GUILTY Turkey - Sarai Sierra, 33, NY woman murdered, Istanbul, 21 Jan 2013 - #1

[belimom]

NO, it's a friend of hers nicknamed "basketballmom32":
http://pinsta.me/memyself_sarai

Thank you. :seeya:

 

[lucky181]

I was reading her Amsterdam host's IG a couple days ago. In comments on a Missing poster picture of her on his IG, 5 days ago he posted the name of the last person to see her (s......d). I found that person's IG, but it's private. The person's IG name has since been removed from the comments and Am guy said that her family is doing research so he doesn't want to post any names. Is s......d Taylan? I'm thinking probably yes. And also Am guy said that the Munich flight was just a layover. I'm thinking that is why she did not post any pictures from Munich.

I need to edit this. Her Am host has 2 pictures of her Missing poster. It was on the first one that he wrote who saw her last (according to him at least) and it's still there. So many IG pictures with various comments that I'm getting mixed up. Since its stii there I guess I can write it? Sahhrudd

 

[frenchvixen]

You are correct, Skype is it's own application....However, it is not super secret/private anymore...Skype is owned by MICROSOFT so it is not set up in some foreign country. It is American owned/run.

Also, the intel community has now been trying to get access to Skype....which IMO opinion, means they have it already (they are just looking for legal means)...

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/12/nsa_offers_billions_for_skype_pwnage/

http://www.forbes.com/fdc/welcome_mjx.shtml

http://www.mediaite.com/online/fede...igence-gathering-to-skype-other-social-media/

http://www.thegurureview.net/aroundnet-category/is-skype-transparent-enough.html

Very interesting. It's possible SS did not know this. I was still under the impression that it was a unpenetrable app. It's not so anymore. In the old days when people did not want their phone calls traced they used Skype.

 

[Orgona]

I must be tired, because I didn't saw anywhere that Skype definitely gave in to the eavesdropping request. I did read that the US government and other organizations are pressuring them, that's all I saw. I think is time for me to head to bed.

 

[ToutCa]

According to CNN/Turkey and other Turkish news sites, Sarai Sierra was caught on video at 12:10pm on the Galata Bridge. She had previously said she was going there to take pictures and meet up with "Taylan"/TK.

The news sites all say that on this video she was walking toward Eminonu Pier, that is to say, AWAY from the Galata Tower and Tarlabasi, the neighborhood of her AirBnb residence.

Galata Bridge is a crowded major tourist destination with restaurants, cafes and shops built into the bridge a level below the cars. On the side she was walking toward: neighborhoods of Eminonu Pier, Sultanahmet and Grand Bazar -- probably the most heavily touristed areas of Istanbul. From what we know now, she disappeared moving toward or in these points, not Tarlabasi.

Mysterious indeed.

 

[GinaSeikwa]

I don't think she is particularly naive at all. From what I have seen she is creative, witty, she has an awesome sense of style and she is gorgeous. She looks like a really hip modern mom. She seems like someone I would love to be friends with. I don't see her as a fresh faced naïf at all. I think she was in control of everything she was doing. And I don't think she was having an affair or embarking on any sexual trysts. Flirting? Yes probably but I feel that aspect of it was harmless. I do feel she is alive...somewhere.

 

[GinaSeikwa]

Just a thought. Someone mentioned earlier in the thread that they didn't believe the landlord had do e anything to cause her harm as her passport was found still in her room and being as she could pass for Turkish in ethnicity than her passport would easily have been sold to a Turk for a lot of money. Well could SS herself, given that she could pass as a Turkish woman, be traveling on a Turkish passport and using ID under an assumed name? Hmm? She could go anywhere with those documents.

 

[Dion]

Yes, you are right. You can't go to the UK, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania without passport within the EU.

So presumably she would have had her passport stamped in Amsterdam, but not arriving in Munich (because she was travelling from an EU country Holland/Germany).

 

[Rolandred]

I don't think she is particularly naive at all. From what I have seen she is creative, witty, she has an awesome sense of style and she is gorgeous. She looks like a really hip modern mom. She seems like someone I would love to be friends with. I don't see her as a fresh faced naïf at all. I think she was in control of everything she was doing. And I don't think she was having an affair or embarking on any sexual trysts. Flirting? Yes probably but I feel that aspect of it was harmless. I do feel she is alive...somewhere.

