Cecil Hotel is the perfect place for a scary night’s stay!