Body in hotel tank: Cause may take weeks
Firefighters work to remove a body found inside a water tank on the rooftop of Hotel Cecil in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
February 21st, 2013
06:17 PM ET

Body in hotel tank: Cause may take weeks

An autopsy on a woman whose body was found in a hotel water tank in Los Angeles is complete, but the cause of death is deferred pending further examination, the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office said Thursday.

That may take six to eight weeks, according to Ed Winter, the assistant chief of the coroner's office.

The decomposing body of Elisa Lam, 21, of Canada, was found floating inside a water tank on the roof of the Cecil Hotel on Tuesday. The body was in the tank for as long as 19 days while guests brushed their teeth, bathed and drank with water from it, officials say.

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soundoff (22 Responses)
  1. stuart

    Poor girl. Awlful thing. Rip girl

    February 21, 2013 at 6:42 pm | Report abuse |
  2. 1608

    The decomposing body of Elisa Lam floated inside a water tank on the roof of the Cecil Hotel Eventually, the hotel maintenance department investigated the water problem, sending a worker to look into the tank, police said. He saw Lam's lifeless body at the bottom.Okay. You would think that the door to the roof would be locked.

    February 21, 2013 at 7:30 pm | Report abuse |
  3. 1608

    Alan did he find her body floating or on the bottom? One would think the door to the roof would be locked.

    February 21, 2013 at 7:34 pm | Report abuse |
  4. 1608

    Me thinks cnn red flagged me.

    February 21, 2013 at 7:36 pm | Report abuse |
  5. dazzle ©

    @1608 they probably did, that's just the way they work. No rhyme or reason.

    February 21, 2013 at 8:20 pm | Report abuse |
  6. banasy©

    What a horrifying event!

    February 21, 2013 at 8:25 pm | Report abuse |
  7. s kel

    The smell is bad, I had to endure three decomposed bodies in a room on a hot summer day. They had been dead for well over a week. Oh and no A/C.

    February 21, 2013 at 8:39 pm | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      That's even more horrifying, s kel.

      February 21, 2013 at 8:40 pm | Report abuse |
    • s kel

      yeah it was a homicide/suicide in a old row house. The smell lingered in my clothes for the rest of my tour. (workday)

      February 21, 2013 at 8:50 pm | Report abuse |
  8. dazzle ©

    skel, that sounds horrific.

    February 21, 2013 at 8:57 pm | Report abuse |
  9. little mister©

    Yes skel horrible

    February 21, 2013 at 9:02 pm | Report abuse |
  10. little mister©

    Oh. Good evening dazzle & banasy. So nice to see ur posts here.
    Do have a marvelous evening.
    Tea time.
    Ta ta

    February 21, 2013 at 9:04 pm | Report abuse |
  11. dazzle ©

    @little mister, you must be in London.

    February 21, 2013 at 9:05 pm | Report abuse |
  12. little mister©

    I plan to be cremated in my big day.
    I want my ashes to be spread over the ocean during sunset

    February 21, 2013 at 9:07 pm | Report abuse |
  13. dazzle ©

    It's a little late for tea time if you are in the states. It will keep you awake.

    February 21, 2013 at 9:11 pm | Report abuse |
  14. little mister©

    Ok dazzle. Im watching greys anatomy.
    I can multi task

    February 21, 2013 at 9:13 pm | Report abuse |
  15. little mister©

    Bye smart lady.
    Have a good day tomorrow.

    February 21, 2013 at 9:17 pm | Report abuse |
    • dazzle ©

      You have a photographic memory little mister. Enjoy and keep warm tomorrow.

      February 21, 2013 at 9:34 pm | Report abuse |
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