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

[ToutCa]

It was written on the 28th.
I didn't get who postman refers to by saying friend. It could be SS, the airbnb guy or somebody else.

In all honesty, it can't be important. It's from forever and a day ago.

It says she got and sent mail. OK.

 

[Yashim]

This is the takeaway for the day:

LE says American woman married with 10 brothers may be a postman.

 

[ToutCa]

:floorlaugh::floorlaugh::floorlaugh:

An American friend of mine was trying to learn Turkish. She was assigned an essay. In the essay, she wanted to say she was a Fine Arts major. She looks up the word "major" in dictionary and uses teh first word she sees: Binbaşı. Her teacher taught she was in the army, because "binbaşı" is the word for major as a rank in military forces.

This is the most I laughed since then.

LOL...Come on, your language is impossible for the rest of us!

 

[Munich]

What I do not understand is why all these tourists would be anywhere near this spot. It is my impression that this was a more deserted area. Why would the tourists be there? And why would they be there alone?

I would find it odd, in any city, for their to be one spot where you have alot of women being rapes or murdered. Especially if it is not an open spot

I posted this in the now closed Thread #2.

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8833425&postcount=1840

This is an area that does see some tourists. I remember the hop on hop off bus driving through there even. The commentary from the blog where the attached photos came is eerie.

SS was used to some urban exploration and had an affinity for seemingly gritty areas (train tracks, street art / graffiti, etc.) according to her IG and some who joined her on her photo walks around NY.

 

[ToutCa]

Umm... super interesting. No wonder that courier slant has stayed in the media. Let the speculation being as to what was in it.

This is beyond grasping at straws.

This is reaching for straws with 37 pairs of chopsticks tied together with bailing wire.

She got and received mail from home in the USA. So what?

 

[kmassoud]

Just throwing this out there: There are many reasons people remain married despite the fact that they both agree that it is 'over'. The main reason would be health insurance. I was 'seperated' but living with my ex, awaiting divorce...and it was difficult to explain this to people. It would be especially difficult to explain to potential suitors or foreigners. We still thought of ourselves as married, and cared about each other deeply, but we also kind of felt single too.

Perhaps SS was not attempting to deceive anyone (or betray her husband), but rather, really did feel her marriage was over?

This would also explain why her husband 'allowed' her to go on such a trip. And heck, maybe he pays her child support even though they are not married. With 2 kids and his supposed income, that could easily be $500-$600 a month. maybe that's how she saved up for the trip.

 

[Yashim]

Will try Turkish coffee. I heard there's a good coffee shop in the Grand Bazaar.

Just don't drink the grains as Mark Twain did. The smell is better than the taste. I wonder what he ended up drinking.

"... Then he brought the world-renowned Turkish coffee that poets have sung so rapturously for many generations, and I seized upon it as the last hope that was left of my old dreams of Eastern luxury. It was another fraud. Of all the unchristian beverages that ever passed my lips, Turkish coffee is the worst. The cup is small, it is smeared with grounds; the coffee is black, thick, unsavory of smell, and execrable in taste. The bottom of the cup has a muddy sediment in it half an inch deep. This goes down your throat, and portions of it lodge by the way, and produce a tickling aggravation that keeps you barking and coughing for an hour."

http://www.online-literature.com/twain/innocents-abroad/34/

 

[ToutCa]

Perhaps it is too many episodes of Locked up Abroad / Banged up Abroad, but I still think she was approached at some point to transport something illegal from IST back to NYC. She may have had her trip paid for, she may have not, but that would explain both the unsavory characters and the urgent need to get out of there 4 days early at any cost.

The traffickers likely caught wind of her plans and this didn't bode well, which had this tragic ending we're all trying to piece together. Between ease of getting around with the metro and watching for her in areas she'd often cross this could easily be a group.

I think payment would be given at the airport when they brought her or last possible moment, which would explain why she needed money from her husband for the ticket change.

What unsavory characters?

This is fine as speculative theory #5,763 but you do realize there's no evidence for any of this?

We can and have made up dozens of variants on who might have been responsible, and covered like 57 different drug mule scenarios...

 

[Munich]

This is beyond grasping at straws.

This is reaching for straws with 37 pairs of chopsticks tied together with bailing wire.

She got and received mail from home in the USA. So what?

Well, it tends to take a fair amount of time to get things from the US over here, so if she got it during her first week it could also have been sent before she left.

I'd also venture to say it's a bit atypical to get mail while traveling. It's astonishing to me that it arrived, because sometimes if the name doesn't match the mail box it won't be delivered.

