GUILTY Turkey - Sarai Sierra, 33, NY woman murdered, Istanbul, 21 Jan 2013 - #2

[ThinkHard]

Why? Can you explain - do you have facts?

Earlier today we were discussing this theory at length. It was reported that one of the connection in Istanbul who she had hung out with in Istanbul, owns a hostel in cankurtan. Coincidently the place her body was found.

Reports earlier today were discussing the possibility that she had been killed some place other then the place her body w as found and that LE was investigating the possibility that she went to a bar and then to someone apartment., was killed there and later dumped.

I have long thought Taylan though having some red flags was innocent. Especially since he admitted to having sex with her. I have theororized that perhaps one of her other Istanbul connection found out about Taylan and was jealous, or was upset that she was leaving at all.

I think it was this man she was meeting at the walls that day and not Taylan. I seriously don't think she would have gone to the walls alone.

And police must suspect him too, because they took a blood sample from him today.

Additionally I think the murderer must have known the area and know sarai....I think it was a warped poetic gesture that she was left at Saray point.

 

[looking4answers]

Earlier today somebody (I'm so sorry, I don't remember the nick) suggested she might have another email address. Makes sense to me and I felt dumb for not thinking about that before. Almost everyone has more than 1 email address these days (you can disagree).


IF she was talking to any of the IGmers in a "more than friends" way she probably wouldn't have done it in the email that her husband has the password for.

(Or maybe she didn't know that her husband knows her password?)

Still a possibility.

Very intuitive. Thing is, without the LE having access to her computer back home, nor her Ipad or Phone, how would they be able to know this. They have no hardware to check sessions and see if she had one. This must be frustrating and an open issue. If i were the LE I would want access to any computer she used back in SI at home.

 

[Rolandred]

Well think about it, if you were trying to frame homeless people for a crime, would you really use a weapon they wouldn't have access too?

I don't think a brutal murder such as this was meant to frame anyone. This was something dark and ugly - anyway - the poor homeless would have been already arrested and the police declared having a suspect in custody. As of now, no one has been arrested and case is still under investigation. This is dark - someone "professional" meaning mafia /organized crime. IMO.

 

[looking4answers]

The LE claim they saw her cross the road, perhaps she crossed the road to get in a car?

Where, near the ruins of the wall? Was this the last sighting? I tended to agree this was a possibility, probably only if it was the last sighting, unless they saw her on camera again going towards the walls/ruins, then I doubt this theory. Otherwise..yes I agree it is very possible.

 

[ThinkHard]

Still, the time period she was gone from Istanbul (4 days) is correct. It just seems very odd that someone would be THAT observant, and just happen to be in the right place at the right time (and 11 minutes walking time distance between the two places) twice.

It is kind of the same area though, if you are in sultanahmet square the way you would get to topkapi is by walking to the right of Hagia Sophia and it takes you right there. It's not a very far walk at all, there is nothing in btw accept some shops to the left.

It's also common for street vendors to tool around in loops in that vicinity because Hagia Sophia, blue mosque, and topkapi are three of the biggest tourist stops.

I get it seems unlikely but its not impossible. I've definitely seen some of the same vendors in that area and they have recognized me on multiple occasions.

It doesn't mean he's telling the truth, I'm just saying it would be possible for this to be true.

I don't know how she would be at topkapi that day though, given the time frame she was seen on video.

 

[NewYork625]

Very intuitive. Thing is, without the LE having access to her computer back home, nor her Ipad or Phone, how would they be able to know this. They have no hardware to check sessions and see if she had one. This must be frustrating and an open issue. If i were the LE I would want access to any computer she used back in SI at home.

Hopefully LE is checking all of the suspects' computers, ipads, phone records, etc., and not just their DNA!

 

[Rolandred]

Earlier today we were discussing this theory at length. It was reported that one of the connection in Istanbul who she had hung out with in Istanbul, owns a hostel in cankurtan. Coincidently the place her body was found.

Reports earlier today were discussing the possibility that she had been killed some place other then the place her body w as found and that LE was investigating the possibility that she went to a bar and then to someone apartment., was killed there and later dumped.

I have long thought Taylan though having some red flags was innocent. Especially since he admitted to having sex with her. I have theororized that perhaps one of her other Istanbul connection found out about Taylan and was jealous, or was upset that she was leaving at all.

I think it was this man she was meeting at the walls that day and not Taylan. I seriously don't think she would have gone to the walls alone.

And police must suspect him too, because they took a blood sample from him today.

Additionally I think the murderer must have known the area and know sarai....I think it was a warped poetic gesture that she was left at Saray point.

