The Cecil Hotel and its Chilling Story

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The Cecil Hotel, nestled in the heart of Los Angeles, opened its doors in 1927. This grand establishment, featuring stained glass windows, a marble lobby, 700 rooms, palm trees, and an impressive mezzanine, came with a hefty price tag of millions of dollars. Initially, the hotel offered budget-friendly lodging for tourists and business travelers. However, two years later, a global economic crisis shook the world, hitting Los Angeles hard and leaving many homeless. The hotel’s surroundings soon filled with jobless and homeless individuals, shifting its clientele from tourists to those without shelter. By the 1930s, the Cecil Hotel had become a meeting place for criminals, sex workers, and killers.

To date, the Cecil Hotel has been the site of 16 murders/suicides and unexplained paranormal events. Some of America’s most notorious serial killers even stayed here for extended periods. What led to this hotel’s infamous reputation for violence and murder? Let’s delve into the mysterious history of the Cecil Hotel.

The first suicide at the Cecil Hotel occurred on November 19, 1931. W.K. Norton, 46, made a reservation under the alias “James Willys” on November 12. The reason for using a false name remains unknown. A week after checking in, housekeeping found him dead. The coroner’s report stated Norton had poisoned himself, marking the first in a series of suicides at the hotel. The following year, 25-year-old Benjamin Dodich shot himself on the day he checked in.

Dodich’s investigation was brief. With no signs of forced entry and the gun belonging to him, this second death was also ruled a suicide. In 1934, 53-year-old Louise D. Borden was found in her Cecil room with her throat slit. Borden left a note citing poor health as her reason for not wanting to live. Officials stated Borden died quickly from blood loss after cutting her throat with a razor. Dozens more ended their lives at the Cecil Hotel until 2015, earning it the nickname “The Suicide” from the 1960s onward.

A suspicious death occurred in 1937 when Grace E. Magro, a young woman, fell from the hotel’s 9th floor and got tangled in telephone wires. Though she survived the initial fall, Magro suffered severe injuries and died despite efforts to save her at the hospital. Was it an accident or murder? These questions remain unanswered. Magro’s roommate, M.W. Madison, was questioned repeatedly but couldn’t explain how her friend fell. Lacking evidence for murder charges, Magro’s death was recorded as an accident.

In 1944, 19-year-old Dorothy Jean Purcell gave birth at the Cecil Hotel, unaware of her pregnancy. She threw the baby out of the hotel window, claiming she didn’t want to disturb her boyfriend with the infant’s cries. In 1945, Purcell was found not guilty by reason of insanity and released.

The Cecil Hotel was the backdrop for one of America’s most talked-about murders in 1947, inspiring various TV shows and films, including American Horror Story. Elizabeth Short, known as the “Black Dahlia,” was a 22-year-old beauty whose naked body was found in a vacant lot near the hotel on January 15. Elizabeth had been brutally murdered, her body cut in half, raped, face and breasts slashed. The killer had meticulously cleaned her body, leaving no traceable evidence. Witnesses reported seeing Elizabeth at the Cecil Hotel’s bar the night before her murder. Despite assigning 750 detectives to the case and questioning numerous suspects, Elizabeth’s murder remains unsolved due to lack of concrete evidence.

In 1964, the Cecil Hotel once again became a scene of horror when Goldie Osgood was found brutally murdered in her room.

Goldie Osgood, a retired phone operator, was affectionately known as “the Pigeon Lady” due to her love for feeding birds. On June 4, 1964, a hotel maid discovered Osgood’s naked, stabbed body in her room at the Cecil Hotel. The victim had been sexually assaulted, robbed, and violently attacked. Shortly after the discovery, Jacques B. Ehlinger was arrested nearby with blood-stained clothes. Ehlinger admitted to being near the hotel when the murder occurred, and the blood on his clothes was believed to be Osgood’s. Everyone was certain Ehlinger was the killer. However, due to insufficient evidence, he was released, and Osgood’s murderer remains unidentified to this day.

The Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles has housed notorious serial killers, including Richard Ramirez and Jack Underweger. Ramirez, known as the “Night Stalker,” terrorized America from 1984 to 1985, killing 13 people in one year. He would break into homes at dawn, rape and murder his victims. After his crimes, Ramirez would return to the Cecil Hotel, dispose of his bloody clothes in the trash, and walk naked to his room. The hotel’s poor condition meant no one suspected anything. In 1985, Ramirez was identified while attempting to steal a car and was sentenced to death. However, he died in prison before his execution.

In 1991, the Cecil Hotel hosted another serial killer, Jack Underweger. He was feared not only in Los Angeles but also in Austria and the Czech Republic. Underweger would enter victims’ homes, rape them, and brutally murder them using their own bras as weapons. When caught in 1994, he was found guilty of 11 murders and sentenced to life in prison. Underweger stated he chose the Cecil Hotel because Ramirez had stayed there.

The final victim in the Cecil Hotel’s chain of deaths was 21-year-old Elisa Lam. She was a Canadian tourist battling depression who decided to travel alone to Los Angeles. Lam regularly contacted her family and posted on social media during her trip. Her last phone call home was on January 31, 2013. About three weeks after her mysterious disappearance, hotel guests complained about the water’s color and odor. A maintenance worker found Lam’s decomposed body in the rooftop water tank.

Elisa’s case gained worldwide attention when security camera footage of her last moments was released. The video showed her behaving erratically in the hotel elevator, appearing to talk to someone invisible, hiding in corners, and pressing multiple floor buttons. This bizarre behavior led to numerous theories about what happened to her. The most common theory suggested she was fleeing from a pursuer, explaining her strange actions in the elevator.

The autopsy report showed no traces of alcohol or drugs in Elisa’s system, nor any signs of external trauma. Police, considering her history of depression, ruled her death a suicide and closed the case. However, her family, friends, and social media users believed she was murdered. Some even attributed supernatural explanations to her death, drawing parallels to the 2005 film “Dark Water,” which featured similar elements. Despite extensive speculation, the true cause of Elisa’s death remains unresolved.

In an attempt to distance themselves from the hotel’s dark history, management decided to rebrand. In 2013, the Cecil Hotel reopened under the name “Stay on Main.” However, this name change did little to erase the building’s notorious reputation.

The Cecil Hotel’s history is marred by tragedy, violence, and unexplained events. From suicides and murders to housing infamous serial killers, the hotel has become synonymous with darkness and mystery. Its story continues to fascinate and horrify people worldwide, serving as a grim reminder of the shadows that can lurk within seemingly ordinary places.

In 2017, the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles underwent a complete renovation. New furniture, updated decor, and a rooftop pool were added. However, these changes couldn’t erase the hotel’s bloody past and numerous deaths.