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

[necco]

<modsnip>

Now, I would think it would be easy to tell if she was killed on the spot or not because head wounds usually bleed like CRAZY. That could be why they're so confident she was murdered elsewhere.

 

[manzana]

What day did her husband arrive in Turkey? Sounds like several days before her death.....

 

[belimom]

That only confirms what I am saying. Even in the US, people might see her behavior and clothing as inappropriate. Back down the thread someone complained that she shouldn't have to conform to 50's standards; but in Turkey, their standards are like our 50's; that is, not repressively religious, but definitely having rules. Plus, religious Muslims (and Christians) are hardly the fringe of Turkey's society.

I found this description probably quite accurate, according to photos of people in the streets - and SS's attire wasn't too much different than what is shown in the photo below (I am sure in the more rural areas, more women may dress conservatively, but probably not in Istanbul. We lived in Cairo for awhile, and we saw all sorts of attire worn by Egyptian women - from jeans and tank tops to full burka/face covering. Yes, you will draw more attention from local men, but you won't necessarily stand out, unless you're blonde or redheaded and obviously not native. I believe SS blended in very well):

One could find women dressed in jeans and T-shirts, skirts or abayas whatever you could imagine but this is all well accepted and none stares at someone wearing a skirt, a sleeveless shirt with no head scarf or the one wearing a head-to-toe abaya. Presence of so many pubs and mosques alike with both functional and attracting equal number of people and then the acceptance of all type of dressing points towards the culture of individual freedom people of Istanbul consider so dear.

http://blog.ale.com.pk/?p=1382

 

[NewYork625]

They suddenly started updating very quickly. Again from the same link.

Journalists interviewed a guy who live very nearby, he sells tea and lives in a small cottage nearby for the last 10 years. Please note that this is just the things the guy saying nothing to do with the police. I won't do a word to word translation.

He says: "There are drug addicts and peepers who live inside the city walls. They are in contact with each other and let each other know when there is a woman tourist. And the addicts take drugs in the city walls and bother women tourists. I believe this woman who was murdered in a terrible way was up there to take pictures or watch the view or she was convinced to go there. There is no way that she was forced, no women can be forced to go there, somebody would definitely notice and prevent that. I don't believe her body was carried there either it is very hard to carry a body around there. There used to be security there until few years ago and there was no peepers or drug addicts then. We need the security back for the safety of the tourists"

I'm wondering if maybe she was photographing in a bad area and someone suspected she was photographing them for other than artistic reasons and hit her over the head with something. I also think it's possible that one of her IG friends may have had a jealous partner who followed her and then harmed her.

 

[diamond12]

I agree with what you are saying. Certainly the male tourists are clueless sometimes; however, the men seem to be perceived differently. Men mind their own business more; whereas the women, dressed in their tube tops & cut-offs, are always trying to involve themselves with the children and various political causes. Therefore, the men are seen as less threatening, and are resented less.

We don't really know what happened with SS yet. <modsnip>

I'm sorry but she was dressed like many other women in ISTANBUL. She was there not in the countryside in more rural areas where people have different ideas. Not all Turkish women wear the veil, the last thing I would comment on is the way she was dressed. In my opinion her aspect didn't stand out at all in that city, her picture taking might have been what made her look like a foreigner.

The fact that she stayed in a not so great street and slept on man's couch is another thing.


Forgot to add:
women don't always try to involve themselves with the children and various political causes. In fact we see that's not something Sarai did. That's not something I do, that's not something any of my friends do.
I'm not sure where you are getting your image of sexily dressed women trying to interfere with other countries business.

 

[CMac2]

I'm sure they won't release it, even if they know, but I'm curious as to whether or not the person the Skype call was made to has been identified. I'd like to know how long that call lasted, and if it was made from her cell phone or from a computer using her log-in information. Sounds like it was made from her phone. Shouldn't be too hard to trace the number the call was made to.

 

[tresptip]

I wonder if they have walked along the possible roads that she took just before the last known video and examined it for any traces of blood anywhere.Whoever moved her probably washed it up though.

 

[manzana]

What day did her husband arrive in Turkey? Sounds like several days before her death.....

Is this not a valid question?

 

[ami]

Is this not a valid question?

Her husband and brother arrived a couple of days ago. She disappeared on Jan 21, and probably died shortly thereafter.

