Seems like Netflix has no plans to stop its mills for churning out true crime documentary series.

While we are still processing the documentaries released at the end of the last year (Remember The Ripper?), the streaming-giant has continued to offer a steady stream of true-crime documentaries based on notorious killers in 2021.

Starting with The Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer— which attempts to deglamorize the crimes of Richard Ramirez who went on a killing rampage in the city of Los Angeles in the 80’s—Netflix is dwelling deeper into the case that not only occurred in the same city but also, interestingly, somewhat related to Ramirez. 

Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel digs into the mysterious disappearance and death of a 21-year-old student named Elisa Lam, who checked into the famous Cecil Hotel during her visit in California. She was found dead in a water tank on the hotel’s roof weeks later after she mysteriously disappeared – her untimely death has been described as an accident or suicide despite mysterious circumstances. 

Released on 10^th February, the four-episode docu-series has been criticized over tackling the tragedy in a derogatory and disrespectful manner. But one undoubtedly gripping aspect of this docu-series is its setting, Cecil Hotel, which has been linked with the country’s most gruesome crimes and serial killers.

Here’s everything you need to know about the sordid past of Cecil Hotel and how it is linked with Richard Ramirez, Jack Unterweger, and Elisa Lam:

Richard Ramirez stayed at the Cecil Hotel during the peak of his killing spree

Richard Ramirez, famously known as “The Night Stalker,” terrorized the city of angels in 1984 until his arrest in August 1985. During his reign of terror in the city, he sexually assaulted and killed over dozens of people (men and women of all ages, including children).

Ramirez booked a room on the top floor of the Cecil Hotel for $14 when he was out on a killing rampage. After murdering the victim, he returned to his hotel room to spend the night. Ramirez reportedly dumped his bloody clothes behind the hotel and walked to his room naked in the middle of the night.

Considering the Cecil’s weird array of guests and visitors, Ramirez’s peculiar behavior mostly remained unnoticed.

Serial killer, Jack Unterweger, also resided in the same hotel

Jack Unterweger was a respectable TV host, journalist, and writer, but in his private time, he was a serial killer who killed at least 10 women in Vienna and abroad.

Unterweger was sent to California by a magazine to cover a story about crimes, most particularly related to the increasing trend of prostitution in the city of Los Angeles. He decided to stay in the infamous Cecil Hotel. During his stay, he strangled three prostitutes to death with their own bra straps.

Canadian student, Elisa Lam was found dead in a water tank on a hotel’s roof weeks later after she was declared missing.

The 21-year-old Canadian student, Elisa Lam traveled to Los Angeles and stayed at the Cecil Hotel before she went missing on January 31, 2012.

Her mysterious disappearance sparked nationwide concerns, mostly because of the fact that she resided in Cecil Hotel.

A hotel worker discovered her dead body in a water tank while addressing guests’ complaints related to water supply and pressure. The police investigation concluded that Lam was suffering from clinical depression and bipolar disorder. The mystery behind her death is still unknown.

After months of criticism and rising speculations about police’s negligence in tackling the case, the Los Angeles Police Department leaked a footage of Lam in the hotel’s elevator. In the video, the deceased can be seen behaving erratically and bizarrely as if she was hiding from someone. The murder mystery remains unsolved.

Check the video here:

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