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

[ToutCa]

Seriously. Even that which should be the most simple of simple details is getting all screwed up. REALLY?! Not knowing whether or not the man talked to his wife in 7 days vs 2 days is kind of important.

I swear. They're doing this to us on purpose. The media's angry that we have run out of theories for them to print, and this is how they punish us. :banghead:

Ugh.

I have a bad feeling it will turn out being Jan. 19, in which case it was much ado about little.

But even if it's wrong, and there was more frequent contact, it really still does feel she was drifting away from him.

 

[CMac2]

I really wonder how big the bag was. If it was tiny, then it becomes unlikelier she was carrying some illicit object of value to exchange. If it was more like a knapsack, maybe just maybe there was something in it. But if not, she still could have been going to pick up a suitcase full of dope -- hypothetically, anyway. But if the violence came because she wanted to back out of the deal, why not just blow off the meeting? I guess she could fear some retaliation...

This drug angle is hard to figure.

In all seriousness, I think that is both what makes this case so maddening and compelling at the same time. None of the scenarios fit just right.

 

[Yashim]

Seriously. Even that which should be the most simple of simple details is getting all screwed up. REALLY?! Not knowing whether or not the man talked to his wife in 7 days vs 2 days is kind of important.

I swear. They're doing this to us on purpose. The media's angry that we have run out of theories for them to print, and this is how they punish us. :banghead:

I disagree. The media feels that they should publish something, but they can't obtain new information. So whenever they make something up, they make sure to include a detail that will give away the inaccuracy of the false fact, so that we can exclude it from our analysis. That's how thoughtful they are. NYT never does that. Thank you Turkish media. Thank you.

 

[CMac2]

I disagree. The media feels that they should publish something, but they can't obtain new information. So whenever they make something up, they make sure to include a detail that will give away the inaccuracy of the false fact, so that we can exclude it from our analysis. That's how thoughtful they are. NYT never does that. Thank you Turkish media. Thank you.

Oy vey. This is getting thick, folks. When the going gets tough, CMac gets a cheeseburger. BRB.

 

[necco]

bbm

Do we really know this? Evidently she was found with jewelry on, including a ring (or rings). But many women wear more than one ring. Has it been reported that she was still wearing her wedding ring? Thanks - I may have missed it, but if it hasn't been reported, then I'm not sure we can assume that to be true necessarily.

No, they have not said for certain it was her wedding ring. However, given the crazy sensationalism of the press for this murder, I think they'd have jumped on any indication that her wedding ring was not on her.

 

[KuriousKev]

And I can't find anything about these other attacks in that area, other than media reports from the SS case. Media probably made those up too. Grumble.

This made me crack up! Media reports are very frustrating!

 

[ToutCa]

I did suggest this up thread. I do feel that if it does come to light there was something criminal, SS's brother may possibly be involved in some way. I feel SS wouldn't have planned it or been involved alone.

How could he have been involved? Could you elaborate a little?

I can see SS getting caught up in something over there, but I dunno about her brother. Unless they had some gang ties in the USA, and some hot tip to import some new high-grade 'great stuff'? I don't know if they've shown the sophistication to pull off an international drug deal, but maybe their seeming ordinariness is part of an act to deflect attention?

 

[CMac2]

No, they have not said for certain it was her wedding ring. However, given the crazy sensationalism of the press for this murder, I think they'd have jumped on any indication that her wedding ring was not on her.

Do Turkish women who are married have the same type of tradition as we do in the US? Do they wear a traditional wedding ring, or do they show their marital status in some other fashion?

 

[CMac2]

How could he have been involved? Could you elaborate a little?

I can see SS getting caught up in something over there, but I dunno about her brother. Unless they had some gang ties in the USA, and some hot tip to import some new high-grade 'great stuff'? I don't know if they've shown the sophistication to pull off an international drug deal, but maybe their seeming ordinariness is part of an act to deflect attention?

Plus, the Sierras lifestyle seems to point away from this potential. Unless I'm misunderstanding the theory (which is totally possible).

 

[Yashim]

I already solved the drug stuff. The drugs were in the package she got from the US. Only it wasn't really drugs, per say, but "fun brownies". Case closed.

Maybe it was just plain brownies to test the method. However, she couldn't receive the package, some random guy took it. So they cancelled the operation and told SS to return.

 

[Munich]

From the Doom's Day article in the NY Daily News:



ETA: Back "slung around her shoulder" says to me it was either a backpack of some sort or one of those shoulder-crossing purses that women tend to covet. We like those purses because it keeps the purse hugged to our bodies, with the strap crossing down from one shoulder, securing the bag to our hip on the other side of our bodies. Makes it difficult for a mugger to grab our purse and run.

There was an image I posted a while back of her in what I believe was the NY subway wearing a bag that meets the description and looks as though it would hold a fair amount.

Found it... on the right.