Okay - could be! I thought she may have been hanging about shady characters - in shady bars/restaurants...

 

[necco]

That was him in the tiger suit? I always thought it was a pic of some random person, and they were making jokes about where the Tigers Tigress was..guess I was mistaken?

No. It was not. And it was a LION people, a freaking LION!

I said that before I saw the picture.

Yes, they were mocking him.

 

[ThinkHard]

I don't think a brutal murder such as this was meant to frame anyone. This was something dark and ugly - anyway - the poor homeless would have been already arrested and the police declared having a suspect in custody. As of now, no one has been arrested and case is still under investigation. This is dark - someone "professional" meaning mafia /organized crime. IMO.

I disagree. Why would a homeless man be in custody? They took all there DNA, and no matches made. They can't just arrest a homeless man because they suspect one.

I thought your whole point was that you didn't think it was mafia because mafia wouldn't use a rock? Now your saying you do think its mafia? Your confusing me.

 

[GinaSeikwa]

She could have gone to Topkapi after crossing the street. I don't have a map handy to indicate the exact streets but it is doable. Continue on down on Kennedy
And then up into Sultanahmet. I stayed in Sultanameht and did the same thing in reverse to get to the Galata bridge. They said they believe she died that day but not necessarily right after crossing the street and heading towards the walls. I am betting they may have her on camera later that afternoon/ evening in Sultanahmet/ Topkapi area.

 

[ThinkHard]

Where, near the ruins of the wall? Was this the last sighting? I tended to agree this was a possibility, probably only if it was the last sighting, unless they saw her on camera again going towards the walls/ruins, then I doubt this theory. Otherwise..yes I agree it is very possible.

Yes near the walls, I guess the last sighting of her via camera was just before cankurtan, she was seen crossing the road, and the camera lost her. Speculation was that it was to see the cankurtan gate, but I was suggesting perhaps it was to get in a car...

 

[ThinkHard]

She could have gone to Topkapi after crossing the street. I don't have a map handy to indicate the exact streets but it is doable. Continue on down on Kennedy
And then up into Sultanahmet. I stayed in Sultanameht and did the same thing in reverse to get to the Galata bridge. They said they believe she died that day but not necessarily right after crossing the street and heading towards the walls. I am betting they may have her on camera later that afternoon/ evening in Sultanahmet/ Topkapi area.

No because a camera would have spotted her if she did that.

Maybe they do have her on camera but they haven't said that yet. They said they were able to find her body because of where she was last spotted on camera, so this leads me to believe they don't have camera footage of her somewhere else.

 

[bourne]

I think he only admitted it in the end out of fear; he probably thought his DNA might show up on her. But it wasn't his, evidently.

I agree, he only confessed because he was afraid of getting caught. He has motive, means and opportunity.

Motive: He might have wanted to have sex with her again, thinking how easy it was the first time around to get in her pants, but when she resisted, he got enraged.

Means: obviously he is strong physically and also something hard like a rock was used to bash her face in. And rocks are easily found throughout the ruins.

Opportunity: He was reported to have scheduled to meet her at/near the walls where her body was found.

Unless he has a solid alibi, I'm betting a million dollars he's the murderer.

 

[ThinkHard]

I agree, he only confessed because he was afraid of getting caught. He has motive, means and opportunity.

Motive: He might have wanted to have sex with her again, thinking how easy it was the first time around to get in her pants, but when she resisted, he got enraged.

Means: obviously he is strong physically and also something hard like a rock was used to bash her face in. And rocks are easily found throughout the ruins.

Opportunity: He was reported to have scheduled to meet her at/near the walls where her body was found.

Unless he has a solid alibi, I'm betting a million dollars he's the murderer.

But his DNA did not match the DNA found? How did he get someone else's DNA at the scene?

 

[belimom]

Hmm my thought here. The two places aren't very far. If it was a street vendor or a simit man or someone like that who works that area, and it not being tourist season, it might make sense that he would see her, and remember her.

But I don't get how she could have been spotted at Topkapi, if the info about her being spotted by city cams several times that morning is true...she was seen at Galata tower at 1130, the bridge at 1210, serkeci at 1:15, and cankurtan just after that.

When could she have possibly been at topkapi on that day?

