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

[SophieRose]

Taylan may have a solid alibi for the 21st, like work.

 

[ThinkHard]

Is it possible she just told her family some general plans, "maybe the Asian side, Galata bridge, that sort of thing..." and didn't really have anything carved in stone, but decided to just set out and see what she felt like doing? When I travel the number of things I set out intending to do is always about 3x as big as the number of things I do in a given day.

Definetly possible, I just wouldn't rule out that there is a reason she end up changing them

 

[ThinkHard]

The title is "did she go there to meet with her murderer"

It says police is focusing on 2 theories.

First one is that she was there to meet with someone. They are checking all surveillance around.

Other one is that she was killed somewhere else and carried to there.

Again they believe her gmail correspondence will shed some light.

Also they are saying she took pictures near railway in both Brooklyn and Amsterdam and thats maybe why she was up there. (theory of journalists)

Thats all.

-Video is very heart breaking

It doesn't seem like investigators are leaning toward random.

 

[KuriousKev]

I also think Taylan had something to do with this.

The pants/panties around the knees doesn't bother me in the slightest. The goal may not have been to physically rape her, but to humiliate her. If Taylan was attracted to her and had convinced himself that she was attracted to him in return, her rebuffing his advances and going home earlier than originally planned could have enraged him. It is possible that in his mind she led him on, only to turn him away later.

Obviously I have zero evidence to support that theory, so it truly is JMO. In my own brain, however, it does make sense somehow.

I too think Taylan must be involved, it's hard to think otherwise. I've read through a lot of SS instagram comments and replies, one caught my attention from one of SS followers, he mentions a coincidence that one of SS followers by the name @taylloo is no longer a member (already discussed here) He also mentioned that he "Google Images" searched @taylloo and returned lot's of photos from Turkey.

I myself google searched "@taylloo Sarai" and received returns from a few IG type of sites, one being followmegram where @taylloo deleted a commented he made on one of Sarai's photos...how I know he deleted his original comment is because SS replied with a quote before he deleted.

I just feel it's strange that he's going an deleting past online communications with her. Just my thoughts.

 

[necco]

Ok. For those questioning the lack of a "real" camera, iPhone photography is a "thing" now. It's a whole photography subculture. Given the fact that her interest was in graffiti, her being a part of the subgenre of photography makes perfect sense. It's about capturing what you see, gritty and raw, without the advantages of a lot of light adjustment and such.

Even national geographic photographers are writing "how-to" articles about iPhone photography. The art world changes as often as hemlines. And as with fashion, some trends may not make sense to most people. But I assure you, what she did is a trend in art. Here are some links for you.

http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-tips/iphone-photography-tips/

http://www.chicagophoto.org/blog/iphone-class

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/igeneration/college-offers-course-in-iphone-photography/15050

 

[lavy]

Is it possible she just told her family some general plans, "maybe the Asian side, Galata bridge, that sort of thing..." and didn't really have anything carved in stone, but decided to just set out and see what she felt like doing? When I travel the number of things I set out intending to do is always about 3x as big as the number of things I do in a given day.

Very possible I do the same.

Maybe she never changed her plans -- and always intended to go and take the boat to the Asian side.

I don't see a contradiction with where she was found and a planned jaunt by boat over to the Asian side.

I am not saying you are wrong, this could be the case. But here is why I don't think it is strange she is there if she was about to go to asia:

The place where she could take the boat is next to the bridge, where she was found is 30 mins walking distance. Why she would go back an forth? She walked almost 2 hours from 11.30 to 13.15.

The more time she lose before going to asia the less time she would have in asia in daylight. And my assumption is based on that she would prefer to go around asian side during the daylight hours.

She was around the same location the day before. Why go to same place in a row 2 days instead of seeing a new place.

If we were sure of her flight maybe timings would make more sense.

 

[KuriousKev]

Ok. For those questioning the lack of a "real" camera, iPhone photography is a "thing" now. It's a whole photography subculture.

Good points. It's definitely a subculture.

 

[lavy]

It doesn't seem like investigators are leaning toward random.