I agree! I think she also knew the type of photos she was looking for and the type of neighborhoods/countries where she could find her art - and kindred spirits in and about - the information one can read in the many articles various media have published may or may not be accurate. Also, in these cases, the police and FBI do not readily divulge sensitive information to the public. We will have to wait for any real information - but I hope so much she is okay - she seems such an adventurous talented lovely woman.

 

[Dion]

Has it been reported that Sarai had two phones (one US and one Turkish). I thought I had read earlier that she got a turkish SIM card, so she may have only had one.

The reporting has been quite dismal, so not sure what to believe. Especially the $10,000 expenditure that they keep repeating, but don't say where the information came from or what it was spent on.

 

[lucky181]

I wonder if the information about her phone being turned on is correct. The articles that mention it attribute the information to Sabah, which is a Turkish newspaper. However, there is no mention of the phone usage on the Sabah website.

 

[Dion]

I could be wrong, but I don’t think Sarai’s intentions were to have a “romantic” relationship while abroad. The surveillance pics show her to be walking around by herself and eating by herself. She left her room by herself to meet up with “Taylan”. She went on a side trip to Amsterdam by herself.

I think she was just enjoying her freedom to explore her own interests. Towards the end of her trip, she had done what she set out to do, and was missing her family so much, that she booked an earlier flight to get back to them. Something happened to interrupt this, and I hope this gets resolved soon.

 

[lavy]

I really hope she will be found soon.

Has it been reported that Sarai had two phones (one US and one Turkish). I thought I had read earlier that she got a turkish SIM card, so she may have only had one.

The reporting has been quite dismal, so not sure what to believe. Especially the $10,000 expenditure that they keep repeating, but don't say where the information came from or what it was spent on.

I've been reading about the story a lot the last few days: both from Turkish and International sources. Uncertainty of some information is becoming very annoying.

I've been following the discussion from the beginning and I was quite surprised when I saw some posts mentioning she had a samsung galaxy phone and she left her phone in the room. I never read that from a Turkish source. I am almost sure that the news about a phone left in the room was a translation mistake from "phone charger" which is just the charging cable.
I read that she never contacted anyone by talking on the phone but the house owner said he saw her speaking on the phone. Thats why they thought she might have a turkish simcard. Although she could simply be on skype that time.

About the money I think nobody confirmed that data. About three days ago officials said they wrote to her bank to get her statements but it will take some time. All this "she spent thousands of dollars" news spread at the same time so I guess we don't actually know about that.

Still we don't really know when she bought the tickets for Amsterdam and Munich and although it won't cost anything close to 10,000$ if you buy the ticket only few days in advance it can cost a lot even with budget airlines.

 

[Dion]

I really hope she will be found soon.

I've been reading about the story a lot the last few days: both from Turkish and International sources. Uncertainty of some information is becoming very annoying.

I've been following the discussion from the beginning and I was quite surprised when I saw some posts mentioning she had a samsung galaxy phone and she left her phone in the room. I never read that from a Turkish source. I am almost sure that the news about a phone left in the room was a translation mistake from "phone charger" which is just the charging cable.
I read that she never contacted anyone by talking on the phone but the house owner said he saw her speaking on the phone. Thats why they thought she might have a turkish simcard. Although she could simply be on skype that time.

About the money I think nobody confirmed that data. About three days ago officials said they wrote to her bank to get her statements but it will take some time. All this "she spent thousands of dollars" news spread at the same time so I guess we don't actually know about that.

Still we don't really know when she bought the tickets for Amsterdam and Munich and although it won't cost anything close to 10,000$ if you buy the ticket only few days in advance it can cost a lot even with budget airlines.

It was my understanding too, that just the chargers were left in the room, so she would have had her phone with her.

I can't see Sarai spending a lot on a flight to Amsterdam. She probably would have booked the cheapest she could find, and she certainly wasn't staying in fancy hotels. My only thought was (and I hope it's not true) was that maybe someone had accessed her bank account/credit card and was racking up charges.

btw, good first post. Welcome to Websleuths!

 

[necco]

Kiva, nope, I'm a US citizen. I also travel frequently. Perhaps things aren't as uniform across Schengen as they claim they are. This has been my experience traveling to Europe frequently the last 8 or 9 years. My passport is full of stamps from Iceland and Finland because I tend to fly IcelandAir and FinnAir and it has always annoyed me that I don't get stamped in my destination. Of course, as of late, with international travel, wait 10 minutes and the rules will change. What I wrote should happen is what on paper should occur within the Schengen area, of course, I should know better than to assume that what is supposed to happen is what ACTUALLY happens.

