GUILTY Turkey - Sarai Sierra, 33, NY woman murdered, Istanbul, 21 Jan 2013 - #3

[lavy]

OMG WHAT IS SHE HIDING FROM???!!! CLEARLY THAT IS SUSPICIOUS!!!

I DEMAND TO KNOW WHO SHE WAS TEXTING AND TO HAVE THE EXACT WORDS OF THE TEXT. WHERE WAS TAYLAN THE EXACT INSTANT THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN???!!!

coming down... off sleuthing addiction....coming down....slowly....slowly....

I bet if nothing new comes up this is gonna be on Turkish media tomorrow.

 

[CMac2]

:furious::furious::furious:


OK, that's it!!! This was the last straw. I am taking blood and sperm samples from everybody in this thread. All of you are possible suspects in this case.


:floorlaugh::floorlaugh::floorlaugh:

I don't have sperm. Just sayin.

 

[KuriousKev]

I bet if nothing new comes up this is gonna be on Turkish media tomorrow.

omg I hope not. I would be sick to my stomach!

News Headline "Hiding From Herself"

 

[ThinkHard]

Ok we know that tourists can often be the target of scams by sweet talking Turkish men who work in the tourist industry (shops, cafes, tour guides)

And we know SS was definitely open to mingling with people she met in turkey, both people she met before arriving and after arriving.

Interesting that they are focused on 5 people based on evidence at the crime scene, I wonder what evidence. I wonder if they just haven't been able to narrow it down, or they think all 5 are involved.

My first theory on this case, was that SS was the victim of a scam. And I'm thinking that might not be far off.

 

[Yashim]

I don't have sperm. Just sayin.

Then just borrow from someone! This is serious police business.

Otherwise, your reluctance will only us make more suspicious.

 

[KuriousKev]

I don't have sperm. Just sayin.

We'll just takes saliva samples from the glass you sipped your beverage from while eating your cheeseburger yesterday.

 

[ThinkHard]

Couple questions....based on the report of Sarai's last morning that was in the paper yesterday....did anyone find it weird that the times were completely different then the times reported she had been seen on camera that morning previously?

 

[ThinkHard]

For example, originally we were told she was on camera at 1130 at the tower well at a cafe by the tower, that article says she left her apartment at 1130.

We'd also heard she texted Taylan at 1130 saying she was crossing the tower or coming down from the tower, but yaht article says she sent that txt before she left her apartment.

 

[lavy]

Couple questions....based on the report of Sarai's last morning that was in the paper yesterday....did anyone find it weird that the times were completely different then the times reported she had been seen on camera that morning previously?

I think it starts with the huge confusion about where she was on 11:33 when she texted "I'm leaving" message to Taylan half of the sources say she was at home and the rest says in a cafe next to Galata tower.

 

[lavy]

For example, originally we were told she was on camera at 1130 at the tower well at a cafe by the tower, that article says she left her apartment at 1130.

We'd also heard she texted Taylan at 1130 saying she was crossing the tower or coming down from the tower, but yaht article says she sent that txt before she left her apartment.

This is not new though. Both cases were written much earlier.

 

[NewYork625]

haha or better yet, who's the old creepy balding guy standing next to her? he clearly is an antiques dealer!!

Maybe she was smuggling Turkish antiquities for the antiques dealer?!!

just kidding!!!!

 

[ToutCa]

For example, originally we were told she was on camera at 1130 at the tower well at a cafe by the tower, that article says she left her apartment at 1130.

We'd also heard she texted Taylan at 1130 saying she was crossing the tower or coming down from the tower, but yaht article says she sent that txt before she left her apartment.

I think it has been said walking on or near Istiklal Av at 11:33.

I'm not surprised the info was imprecise before. Much else has been.

Not sure the article has everything exactly right either -- it's compiled from multiple sources, and says so openly.

 

[ThinkHard]

This is not new though. Both cases were written much earlier.

I meant new, as in the new article that someone posted yesterday detailing her final walk.

Btw she didn't say she was leaving until her second message to him, I believe at 1215 ish.....the first one was about crossing or coming down from the tower.

Of course who knows if anything the papers have reported is true.

 

[ThinkHard]

I think it has been said walking on or near Istiklal Av at 11:33.

I'm not surprised the info was imprecise before. Much else has been.

Not sure the article has everything exactly right either -- it's compiled from multiple sources, and says so openly.

I think the strangest part of that article is that it says the last time she was seen on any camera at all was 1230 ish.....but many many reports before that said 1:15 in serkeci....but that article mentioned nothing of the serkeci cam (which I believe is near the train station).

 

[citizenofworld]

The attacks on Armenian Christians is interesting. While I put it on the list pretty far down, I do wonder if SS wore a cross. I know that around here, and I am not that far from NYC, it is quite common among Puerto Ricans to wear religious jewelry, but my experience is largely with Catholic Puerto Ricans. (Actually, around here, many active Christians wear religious jewelry, especially Catholics.) Obviously, not all do, but I do wonder what her necklace was. Could she have been mistaken for Armenian? Unlikely, but something to consider. (And yes, I know she was found with her jewelry on, making it less likely, unless the Armenian attacks were hate crimes disguised as robberies.)

She was Pentecostal. I would assume just as likely to wear a cross.

 

[ToutCa]

I meant new, as in the new article that someone posted yesterday detailing her final walk.

