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

[bourne]

It seems for me that the murderer was very angry, either with Sarai or with women generally. Multiple blows, disfiguring the face...

Yep, that's what I thought when I first heard this story. Her murderer(s) was someone with deep-seated hatred for women. A misogynist.

 

[bourne]

New article:

http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/22523692.asp

Thanks for this article. If it's true, sounds like the murderer(s) were not thieves after her laptop and phone and bomber jacket, but violent, brutal people who hated her with a passion for some reason.

My hubby says it sounds like they tortured her. I have to agree with him. She must have been terrified. How horrific!

 

[bourne]

After reading the last piece of information I am (almost) convinced that:

-The aim was to murder, I don't see anything accidental.
-It was a very personal attack. I believe she knew the murderer.
-It happened in that day (thats a given fact) either in the exact same location or she was picked up by car.
Maybe Taylan or one of the other guys picked up her with a car but police wasn't able to read the messages as he deleted his account.
-Police is waiting for the gmail proof & ip addresses to arrest someone.

I know we talked about all before. This seems like a full story now but still the actual scenario could be far from this.

Someone had posted here a facebook and webgram account of a man. I think they had said it was Taylan.

I went to the respective pages and saw that he seems to be a very angry young man, based on captions he wrote on pics and his banters with others. I'm thinking it was him and his gang of friends who targeted Sarai because he felt she stepped on his toes somehow. JMHO

 

[ami]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/04/world/europe/turkey-missing-woman/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

....Jimenez and Sierra's husband said Sarai was determined to complete challenges that she set for herself.

As an example, they described how she competed in a triathlon several years ago, despite being a weak swimmer, and despite the fact that she did not own a bicycle. Instead, Sarai completed the cycling leg of the competition by borrowing a mountain bike from her husband.

It's nice to hear these good things about her. I like that vision of her.

 

[nursebeeme]

stick to the facts of this case... we are not discussing culture or generalizing about persons from one country or another. Take the warning seriously because the next post that I see about it (and attacking other posters with snark and personalization) can result in the temporary loss of posting abilities

:tos:

 

[bourne]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/04/world/europe/turkey-missing-woman/index.html?hpt=hp_t3



It's nice to hear these good things about her. I like that vision of her.

Me too. But sadly I think that is one reason she was targeted -- because she represented a strong, confident woman who was unafraid to be by herself. I believe her murderer(s) were people who resented this bold image of women.

I don't know too much about the Turkish culture, but my hubby says they have groups of Talibans there. Perhaps her murderers were misogynistic Taliban fiends?

 

[ThinkHard]

Thanks for this article. If it's true, sounds like the murderer(s) were not thieves after her laptop and phone and bomber jacket, but violent, brutal people who hated her with a passion for some reason.

My hubby says it sounds like they tortured her. I have to agree with him. She must have been terrified. How horrific!

I have to agree with you. It does sound like she was tortured.

To me its sounding more and more like it is improbable that she was killed there.

I have a hard time that level of abuse could have taken place in that location with no one witnessing or hearing anything.

 

[SophieRose]

http://statenisland.ny1.com/content...-woman-slain-in-turkey-seek-money-for-funeral

Magdalena Rodriguez, Sierra's longtime friend, said she backed out traveling to Turkey with Sierra at the last minute because of financial concerns, but now regrets not going.

"There's always something that reminds you of her, something funny. She was really witty," Rodriguez said.

Sierra's family members said they were not yet sure when her body will be returned to the United States. They enlisted the help of Rep. Michael Grimm to help pay for the cost of transporting her body.

Grimm, who visited Jimenez and Rodriguez on Monday, said, "My office is looking into every possible funding option that there is. We think that we're going to be successful between donations that are going to the church and my office is even going to make a donation. And we're going to do whatever we have to do to bring her home."

 

[lavy]

Me too. But sadly I think that is one reason she was targeted -- because she represented a strong, confident woman who was unafraid to be by herself. I believe her murderer(s) were people who resented this bold image of women.

I don't know too much about the Turkish culture, but my hubby says they have groups of Talibans there. Perhaps her murderers were misogynistic Taliban fiends?

No, not Taliban. There are similar groups though I don't see why it would be connected.

I have to agree with you. It does sound like she was tortured.

To me its sounding more and more like it is improbable that she was killed there.

I have a hard time that level of abuse could have taken place in that location with no one witnessing or hearing anything.

