The Elevator Video: What's your take?

[Userid]

^ Yeah, this case has been on my mind ever since it broke nationally in January/February. This is the case that made me join WS, so I know how you feel (i.e. how mind-consuming it is).

I like your post and I'm not trying to prove you wrong, so to speak, but I figured I'd touch on a few things that I believe. I think it's important to note that when this case first broke, I was absolutely convinced there was foul play for about the first 5 months since I heard about it.

To me, now, she never looks like she's scared for her life in the entire video. Everything about it, to me, is playful -- from when she gets on, to when she jumps ("a-hah!"), to when she moves outside the elevator, to when she re-enters with her hands on her head (if you notice, she is actually smiling when she does this). She lingers outside the elevator for a prolonged period, on 2 separate occasions (if you felt threatened, would you really linger there?). Even at the end, she simply and slowly saunters away down the hall -- there is zero desperation or fright. If she was afraid, you'd would think she would've at least walked fast, if not lightly jogged or even ran, down the hall. She simply saunters away, almost drunkenly, but who knows if she was drinking (I don't think so; I think this was a manic episode -- but I'd believe she was drunk before believing she was drugged). If I remember correctly, there was no alcohol or drugs in her system, other than the prescription meds she was taking (for Bi-Polar/Depression).

I do agree with your "a-hah" point though, and how you allude that people do strange things when they think they're alone -- I touched on this myself near the top of this page; it's nice that someone knows what I mean.

 

[huxleypig]

Wow, what a spooky case! The video is the last footage we have of her alive? There has to be other footage though? Of her returning to the hotel (alone?) or in that lift/a different lift at a different time?

She is definitely hiding from something, real or perceived at one point but it does have a playful quality to it. I know I often have converstaions with myself and wave my hands around as if I were talking for real so that could explain her weird hand movements. I'm not so sure she was having a psychotic episode, she had been taking her meds, right? Even if she had completely detached from reality (and was on her own the whole time) how would she know that there is a water tank to hide/die in on the roof? Why go there to begin with? If suicide was in her mind surely she'd just jump off the roof (having got there somehow).

Something about the lifts' behaviour is a bit strange. It looks like the dors are about to close but she presses the 'hold door' button and they open and stay there. How long does 'hold door' work for? It stays frozen for quite a while...But anyway, when she goes in a 2nd time and presses more buttons we would expect to see the same thing as when she first did it - the doors go to close then retract when she pushes the hlod button again but they don't. The only thing I know of that can do this is by use of the fireman's lift key (all have them). From another floor the key operator can put the lift into 'normal' (normal) mode, call mode (where all the lifts are called to that floor at once) or most pertinently, freeze mode (where all carriages freeze at whatever floor they are at/going to). I think that is right at least...

That video though, it does look very dodgy. What's the deal there? Firstly, I doubt that the camera is motion activated, I know they exist but they are expensive and not many places have them in their elevators, especially in downtown LA? If it was due to motion detection then you would not have the freezing/skipping before the door jumps to closing. There would be one jump, straight to the door closing and nothing before. There are 50 odd seconds missing? What's the deal with the timestamp too, dyouoes anyone know why it is obscured (not hard to work out still though)?

Finally, regarding the fire escape door onto the roof, the battery powered alarm probably drained away a long time ago and has never been replaced but the alarm on the top of the door is a magnetic reed switch and will be (or was once) hooked up to the hotel's general alarm system. However, they are usually used for intrusion detection (from people on the other side) and so if we presume that it works and the alarm is active (which I know is a stretch) it is incredibly easy to bypass this sensor from the inside. It is possible from the outside too but when you have access to it like in this case it would be very, very easy to make it so that you could open and close the door continually and not trigger it.

 

[minkadinks]

Hello Everyone

I got interested in this case recently and came across this discussion. Having now seen the video I wondered if you would be interested in an interpretation from someone with schizophrenic spectrum disorder?

I was diagnosed with bipolar for years and only recently had a more accurate diagnosis of schizophrenia. What I am seeing in this video is very familiar of my own reactions when I am having an hallucination, although I also agree that it does seem possible someone is off camera here perhaps taking advantage of the situation.

Firstly the early 'reactions'. When you hallucinate you are not completely gone, you KNOW what you are seeing shouldn't be there and Eliza's reactions are hugely familiar, starting with moderate logic of 'let's get out of here via the elevator' to checking repeatedly 'Is it still there? Oh god yes it is!' and subsequent hiding.

When you have schizophrenic hallucination you know in your heart it probably isn't real but that doesn't stop you being terrified. What if it IS real this time? That thought is where the intense struggle with reality begins.

Secondly I'd like to give some insight to her hand gestures. Palms flat and sort of 'padding down' the air. I've done this many times during hallucination episodes. Your brain is misfiring but your body still tries to make sense of the situation, you will reach out, try and touch things, try and 'touch base' with your surroundings as they melt away before you etc. I don't think she's counting off on her fingers, just personally I think her motor skills are trying to rationalise with the extreme event her brain is conjuring up before her. I've seen men crawl like insects over the ceiling toward me, people on fire at the end of my bed and a person walking like a broken crab up my stairs. These things are not real and your hands will reach out from you in various ways, to try and touch, they go to your head as you think 'For goodness sake pull yourself together', to your face when you can't believe you are actually there etc etc.

I really find the video horribly and sadly familiar for a schizophrenic episode, a horrible and frightening one. However, at the same time I'd like to share an experience I've had a few time and that's when I've had an episode in public...and someone has noticed me and joined in. I've been very lucky that in the past I've been in situations where I could get away but I think given the circumstances here this poor girl may have had the double misfortune of some seedy derelict noticing her losing sense of reality and taking advantage.

I've had times when dodgy guys have come up to me saying "Yeah, I can see them too!" but they can't specify what, they're just being predatory and taking advantage of someone in a vulnerable moment. At times in the past I've had to jump out of a window to get out of some strangers house having 'woken up' there after an episode- now I have a proper diagnosis I can manage my condition. If this poor girl was actually schizophrenic she may not have been as fortunate, and given the circumstances around her death it does seem probably that someone else was there when this was happening

 

[bessie]

This thread contains interesting past discussion of the topic which is available to read. Ultimately, the death was ruled accidental, and the discussion is closed.

Thank you.