Just curious. Are you a citizen of an EU country?

I am a US citizen and I travel very frequently, especially to EU, which includes Munich. My US passport has always been stamped in Munich, even though I was connecting to a flight to another European country, where it was stamped again. I have travelled in the past six months. Did this change?

No offense. Not trying to say you are wrong. Just curious.

Thanks.

 

[Dion]

Could it be that robbery was a motive in Sarai's disappearance and her ipad and phone were sold on the black market, and possibly her credit card compromised?

But on the other hand, a thief would just have taken her backpack containing her valuables and left the scene in a hurry, and there would have been witnesses, as there were plenty of people around, both on and near the bridge.

 

[belimom]

She actually said she doesnt drink?

I can't find a way to copy a link to a direct instagram pic, plus I am using pinsta.me to view their profiles, so I can at work. Its 2 weeks ago in his instagram pics and its 3 fingers sticking out of window snow, with each finger having a little sketch of the three of them, him, then her, and his guy friend. It is probably harmless, just seemed odd with her train track reflection pic the next day, being somewhat suggestive with her words of "two is better than one.." even if did not have the double entendre and really did only mean about the reflection..just that it was within 24 hrs of his post..thats the only real reason I started thinking hmm, what really happened? If his was just a lighthearted jab at the three of theirs loving friendship, then why did she make a subtle suggestion on a pic? I may be completely wrong..but who knows.

Here's the link to the fingers:
http://web.stagram.com/p/369446894569135046_186867693

Here's one where he mentions hanging out with her (the one following it has a joint - same sequence but she's not mentioned):
http://web.stagram.com/p/370240246868745024_186867693

But I can't find the 'three is better than two' comment anywhere. I'm going cross-eyed...

 

[lavy]

I wonder if the information about her phone being turned on is correct. The articles that mention it attribute the information to Sabah, which is a Turkish newspaper. However, there is no mention of the phone usage on the Sabah website.

The first time it was mentioned that her phone was switched on was more than 24 hours ago. I was about to write it to here and then I noticed it was deleted from the website. Few hours later it was everywhere.

Now few websites claim that it was denied by officials saying they never received a signal from her phone. This is not on any major news websites though.

btw, good first post. Welcome to Websleuths!

Thanks!

 

[belimom]

The phone being turned on is mentioned on foxnews.com now. However, they still seem to be quoting local news sources. I personally am leaning towards validity to those local news reports. (If someone posted that source before, I missed it - my apologies).

Turkish police hold man in NYC woman's disappearance, say her phone's been active

Turkish police have detained a man who exchanged online messages with a New York City woman missing in Istanbul, while local authorities say there's a chance she's still alive because her cell phone has been active.....

.....Authorities say they believe Sierra may still be alive because her U.S. phone was activated twice since she disappeared, according to local news outlets. Sierra reportedly made a call using a Skype application on her phone Jan. 30, and the phone was turned on once again yesterday......

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/0...-while-police-say-may-be-alive/#ixzz2JiAeKZnn​

 

[ami]

The phone being turned on is mentioned on foxnews.com now. However, they still seem to be quoting local news sources. I personally am leaning towards validity to those local news reports. (If someone posted that source before, I missed it - my apologies).

Turkish police hold man in NYC woman's disappearance, say her phone's been active

Turkish police have detained a man who exchanged online messages with a New York City woman missing in Istanbul, while local authorities say there's a chance she's still alive because her cell phone has been active.....

.....Authorities say they believe Sierra may still be alive because her U.S. phone was activated twice since she disappeared, according to local news outlets. Sierra reportedly made a call using a Skype application on her phone Jan. 30, and the phone was turned on once again yesterday......

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/0...-while-police-say-may-be-alive/#ixzz2JiAeKZnn​

I can't for the life of me think of why they believe it was she who used her phone, if indeed this happened. If she met with foul play, her phone was either abandoned, thrown out or stolen and/or sold. It could have been turned on by anyone at all.

I think it could be a good lead because I hope they find the phone and it's in working condition and contains something useful, but as for a sign that she herself is using it? I don't think so. Sadly.