Accidental Death Verdict Reached in Cecil Hotel Rooftop Death (updated)

It's hard to say there can be any 'good news' regarding the death of a 21 year old girl, but - just possibly - knowing that their daughter was not terrorized by a murderer during the last moments of her life might provide some small amount of solace.  But the news there was no murder is definitely good news for all of us in Downtown LA since this means there is no murderer who 'got away with this' walking among us and it is also good news for the owners of the Cecil since - tragic as this event is - it allows them to take another small step away from its past history of violent crime.

And, after a certain period of time has passed,  as is common with many other places once far more infamous for death and tragedy, places as different as the Tower of London to the sites where Jack the Ripper's victims met their violent ends - to the home of Lizzy Borden and the location of the St. Valentine's Massacre, eventually become highly sought out tourist attractions advertised in the worst possible taste on endless T-shirts, drinking mugs and bumper stickers.

So it might be said that the 'accidental' nature of this tragedy might - ironically -  now shorten the time before some future store owner by the hotel starts selling a line of T-shirts with catchy sayings such as "I'm  Dying To Stay At The Cecil' or "The Night Stalker Gives the Cecil a 5 AX" Rating."

Fortunately, I will not be living long enough to see that.

Here are a few more details from the post at blogdowntown.

Cecil Hotel rooftop death ruled accidental drowning

By HAYLEY FOX
Published: Thursday, June 20, 2013, at 01:49PM

Eric Richardson / blogdowntown

The Cecil Hotel, where Elisa Lam's body was discovered in a water tank on the roof.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Coroner announced on Thursday that Canadian tourist Elisa Lam, whose body was found on the roof of a Downtown hotel, died in an accidental drowning.

Lam's body was discovered in February in a water tank on top of the Cecil Hotel. According to the coroner, Lam suffered from "bipolar disorder" as well as a variety of other "significant conditions."

The rest of the above story is at blogdowntown. and more details can be found here. and at NBC