Btw she didn't say she was leaving until her second message to him, I believe at 1215 ish.....the first one was about crossing or coming down from the tower.

Of course who knows if anything the papers have reported is true.

Before this article, they always stated seeing her 3 times:
11:33 -- on camera, Istiklal Av (exact location given varied)
12:10 -- on camera, walking, definitely alone and not followed, Galata Bridge
1:15 -- last time on camera, Sirkeci area, walking to Sarayburnu/Kennedy Caddesi

This article says: they have her on at least 20 cameras.
11:33 -- leaves apartment, seen at cameras on block
"about" 12:15 -- "probably" finished crossing Galata Bridge
12:44 -- last time on camera crossing Sarayburnu street to walk toward Sarayburnu along Kennedy Caddesi

LE has the full list, of course. I wouldn't be surprised if there were translation problems, and the Daily News gave a confused version of the times. They are close, and seem to give the same rough, general picture of her walk. But yes, the details are contradictory and we would need to learn more from LE about her last time seen, for example.

 

[ThinkHard]

The biggest discrepancy I noticed between the two, which I think is worth noting....is that the earlier reports, have an elapsed time that is unaccounted for on the bridge, where she could have stopped at a cafe for a lunch or to get wifi. As one camera had her seen at 1210 on the bridge, and not again until 1:15 in serkeci.

The earlier reports make it sound like she stopped at the tower too. The earlier reports make it sound like she had a couple stops on her way and it was leisurely.

But this article from yesterday based on the times, make it feel more like she wasnt stopping, at all, but rather walked straight from her rented room to the walls. Which at least to me, feels more like that was her original plan to begin with. And that was where her focus was that morning. It also makes me feel even stronger, that she knew exactly where she was going because she had been there before.

 

[Herat]

I recall in the early discussions that there was more than one Turkish IG friend, maybe three total, including TaylanK. I'd put those three in the fab 5 lineup.

 

[CMac2]

Ok, what circumstances point to random attack?
1. Location of where body was found
2. She had been walking VERY near the area, alone (a not-so-great area to boot), just prior to disappearing
3. Yashim was an eyewitness to the crime, saw the entire thing, and can testify under oath he saw a 14 year old paint-sniffing druggy who is not very strong do it.
4. Other attacks in the same area SS' body was found- random in nature
5. What else??

Conversely, what points to SS being murdered at the hands of someone she knew?
1. Speculation that the trip to Turkey was not what it originally appeared to be (i.e. photography may not have been the only reason for this trip)
2. Rumors of marital discord
3. Taylan (I don't need to clarify beyond his name, right? Just imagine me saying, "TAYLAN!!" with my fist in the air. Kind of like, "Foiled again!")
4. Rumors that she met creepy carpet-guy twice on the trip
5. Rumors that surveillance video shows SS being followed in the mall in the day (or was it 2 days- can't remember) before she went missing
6. Botched plans to meet at the bridge the morning she went missing (TAYLAN again!! **Fist in air**)
7. Rumors of Taylan having a sexual relationship/not having a sexual relationship with SS
8. Rumors of SS telling landlord she's unmarried (could mean nothing- may not even be true at all, frankly)
8. Amsterdam Ammer's statement (again, may not even be true) that SS was uncomfortable with certain folks in Istanbul
9. Unexplained shortening of trip to come back home
10. Rumors that SS met with at least one other male, as yet unidentified, from IG in Instanbul
11. What else???

 

[ThinkHard]

Ok, what circumstances point to random attack?
1. Location of where body was found
2. She had been walking VERY near the area, alone (a not-so-great area to boot), just prior to disappearing
3. Yashim was an eyewitness to the crime, saw the entire thing, and can testify under oath he saw a 14 year old paint-sniffing druggy who is not very strong do it.
4. Other attacks in the same area SS' body was found- random in nature
5. What else??

Conversely, what points to SS being murdered at the hands of someone she knew?
1. Speculation that the trip to Turkey was not what it originally appeared to be (i.e. photography may not have been the only reason for this trip)
2. Rumors of marital discord
3. Taylan (I don't need to clarify beyond his name, right? Just imagine me saying, "TAYLAN!!" with my fist in the air. Kind of like, "Foiled again!")
4. Rumors that she met creepy carpet-guy twice on the trip
5. Rumors that surveillance video shows SS being followed in the mall in the day (or was it 2 days- can't remember) before she went missing
6. Botched plans to meet at the bridge the morning she went missing (TAYLAN again!! **Fist in air**)
7. Rumors of Taylan having a sexual relationship/not having a sexual relationship with SS
8. Rumors of SS telling landlord she's unmarried (could mean nothing- may not even be true at all, frankly)
8. Amsterdam Ammer's statement (again, may not even be true) that SS was uncomfortable with certain folks in Istanbul
9. Unexplained shortening of trip to come back home
10. Rumors that SS met with at least one other male, as yet unidentified, from IG in Instanbul
11. What else???

Here is the thing about those other attacks at that area....do we actually know they were random? Or are we just assuming they are random? What set of circumstances put those three other women randomly at that spot? Perhaps those other attacks were not random at all. I don't think we can really determine the circumstances of those attacks. I don't even think we know who the attacker was in those circumstances, so how do we know it was random. Perhaps even those attacks were not random but in those cases the victims had been lured there as well. From the reports we only know that 3 other girls were victims of attempted rape in that spot....we know nothing else....so I'm not sure we can say they are random with any certainty.