Seems like it. There is a discussion program in turkish CNN called "crime and evidence" where criminal experts, detectives, psychologists discuss some cases. I saw a short video from yesterday's program. They were talking about this case. They seemed to believe it was staged to look like it is a sexual assault from a random person. The video was only about a minute I have no information if the person speaking is involved in the case.

I too think Taylan must be involved, it's hard to think otherwise. I've read through a lot of SS instagram comments and replies, one caught my attention from one of SS followers, he mentions a coincidence that one of SS followers by the name @taylloo is no longer a member (already discussed here) He also mentioned that he "Google Images" searched @taylloo and returned lot's of photos from Turkey.

Thanks for the info. He is still a member though, made his account private and changed his username.

-Welcome

 

[ToutCa]

I also think Taylan had something to do with this.

I'm nervous they will not thoroughly investigate him because he's university-educated and respectable and that they will try to pin it on a drifter.

I want the truth to prevail and if it was a random crazy, so be it.

BUT. . .how is it they somehow can't meet up (SS and Taylan) when they've already met repeatedly and as recently as the day before? Why was it suddenly so impossible to find each other?

And then just at that fateful moment, she suddenly and independently ditches her plans of Galata Bridge/Asian-side boat to head off to the city walls?

And if Taylan is so innocent and such a concerned friend, why did he not reveal himself until the FBI hunted him down?

This bothers me. A lot. Even more so after watching the video of SS's mom.

I really hope his alibi has been investigated more than his statement that he came to the Galata bridge, hung around awhile, then left and that was that.

 

[ThinkHard]

Seems like it. There is a discussion program in turkish CNN called "crime and evidence" where criminal experts, detectives, psychologists discuss some cases. I saw a short video from yesterday's program. They were talking about this case. They seemed to believe it was staged to look like it is a sexual assault from a random person. The video was only about a minute I have no information if the person speaking is involved in the case.

This is what I've have thought from the beginning of when her body was found. I thought it was staged to mislead the investigators.

 

[ThinkHard]

I'm nervous they will not thoroughly investigate him because he's university-educated and respectable and that they will try to pin it on a drifter.

I want the truth to prevail and if it was a random crazy, so be it.

BUT. . .how is it they somehow can't meet up (SS and Taylan) when they've already met repeatedly and as recently as the day before? Why was it suddenly so impossible to find each other?

And then just at that fateful moment, she suddenly and independently ditches her plans of Galata Bridge/Asian-side boat to head off to the city walls?

And if Taylan is so innocent and such a concerned friend, why did he not reveal himself until the FBI hunted him down?

This bothers me. A lot. Even more so after watching the video of SS's mom.

I really hope his alibi has been investigated more than his statement that he came to the Galata bridge, hung around awhile, then left and that was that.

I think Taylan could be being protected. Either by money, or because his an informant.

 

[CMac2]

I'm nervous they will not thoroughly investigate him because he's university-educated and respectable and that they will try to pin it on a drifter.

I want the truth to prevail and if it was a random crazy, so be it.

BUT. . .how is it they somehow can't meet up (SS and Taylan) when they've already met repeatedly and as recently as the day before? Why was it suddenly so impossible to find each other?

And then just at that fateful moment, she suddenly and independently ditches her plans of Galata Bridge/Asian-side boat to head off to the city walls?

And if Taylan is so innocent and such a concerned friend, why did he not reveal himself until the FBI hunted him down?

This bothers me. A lot. Even more so after watching the video of SS's mom.

I really hope his alibi has been investigated more than his statement that he came to the Galata bridge, hung around awhile, then left and that was that.

Yep, I think you're absolutely correct. Your post perfectly illustrates some of the many "coincidences" we've seen throughout this case. One or two could be brushed off as nothing important, but they keep stacking up. In my mind, the idea that Taylan is involved is not just born of many coincidences. At this point I'd call it circumstantial evidence. JMO of course, but it really seems that compelling in my eyes.