I was about to write the same thing. Although the walls are relatively isolated it seems impossible to me.

 

[ThinkHard]

No, not Taliban. There are similar groups though I don't see why it would be connected.



I was about to write the same thing. Although the walls are relatively isolated it seems impossible to me.

They are isolated, but Kennedy cadessi is still pretty busy with cars. I believe her body was found at the base of the wall. i find it hard to believe by the extent of her injuries, and the fact she was possibley dragged, that the entire sequence of events could have happened with no one seeing. I would really be shocked to find out she was murdered at that location.

My belief is that she was taken from somewhere near there, and her body was returned there.

 

[Teche]

I think her family is Carholic and I know from friends that most Catholics abhore the idea of cremation. You would think that the Embassy would help them as this is very unusual and not the typical death overseas. I do wonder who all the 21 suspects detained are. It seems quite a large number of people but perhaps it's the people she interacted with that day.

I am Catholic and live in the Acadiana region of Louisiana which is predominately Catholic. Cremation is allowed in our religion. Cremation is more common now. My dad, who was a life long Catholic and active in church, was cremated. My understanding that the cremains must be placed in a tomb (not scattered about).

 

[ThinkHard]

I speculated up thread that she could have been targeted by IG users as a scam to possibly extort money from her.

Now with what we have been told of the condition of her body looking like torture, could she possibly been tortured for account info?

Could she have been killed when they learned she didn't have any?

 

[lavy]

I am Catholic and live in the Acadiana region of Louisiana which is predominately Catholic. Cremation is allowed in our religion. Cremation is more common now. My dad, who was a life long Catholic and active in church, was cremated. My understanding that the cremains must be placed in a tomb (not scattered about).

Thanks for the info.

I checked it; no cremation facilities in Turkey so I guess it is out of question anyway.
(There is one planned to be built)

 

[ami]

I speculated up thread that she could have been targeted by IG users as a scam to possibly extort money from her.

Now with what we have been told of the condition of her body looking like torture, could she possibly been tortured for account info?

Could she have been killed when they learned she didn't have any?

My gut feeling is that the crime doesn't have the feel of torture for money. It feels more like someone was violently angry in a personal way. And they left her jewelry. At least they'd have taken whatever they could sell from her.

 

[KivaSupporter]

Someone had posted here a facebook and webgram account of a man. I think they had said it was Taylan.

I went to the respective pages and saw that he seems to be a very angry young man, based on captions he wrote on pics and his banters with others. I'm thinking it was him and his gang of friends who targeted Sarai because he felt she stepped on his toes somehow. JMHO

Very good observation! Thank you.

I hope it will help.

 

[ThinkHard]

My gut feeling is that the crime doesn't have the feel of torture for money. It feels more like someone was violently angry in a personal way. And they left her jewelry. At least they'd have taken whatever they could sell from her.

Perhaps someone angry about being falsely led on? ( I mean that the perp felt he was led on, not that sarai led him on)

 

[KivaSupporter]

Thanks for the info.

I checked it; no cremation facilities in Turkey so I guess it is out of question anyway.
(There is one planned to be built)

Excellent information! Thank you so much!

How about transferring the remains to a neighboring country, such as Greece or Serbia/Montenegro/Italy???

Surely, the Embassy/consulate will help???

 

[necco]

Excellent information! Thank you so much!

How about transferring the remains to a neighboring country, such as Greece or Serbia/Montenegro/Italy???

Surely, the Embassy/consulate will help???

While a good thought, I suspect utilizing services in Turkey, transport to a neighboring country, utilizing services there and then transporting home would probably be equal or more than just having her remains repatriated.

 

[lavy]

Excellent information! Thank you so much!

How about transferring the remains to a neighboring country, such as Greece or Serbia/Montenegro/Italy???

Surely, the Embassy/consulate will help???

There is no cremation services in Greece too. Was about to be built and then cancelled. http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/03/01/greater-athens-crematorium-plan-finally-wrecked/

There are few other plans but no news about a built one so not in Greece.

Could be in other countries if embassy helps otherwise it would be hard due to language barrier. Still no signs of her family is seeking for cremation services. I believe they will collect the money.

 

[necco]

Also, don't forget, the Embassy in Ankara is dealing with a terrorist attack a few days ago, which is no doubt causing security ripples through the consulates in Adana, Izmir and Istanbul. I'm sure they are doing what they can but they are limited both by resources and protocol.