Q: I have not seen a follow up on the girl’s body found in the water tank on top of a L.A. hotel. How did she die, and do they have any idea how she ended up in the tank?
—Frank Cook, Doraville
A: The autopsy report on Elisa Lam was inconclusive, and authorities are waiting for toxicology reports, which could take several weeks. Lam was discovered Feb. 19 in a cistern on top of the Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. It's not known how long she was in the water and whether she was pushed or fell into the tank. Lam was from Vancouver, British Columbia, and checked into the hotel on Jan. 26 on her way to Santa Cruz, Calif. She was recorded on a hotel security camera five days later, but that was the last time she was seen there.
Q: I see cars with white decals with various numbers in black on them. I have asked around and no one seems to be able to explain. Can you help explain these?
—Margo Griffith, Suwanee
A: The numbers on those decals or magnets – such as 26.2 or 13.1 — often represent race distances. The 26.2 represents the number of miles in a marathon and 13.1 is the distance of a half marathon. Other decals might include these numbers: 5K (a 5-kilometer race), 10K or 140.6 (the distance in miles of an Ironman triathlon). The stickers tell others that someone participates in those races.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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