Part of Hosts Jesus' story Arc #1 series

In 2013, 21-year-old Elisa Lam vanished from the infamous Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Weeks later, her body was discovered floating inside a rooftop water tank. The only clue? A haunting piece of elevator footage that went viral, triggering global conspiracy theories, ghost stories, and internet sleuth hysteria.

In this eerie deep dive, Jesus breaks down the disturbing timeline, chilling theories, and tragic truth behind one of the internet’s most enduring mysteries. We explore the real Elisa — her mental health struggles, her vulnerable writings — and the cursed legacy of the Cecil Hotel, where death and darkness have long checked in.

• Elisa Lam’s solo journey down the West Coast
• Her final days inside the Cecil Hotel
• The viral elevator footage: frame-by-frame breakdown
• Discovery of her body and the hotel’s disturbing water issue
• Autopsy report and inconsistencies

• Deep dive into theories:
• The Elevator Game
• LAM-ELISA TB test connection
• Cover-up and missing elevator footage
• Supernatural claims tied to the hotel
• The internet’s obsession and the harassment of Pablo Vergara (Morbid)
• The modern-day Cecil Hotel: supportive housing or still haunted?
• Final reflections: trauma, spectacle, and remembering Elisa as a person

• The Cecil Hotel has a long and bloody history, including ties to serial killers Richard Ramirez and Jack Unterweger.
• Elisa’s Tumblr (nouvelle-nouveau) gave the world insight into her inner world — from poetic quotes to cries for help.
• Her death sparked a cultural phenomenon that blurred lines between true crime, horror, and viral content, raising questions about mental health, media ethics, and the internet’s thirst for darkness.
• The Netflix documentary (2021) introduced new witnesses and controversies — including hotel staff perspectives and accusations of mishandled footage.
• The LAM-ELISA tuberculosis test, real and active during a nearby outbreak, added fuel to biowarfare conspiracies.
• Morbid (Pablo Vergara) was falsely accused by internet sleuths, leading to real psychological harm.
• As of 2024–2025, the Cecil Hotel is partially reopened as supportive housing, but much of it remains sealed off and vacant — its haunted reputation far from gone.

• Do you think Elisa Lam’s death was purely accidental… or something more sinister?
• What do you believe happened in the elevator?
• Should internet sleuths be held accountable when real lives are affected?
• Have you ever stayed somewhere with a dark history? Would you stay at the Cecil Hotel today?

https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a35480838/elisa-lam-tumblr-nouvelle-nouveau-blog-crime-scene-online/

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2021-02-10/netflix-the-vanishing-at-the-cecil-hotel-crime-scene-elisa-lam

https://www.oxygen.com/true-crime-buzz/elisa-lam-elevator-video-at-cecil-hotel-spawned-wild-theories

We're back. After some time away, Dudes VS Everything returns with new stories, fresh chaos, and the same two dudes ready to tackle whatever's weird, dark, or completely unexplainable. In this comeback episode, Jesus breaks down the mysterious disappearance of Brandon Lawson, a case that's haunted the internet for over a decade. Meanwhile, Rudy dives into the Pascagoula Abduction—an alien encounter so bizarre that even the cops believed it. This episode is part personal catch-up, part true crime, part high strangeness. No matter how you found us, we're glad you're here. Let's get weird again.

• Why we took a break
• Real-life updates from Jesus and Rudy
• What’s changing with the podcast moving forward
• New website, new polls, new community stuff
• The vibe check: where we’re at mentally, creatively, and with the world

• Timeline breakdown: August 8–9, 2013
• The chilling 911 call and its possible interpretations
• The confusing movements the night he vanished
• Drug use, paranoia, and the possibility of being chased
• Police response and missed opportunities
• His phone activity hours after the call
• 2022: His remains are found. But does it answer anything?
• The internet theories: cartel, cops, hallucination, or cover-up?
• What makes this case stick with so many people a decade later?

• 911 Call Audio and Analysis:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f26k-5lX1g

• Written Transcript:

https://deadrunkcrime.home.blog/2019/12/13/episode-24-brandon-lawson

• Official Family Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/helpfindbrandonlawson

• News Coverage of Remains Discovery (2022):

https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/dna-confirms-remains-of-missing-texas-man-brandon-lawson/504-227b3261-9918-4e4b-b1f0-632e60341979

• Wikipedia Summary:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Brandon_Lawson

• October 11, 1973: Calvin Parker and Charles Hickson are fishing
• Their claim: they were paralyzed, floated into a spacecraft
• Description of the beings: robotic, no neck, crab-like claws
• Physical marks left on their bodies
• Hypnosis sessions and polygraph tests
• Skeptics vs believers: who was right?
• The secret police tape: what they said when they thought no one was listening
• Calvin Parker’s later life, public appearances, and final interviews

• Wikipedia Overview:

Release Date: March 27, 2023

Summary: Is the government looking out for you—or just

taking your wallet? Rudy and Jesus debate how U.S. veterans, workers, and

everyday people are treated in the face of inflation, economic policies, and

protests around the world.

- Economic pressure on veterans

- France’s pension riots and comparison to the U.S.

- Distrust in government institutions

- Financial anxiety and social movements

- France’s 2023 pension protests erupted after Macron raised

the retirement age without a vote, sparking nationwide unrest.

- U.S. veteran support systems like the VA are often underfunded or

inefficient, leading to ongoing frustration.

- Inflation rates in the U.S. have spiked post-COVID, especially in housing and

food sectors.

- Economic protests often ignite larger ideological movements about fairness,

taxation, and representation.

- Do you feel your government supports you financially?

- Would Americans ever riot the way France does?

- What financial pressure has hit you hardest?