If she were to walk from the bridge, to Topkapi, then to Serkeci, it's about a 35-minute walk. She had over an hour to get from the bridge to Serkeci. Do we know know she was in Cankurtan 'just after that', or was it later...?

http://goo.gl/maps/tDIAi

I wonder if she went to Topkapi, then looped back around towards the bridge, looking for Tarkan. But then ran into this other person along the way. Perhaps he followed her to Serkeci, or they went there to grab something to eat/coffee (it was lunchtime after all). Then he (if it's the other landlord) told her he wanted to show off his rental units in comparison to where she was staying, etc, and talked her into going back to his place with him. (I have a hard time believing that she may have gone around having sex with multiple men. Some women do, for sure, but I think she was just dipping her toes in the water on this trip with Tarkan - and maybe Ammer). The rest is history. Viable theory?

Heck, maybe when she didn't meet up with Tarkan that day (IF she didn't meet up with him), she sought out the man with the business card, knowing where to find him that day, instead. It *was* her last day - maybe she was looking for a friendly face, someone just to say 'bye' to.

 

[CMac2]

I agree, he only confessed because he was afraid of getting caught. He has motive, means and opportunity.

Motive: He might have wanted to have sex with her again, thinking how easy it was the first time around to get in her pants, but when she resisted, he got enraged.

Means: obviously he is strong physically and also something hard like a rock was used to bash her face in. And rocks are easily found throughout the ruins.

Opportunity: He was reported to have scheduled to meet her at/near the walls where her body was found.

Unless he has a solid alibi, I'm betting a million dollars he's the murderer.

Bourne!! We're kindred spirits! I think he did it too.

 

[radiator]

Murders per 100,000 people (most recent) by country

Turkey ranked #58 6.9
USA ranked #63 5.9

Turkey ranks higher in number of murders per 100,000 people capita than USA.

*Note: These were stats based in year 2004

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_mur_per_100_peo-murders-per-100-000-people

murder rate comparison between istanbul and nyc in 2012:

According to a comparative study conducted by the İstanbul Police Department Public Security Unit that covers murder data in the first six months of 2012, 117 cases of homicide were recorded in Turkey's largest city.

While there were 148 murders in Los Angeles in the same period, this number is 176 in Amsterdam, and 227 in New York City.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-306...g-world-metropolises-with-fewest-murders.html

 

[ThinkHard]

If she were to walk from the bridge, to Topkapi, then to Serkeci, it's about a 35-minute walk. She had over an hour to get from the bridge to Serkeci. Do we know know she was in Cankurtan 'just after that', or was it later...?

http://goo.gl/maps/tDIAi

I wonder if she went to Topkapi, then looped back around towards the bridge, looking for Tarkan. But then ran into this other person along the way. Perhaps he followed her to Serkeci, or they went there to grab something to eat/coffee (it was lunchtime after all). Then he (if it's the other landlord) told her he wanted to show off his rental units in comparison to where she was staying, etc, and talked her into going back to his place with him. (I have a hard time believing that she may have gone around having sex with multiple men. Some women do, for sure, but I think she was just dipping her toes in the water on this trip with Tarkan - and maybe Ammer). The rest is history. Viable theory?

Heck, maybe when she didn't meet up with Tarkan that day (IF she didn't meet up with him), she sought out the man with the business card, knowing where to find him that day, instead. It *was* her last day - maybe she was looking for a friendly face, someone just to say 'bye' to.

The thing is to get to topkapi from the bridge she would have had to walk through serkeci and she would have been spotted by cameras then. It was reported that she was seen on the bridge on 1210...then not again until in serkeci walking toward cankurtan (not walking towards topkapi ) at 1:15...and reported that via the time difference I guess walked along in the same direction she was spotted on the serkeci camera to the spot where she was seen in the cankurtan camera.

I see what your saying but I just don't see how she would have gotten to topkapi in that hr without being spotted by a camera, but then spotted by one when she walked back by one.

My point is you can't walk to from the bridge to topkapi then to serkeci....it can't be done in that order....because she would have had to walk through serkeci to get to topkapi. And she was seen in serkeci coming from the direction of the bridge...to the direction of cankurtan.

 

[Gio]

I agree, he only confessed because he was afraid of getting caught. He has motive, means and opportunity.

Motive: He might have wanted to have sex with her again, thinking how easy it was the first time around to get in her pants, but when she resisted, he got enraged.

Means: obviously he is strong physically and also something hard like a rock was used to bash her face in. And rocks are easily found throughout the ruins.

Opportunity: He was reported to have scheduled to meet her at/near the walls where her body was found.

Unless he has a solid alibi, I'm betting a million dollars he's the murderer.

After leaving behind her kids and husband, flying across the globe to meet him, having sex with him in a bathroom, calling him to meet her on her last day...after all this she's gonna start playing hard to get? I'm not buying that motive.

 

[tresptip]

Has the news said anywhere that Taylan had an alibi?