 

[michellemarls]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_...ating-new-york-city-womans-death-in-istanbul/

Prosecutors in Istanbul got a court order Monday for authorities to take blood and DNA samples from 21 people already questioned in the death of a New York city woman, state media reported.

If one of the 21 people questioned are the murderer then it will soon be revealed if they have the murderers DNA from under Sarai's fngernails,

 

[Kluver13]

I think Taylan could be being protected. Either by money, or because his an informant.

I'm hoping the FBI's involvement would preclude that outcome, though entirely possible

 

[bourne]

I also think Taylan had something to do with this.

The pants/panties around the knees doesn't bother me in the slightest. The goal may not have been to physically rape her, but to humiliate her. If Taylan was attracted to her and had convinced himself that she was attracted to him in return, her rebuffing his advances and going home earlier than originally planned could have enraged him. It is possible that in his mind she led him on, only to turn him away later.

Obviously I have zero evidence to support that theory, so it truly is JMO. In my own brain, however, it does make sense somehow.

Cmac2, we may be onto something!

Ever since yesterday, even while we were watching the crazy Superbowl in which my hubby and I lost real bad in a pool bet -- darn the 49-ers -- Taylan was on my mind as the most likely suspect.

Last to contact her, the only person she actually met with in Turkey multiple times, the same person who instructed her to meet him at the site where her dead body was discovered -- too much of a coincidink.

I think you may be right. He likely thought she she was making passes at him online, that she flew all the way to Turkey on the pretext of taking pics but really was there to meet/be with him, and that when she rejected him at the ruins, and told him she was leaving to return home EARLY to her hubby and kids, he felt dissed and rejected. He may have even tried to kiss or touch her inappropriately, and she pushed him away. So he got angry and smashed her head in.

Then he staged the crime scene by pulling her pants down, knowing full well that that was a drug-infested, poverty-stricken area and hoped the police would buy the BS that a homeless vagrant killed her for her laptop and phone.

Do you think the blanket has his DNA on it?

 

[CMac2]

I'm hoping the FBI's involvement would preclude that outcome, though entirely possible

I have to keep reminding myself that the FBI doesn't have jurisdiction. They can assist in the investigation as a courtesy. I wonder, since the victim is a US citizen, would they have any rights as far as access to forensics, etc? Or is it up to the Turkish authorities what to share/not to share with the FBI since the crime happened in their jurisdiction?

 

[bourne]

I'm nervous they will not thoroughly investigate him because he's university-educated and respectable and that they will try to pin it on a drifter.

I want the truth to prevail and if it was a random crazy, so be it.

BUT. . .how is it they somehow can't meet up (SS and Taylan) when they've already met repeatedly and as recently as the day before? Why was it suddenly so impossible to find each other?

And then just at that fateful moment, she suddenly and independently ditches her plans of Galata Bridge/Asian-side boat to head off to the city walls?

And if Taylan is so innocent and such a concerned friend, why did he not reveal himself until the FBI hunted him down?

This bothers me. A lot. Even more so after watching the video of SS's mom.

I really hope his alibi has been investigated more than his statement that he came to the Galata bridge, hung around awhile, then left and that was that.

Excellent points! Do we know Taylan's real name and identity?

 

[ThinkHard]

I wonder if the multiple sources of DNA will all match each other?

It's seems whoever did the was either sloppy, intentional (to mislead), or not in fear of being caught to leave so much DNA evidence.

 

[ThinkHard]

I'm hoping the FBI's involvement would preclude that outcome, though entirely possible

Why not? If he's an informant the FBI has plenty of history which involves protecting an informant. As long as he's working on their side.

 

[SapphireSteel]

Upthread we all said it was somewhat weird in general that she was out on the 21st if she was leaving that day. But so it was.

We still don't know for sure what flight she was on and when. Reports have been conflicting and ambiguous from the start.

Sorry if this has been addressed already, but I don't think it's odd at all.

I do a lot of travelling alone and the last time I was in Melbourne I had to wait several hours between check out and my flight - I stuck my luggage in storage at the central train station and went to the museum for the day, which turned out to be the highlight of my trip.