 

[KivaSupporter]

Yes... 14K etc. vs. 585 in Turkey. Those little details I don't believe have been released, but seeing as though there was this budget I am guessing these were personal pieces from the US.

There's a lot of haggling to be done, and while there are plenty of jewelers at the Grand Bazaar, you have to really know what you want and what it's worth or it's easy to be had. I also always thought, perhaps unfairly, that the salesmen would prefer to haggle with the men rather than women.

Hi Munich, I see you are very familiar with it.

I think at some point, perhaps in thread 1, someone brought this up.

I was wondering if Saria bought some gold jewelry in Istanbul and if it was a costly purchase, just as a potential help in resolving this.

Thank you for your input.

 

[belimom]

In all honesty, it can't be important. It's from forever and a day ago.

It says she got and sent mail. OK.

bbm

But who receives packages while overseas for a few weeks? In 2013? When there is e-mail, text, instant messaging, Skype, FB, Facetime. She was keeping up with her family/friends electronically. I can understand sending mail/postcards so that your kids get a cool foreign stamp and get to hear from you while you're gone, but... a package? :waitasec:

And sending packages overseas is not cheap. It was something important, IMO. But what?

 

[ToutCa]

Just don't drink the grains as Mark Twain did. The smell is better than the taste. I wonder what he ended up drinking.

"... The bottom of the cup has a muddy sediment in it half an inch deep. This goes down your throat, and portions of it lodge by the way, and produce a tickling aggravation that keeps you barking and coughing for an hour."

Screw Mark Twain, I love sucking on the sediment of Turkish coffee.

Always medium sweet!

 

[Rolandred]

I wonder if she was wearing a wedding ring while on her trip? Was there any mention of her being found wearing a ring? I noticed her husband is wearing a wedding ring in one of the recent photos.

I have read she was wearing a gold ring. I don't think LE cares if she was having an affair or went there for a fling and I highly doubt someone who was financially strapped would go all the way to Turkey for a fling with someone she had never met in person - unless something else was in order.

 

[english]

This is beyond grasping at straws.

This is reaching for straws with 37 pairs of chopsticks tied together with bailing wire.

She got and received mail from home in the USA. So what?

I started this, maybe I should apologise. There's no grasping at straws and I realise they are old articles. It was only an attempt at sleuthing on my part. I just wanted to know if I had translated it correctly as I don't receive mail from home when I am on holiday.

 

[ToutCa]

bbm

But who receives packages while overseas for a few weeks? In 2013? When there is e-mail, text, instant messaging, Skype, FB, Facetime. She was keeping up with her family/friends electronically. I can understand sending mail/postcards so that your kids get a cool foreign stamp and get to hear from you while you're gone, but... a package? :waitasec:

And sending packages overseas is not cheap. It was something important, IMO. But what?

It was her first time abroad and she was a Latina-American. Probably some extremely boring care package with products from home.

And cocaine. Kilos and kilos of pure cocaine.

Sorry, but I don't see the need to cue the dramatic DUM DUM DUM because SS got mail and sent mail.

 

[KivaSupporter]

This is beyond grasping at straws.

This is reaching for straws with 37 pairs of chopsticks tied together with bailing wire.

She got and received mail from home in the USA. So what?

You have a special way of expressing yourself. 37 pairs of chopsticks???
I love it.

 

[Yashim]

bbm

But who receives packages while overseas for a few weeks? In 2013? When there is e-mail, text, instant messaging, Skype, FB, Facetime. She was keeping up with her family/friends electronically. I can understand sending mail/postcards so that your kids get a cool foreign stamp and get to hear from you while you're gone, but... a package? :waitasec:

And sending packages overseas is not cheap. It was something important, IMO. But what?

It could well be an iPad telling her mission then self-destructing in five seconds.

 

[ToutCa]

I started this, maybe I should apologise. There's no grasping at straws and I realise they are old articles. It was only an attempt at sleuthing on my part. I just wanted to know if I had translated it correctly as I don't receive mail from home when I am on holiday.

Don't apologize, keep debating!!!! Don't let me scare you off, this is what we do!!!!!

 

[belimom]

Screw Mark Twain, I love sucking on the sediment of Turkish coffee.

Always medium sweet!

Similar to other places in the Middle East. DH got hooked and now that's what we drink at home... Not Turkish coffee, but Turkish ground.

 

[KivaSupporter]

I have read she was wearing a gold ring. I don't think LE cares if she was having an affair or went there for a fling and I highly doubt someone who was financially strapped would go all the way to Turkey for a fling with someone she had never met in person - unless something else was in order.

If you are referring to my entries, of course, LE and I don't care about the affair. I am just looking for a clue. No offense to anyone.