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Cecil Hotel Serial Killers: 10 Creepy Facts About This Evil Place

The Cecil Hotel has gained popularity over the years because of its history and its association with several dark criminal activities. Tru crime enthusiasts have taken a shine on the hotel wanting to know the different crimes and unexplained phenomena that are said to have taken place in the hotel. Therefore, this article will explore the 10 creepy facts about the hotel that the reader should be aware of so that they can understand what the hype about the hotel is all about.

1 The Night Stalker stayed in the hotel

A picture of the Cecil Hotel. , , via Wikimedia Commons

Richard Ramirez who was popularly known as the Night Stalker was a serial killer who was active in the mid-1980s. Ramirez conducted a string of horrible crimes, including brutal house invasions, sexual assaults, and murders, between 1984 and 1985. He maintained his murderous rampage while he was a guest at the Cecil Hotel, frequently returning to the establishment after carrying out his crimes.

His presence cemented the hotel’s connection to illicit activity, which already gave the establishment a bad name. Ramirez is notorious in the annals of true crime because of his horrifying deeds and association with the Cecil Hotel. His downfall was brought about by his capture and subsequent trial, but his stay at the Cecil Hotel serves as a terrifying reminder of the meeting of an infamous killer and a location with a sinister past.

2 The horror movie ‘American Horror Story was inspired by the Cecil Hotel

There are always stories that the Cecil Hotel is haunted which explains why the horror film drew inspiration from the hotel. A photograph taken of the Cecil Hotel shows what looks like a person jumping from a window which resulted in the theory that the hotel is haunted. The film that drew inspiration from the hotel is also set in a hotel and it features serial killers who haunt the hotel.

3 The body of a tourist was found at the hotel’s water tower

Elisa Lam who was a Canadian tourist staying at the hotel in 2013 mysteriously went missing. After three weeks, her body was found floating in the hotel’s water tank on the roof. Her body was discovered after the guest at the hotel complained that the water had a strange smell and a weird colour which prompted the maintenance worker to go and check the tank when he discovered the body. A video was released by law enforcement of Elisa acting suspiciously before her disappearance. People started speculating that her disappearance was a result of supernatural activity but it was ruled as an accident.

4 A woman threw her baby out of the hotel’s window

A 19-year-old girl known as Dorothy Jean Purcell was a guest at the hotel in September 1944 when she woke up with a stomach ache in the middle of the night. When she went to the bathroom, she was shocked to have given birth to a baby. The young woman thought that the baby was still born and thus tossed him out of the window. The baby was discovered the next morning and the autopsy revealed that he had been in fact alive when he was thrown out of the window. Dorothy was charged with murder but a jury found her not guilty citing insanity and instead, she was sent for psychiatric treatment.

5 The Black Dhalia Connection

A picture of Elizabeth Short popularly known as Black Dahlia. , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Black Dhalia is the nickname that was given to Elizabeth Short, a young aspiring actress who was murdered and her death became a very controversial case. In 1947, when Black Dhalia was alive, the hotel was doing very well and attracted a lot of people. It is said that Elizabeth Short was seen drinking at the hotel’s bar before her death. However, her connection to the Cecil Hotel has not been unearthed to date and it still remains a point of curiosity.

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6 A man committed suicide at the hotel

In 1962, residents who were staying at the hotel started referring to it as ‘the suicide’. This was because, in 1927, a man known as Percy Ormand Cook took his own life by shooting himself in the head. The cases of suicide did not stop there as more people over time committed suicide at the hotel using different means like consuming poison, slitting their throats, jumping off windows and shooting themselves. This series of deaths cemented the notion that was going around that the hotel was haunted.

7 Pigeon Goldie was killed in the Cecil Hotel

Hotel Cecil from the side. , , via Wikimedia Commons

Goldie Osgood who was popularly known as Pigeon Goldie because he liked feeding birds was murdered at the Cecil Hotel. Goldie worked as a telephone operator in the hotel and was found dead in her room. A man named Jaques Ehlinger was arrested as a suspect in the murder as he was seen walking through the hotel with clothes that had bloodstains on them but he was never charged. The murder of Pigeon Goldie has never been solved to date.

8 The skid row

The hotel’s location is near the Skid Row in the Los Angeles area which is known for having a large number of homeless people, high rates of crime and poverty. The location resulted in a troubled reputation for the hotel. Its location meant that only people who are looking for cheap accommodation, involved in criminal activities would go there and thus the hotel misses out on the elite clients.

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9 The hotel is known for criminal activities

The interior of the Cecil Hotel. , , via Wikimedia Commons

A troubling history of serving as a centre for illicit activity surrounds the Cecil Hotel. Because of its inexpensive rates, the hotel drew a variety of transient visitors, some of whom committed crimes while they were inside. The uneasy atmosphere created by these surroundings contributed to the establishment of its infamous reputation. Beyond its visitors, the hotel had a reputation for criminal activities due to the socioeconomic hardships and deterioration in the neighbourhood. This confluence of elements produced an environment that was conducive to criminal activity, adding to the ominous air that has dogged the history of the Cecil Hotel.

10 The hotel got a lot of attention because of Elisa Lam

After the death of the Canadian tourist was heard by the public, the bookings to the hotel started coming in as people wanted to experience what Elis Did during her last moments. With more than 80 deaths having happened at the hotel, true crime enthusiasts were fascinated and wanted to experience what it feels like to be at the Cecil Hotel as they come across the name in many true crime stories.

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