 

[belimom]

What day did her husband arrive in Turkey? Sounds like several days before her death.....

Is this not a valid question?

I thought someone else would answer - here you go - this article was posted today, 2/3/2013, so I'm assuming "last Monday" would be 1/28/2013.

bbm

Sierra's husband, Steven Sierra, and brother, David Jimenez, arrived in Istanbul last Monday to look for her...

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/02/02/turkey-sarai-sierra-missing-american/1886059/

 

[bourne]

I'm sure they won't release it, even if they know, but I'm curious as to whether or not the person the Skype call was made to has been identified. I'd like to know how long that call lasted, and if it was made from her cell phone or from a computer using her log-in information. Sounds like it was made from her phone. Shouldn't be too hard to trace the number the call was made to.

LE definitely needs to trace the Skype calls made a week after Sarai went missing. I would assume like most service providers, Skype keeps a database of stored video chats so they would have the perps who used her Skype account.

 

[bourne]

What day did her husband arrive in Turkey? Sounds like several days before her death.....

He and her brother arrived days after she had gone missing, but prior to her body being found.

 

[bourne]

One more thing about the landlord is odd. If Sarai was leaving on the 21st, wouldn t he have checked out the apartment after she left. To make sure nothing was broke, damaged and that she really is gone. However. from reports it sounds like he didn't even check her room until the husband called saying she never came home. Just a bit odd but maybe he was pretty loose with the tenants.

I agree. This landlord would know her comings and goings. IDK if he had anything to do with her murder, but he would be on my list of POIs, along with the man she was supposed to meet the day she went missing.

 

[manzana]

Her husband and brother arrived a couple of days ago. She disappeared on Jan 21, and probably died shortly thereafter.

Thanks, I did not realize she died shortly after her disappearance, was thinking her death was close to time she was found.

 

[Walker]

Yeah. I am done engaging you and your victim blaming. There's a dead woman who needs justice and you seem more interested in what you THINK she did wrong than whoever hit her over the head with something.

You seem to be reading morality into the situation. It's not about morality; it's about survival. Alone, esp. in a foreign country, you have to control the type of image you are projecting.

 

[Walker]

What are you talking about? If you look at the surveillance videos, Sarai was dressed like a man, her hair hidden underneath a cap, and she was wearing unisex clothing.

Stop blaming the murdered victim. She did nothing wrong. She did not flaunt herself or her body. Even if she did, so what? Does that mean she deserved to be killed?! WTH

Again, it's not about morality. It's about her image. The skin-tight clothing may have attracted attention. Attention is not good.

 

[michellemarls]

Again, it's not about morality. It's about her image. The skin-tight clothing may have attracted attention. Attention is not good.

Wow, i wouldn't say Sarai wore anything skintight...i think you are entitled to your own opinion but i must say i think it extremely blinkered. Although that is just my opinion.

 

[CMac2]

Thanks, I did not realize she died shortly after her disappearance, was thinking her death was close to time she was found.

I think at this point, the assumption is that she died right around the time she disappeared, based on the location of the body (almost exactly where she was last seen on surveillance footage).

Is there surveillance of that area where her body was found? What about the lady who says she saw someone carrying a body in that area? If true, that would mean, of course, that original speculation is correct, and her body HAD been moved from somewhere far enough away that a car was required to transport her. If that's the case, it is possible SS was alive for some period of time after she went missing.

Is it the general consensus that the lady (who thought she saw a man carrying a body) is mistaken?

 

[diamond12]

Again, it's not about morality. It's about her image. The skin-tight clothing may have attracted attention. Attention is not good.

I'm not the only one who tried to explain to you that she wasn't dressed differently than local women. Istanbul is a place of its own, she wasn't in a remote village.
Someone even posted a picture to explain..
I hope you understand where she was staying and why her clothing was not offensive.

 

[tresptip]

I agree. This landlord would know her comings and goings. IDK if he had anything to do with her murder, but he would be on my list of POIs, along with the man she was supposed to meet the day she went missing.

The people who would be on my POI list would be known drug dealers or users who may live near where she was last seen.They might have moved her body to avoid being questioned by the police or having drugs be found in their possession.
Because it appears to be only one hard blow to the head,and not much of a robbery, it makes me think it could have been an accident.I have found nothing fishy with the T guys story to be honest.