8°c Sunny
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Canadian's death still a mystery despite autopsy
Body found in L.A. hotel water tank
SUBMITTED PHOTO (CP)
DAMIAN DOVARGANES / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (CP)
LOS ANGELES -- More testing must be done to determine the cause of death of a 21-year-old Canadian tourist whose body was found wedged in a water tank atop a downtown Los Angeles hotel, authorities said Thursday.
An autopsy performed Thursday didn't provide definitive answers on whether Elisa Lam was killed or if she fell victim to a bizarre accident. Coroner's officials will await toxicology tests before making a final determination.
Lam's body was found Tuesday in a water cistern atop the downtown Cecil Hotel. Police have called her death suspicious.
Guest complaints about low water pressure resulted in a maintenance worker making the gruesome discovery.
Before she died, hotel surveillance footage showed her inside an elevator pushing buttons and sticking her head out the doors, looking in both directions.
Meanwhile, water tested from the hotel didn't contain any live bacteria that would cause illness.
Although county health officials issued a do-not-drink order, the results that came back Thursday indicated the water was safe from a "microbiological standpoint," said Angelo Bellomo, the county's director of environmental health.
"We can't say what the quality of the water was prior to the samples" taken Tuesday, Bellomo said. "We can only say that the water met the standard at the time it was sampled."
Chlorine in the water likely killed any bacteria in the tank where Lam's body was found, Bellomo said. Two standard water tests were performed and samples were taken from throughout the hotel.
Bellomo said the hotel has retained a consultant who submitted a plan to sanitize the water lines that will be retested before they are put back in operation. Only water for toilets is flowing for hotel guests currently.
Lam, of Vancouver, B.C., travelled alone to Los Angeles on Jan. 26 and was last seen five days later by workers at the 600-room hotel near skid row. She intended to travel to Santa Cruz, about 560 kilometres north of Los Angeles.
High school classmate Alex Ristea of Vancouver called Lam's death shocking and said she was one of the friendliest people he knew.
"This is the last person I expect out of all my friends to have something like this happen to her," Ristea said.
University of British Columbia spokesman Randy Schmidt confirmed Lam had attended summer school at the university but was not registered for the current session.
Ristea said he believes Lam had just gone to California for a holiday, saying she had posted pictures on Facebook from tourist locations such as the San Diego Zoo.
Reached by phone, a man who confirmed it was Lam's home said he was busy and hung up when asked to speak about her.
A woman reached later at the same number, when told it was a reporter calling, also hung up after saying, "Sorry."
-- The Associated Press
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 22, 2013 A12
More World
- Back to Top
- Return to World
More World
(1 of 20 articles for today)
At Cannes Film Festival, Jerry Lewis still not laughing at female comedians
9:35 AM 0
Poll
Most Popular World
- Man shot to death in Fla. while being questioned in Boston Marathon bombing investigation
- Brave woman tried to calm London attackers and reasoned with them before police came
- British official: Suspects in butchering of soldier had been part of previous investigations
- Polish man gets quick face transplant in what doctors say was life-saving decision
- Youths in Stockholm burn down restaurant, torch more than 30 cars in 4th night of rioting
- Gay teen charged for having younger girlfriend
- Preliminary estimate puts Oklahoma tornado damage at $2 billion; 13,000 homes damaged, ruined
- 'An eye for an eye'
- Canseco accused of sex assault in Vegas; former slugger airs info on Twitter
- The pope and the devil: Francis' obsession with Satan leads to suspicion he performed exorcism
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- Search for survivors of Oklahoma tornado nearly complete, as homeowners confront devastation
- Man shot to death in Fla. while being questioned in Boston Marathon bombing investigation
- Phone cracked? Cool
- US woman credits 'mother's instincts' in chase of 4-year-old daughter's abductor
- Polish man gets quick face transplant in what doctors say was life-saving decision
- Umbrella-gate stirs outrage
- Brave woman tried to calm London attackers and reasoned with them before police came
- US zoo looking into conception mystery after birth of anteater; no male in pen
- Remote Alaska volcano continues to erupt, with lava fountains, ash plumes
- Amanda Berry, 1 of 3 women freed after held captive in Ohio home, arrives at sister's home
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- Friendship with bomb suspect, complex chain of events leads to 3 being charged
- Police vow to solve shooting that wounded 19 people during Mother's Day parade in New Orleans
- Missing Pa. woman, last seen dropping off kids for school in 2002, surfaces in Fla.
- Cleveland police: Ohio captive suffered 5 miscarriages after being beaten and starved
- Jodi Arias convicted of first-degree murder, says she prefers death penalty
- Neighbours: Man in custody comforted missing girl's mom, helped search for missing US women
- Search for survivors of Oklahoma tornado nearly complete, as homeowners confront devastation
- High school baseball team lifts car to free 16-year-old girl
- Phone cracked? Cool
- Ray Manzarek, keyboardist and founding member of rock group The Doors, dies at 74 from cancer
- Hatchet-wielding hitchhiker who intervened in California attack arrested in NJ homicide
- Remote Alaska volcano continues to erupt, with lava fountains, ash plumes
- Argentina's 'dirty war' dictator dies
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- Shady characters: Cookie Monster, Elmo accused of aggressive behaviour in Times Square
- U.S. envoy punted; Russia alleges spying
- US woman credits 'mother's instincts' in chase of 4-year-old daughter's abductor
- Up to 60 people injured when car drives into Va. parade; medical emergency possible cause
- 'Coronation Street' actor William Roache charged in UK over alleged rapes in 1967
- Coroner: 5-year-old boy shoots 2-year-old sister in US with rifle he got as a gift
- Hitler ate well, his food taster recalls
- Black bear wanders into LA-area suburbia, chases swimmers from pool, strands kids in class
- Female guards, rapidly growing in numbers, at heart of U.S. prison scandal
- Phone cracked? Cool
- Bill to alter rules of succession before Kate gives birth nears completion as Lords approve
- US tourists swim for nearly 14 hours after boat sinks near St. Lucia
- IBM makes movie about a little boy - a very little boy - by pushing molecules around
- Friendship with bomb suspect, complex chain of events leads to 3 being charged
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.