Alternatively, there is also a bag in the MSM photo that's been circulating. Let's not forget she was supposedly carrying an extra pair of shoes, which would also likely mean a decent sized bag.

 

[Yellow]

Nothing important, just want to share my view on the photo you speak of. As a photog and photo editor It's a little easy for me to 'read' photos sometimes...just something you develop over the years. It appears as though she and a guest were on a casual photo excursion in NYC (you see her Samsung phone/camera sticking out of her pocket). To me it looks as though they were on the BK Bridge (you see bridge cabling and railing) and decided to stop and take an impromptu photo while there. The friend that captured the photo used a DSLR because of the deep bokeh (shallow depth of field) seen in the background which cannot be done using a camera phone.

I wonder if perhaps she was going to do Internet dating and she wanted a nice picture of herself up. Sometimes you make that extra effort them bc it really is a nice picture. There is another pic of her in the Daily News too where I think she has her hair in a bun - she looks real pretty in that pic too. I like that pic better, it does not even look like the same person

When I first heard of this case and saw her pic, I assume maybe she was Turkish. She would certainly blend in the crowd alot more than say a blond women (not that Turks cannot be blonds but they typically are not)

 

[CMac2]

Maybe it was just plain brownies to test the method. However, she couldn't receive the package, some random guy took it. So they cancelled the operation and told SS to return.

They should have put laxatives in the test brownies. That would have told them which random guy it was who took it. He should have been punished, given all the horror he's caused.

 

[kmassoud]

From the Doom's Day article in the NY Daily News:



ETA: Back "slung around her shoulder" says to me it was either a backpack of some sort or one of those shoulder-crossing purses that women tend to covet. We like those purses because it keeps the purse hugged to our bodies, with the strap crossing down from one shoulder, securing the bag to our hip on the other side of our bodies. Makes it difficult for a mugger to grab our purse and run.

Did anyone notice that the strap in the lovely face pic looks like the same strap that is on the bag they took from the hotel room, but that the bags look totally different?

 

[belimom]

Nothing important, just want to share my view on the photo you speak of. As a photog and photo editor It's a little easy for me to 'read' photos sometimes...just something you develop over the years. It appears as though she and a guest were on a casual photo excursion in NYC (you see her Samsung phone/camera sticking out of her pocket). To me it looks as though they were on the BK Bridge (you see bridge cabling and railing) and decided to stop and take an impromptu photo while there. The friend that captured the photo used a DSLR because of the deep bokeh (shallow depth of field) seen in the background which cannot be done using a camera phone.

Back from my 2-hour self-imposed break from WS... :seeya:

I just thought of something: this is the same outfit (or very very similar) that she wore around Turkey/A'Dam, in almost all the photos we have seen of her, correct? Including video.

I don't think it was a snapshot (sorry, KuriousKev). I think it was a photo to say 'This is who I am'. The phone in the pocket, the wistful-gaze as if looking at something through a photographer/artists's eye, the leather jacket, the scarf/hat.

I also wonder if she took this photo so people she was meeting up with would easily recognize her. Instead of saying "I'll be wearing...", she took this picture.

And if you go even further, with the smuggling idea (<- not there right now myself, although I was earlier), then whoever needs to find her will be able to point her out.

ETA --- We also know she wore at least one other ring - the one on her right index finger. But who knows if she wore it on the trip? It stands out - not something you can to do as a tourist: wear 'large' jewelry that makes you target.

 

[ToutCa]

I don't know this has been said. Could her brother and husband be involved? Did they know why she went? I think it was mentioned that her brother had a friend there. A professor, if I remember right.

A chemistry professor? Eureka we've got it! Or, as usual, probably not...

 

[necco]

Respectfully, we don't know what went on inside their marriage. We don't know what precipitated her cheating IF she had cheated. We don't know what sort of arrangement they may or may not have had. Husbands do forgive wives for cheating. Wives do forgive husbands for cheating. You don't hear about it, because people don't broadcast it the way they do when infidelity leads to divorce.

i agree with that but she died after she had sex with an other man ... she crossed that line .... a few men would like back their wives after cheating on them

 

[Yashim]

Do Turkish women who are married have the same type of tradition as we do in the US? Do they wear a traditional wedding ring, or do they show their marital status in some other fashion?

Yes, married women and men wear a wedding ring on the ring finger of their left hand.

Engaged women wear their diamond engagement rings, and most continue to do so after the wedding.

Single women just carry semi-automatic handguns in case anyone says hi or holds the door for them.

 

[ToutCa]

Did anyone notice that the strap in the lovely face pic looks like the same strap that is on the bag they took from the hotel room, but that the bags look totally different?

I bet they are the same straps. And the purse is just tucked in behind the rucksack, with its straps hanging over the rucksack.

If you look closely, the rucksack appears to have another strap cinched tight underneath where the two braided straps are dangling.

God we are getting crazy-specific...

 

[CMac2]

Did anyone notice that the strap in the lovely face pic looks like the same strap that is on the bag they took from the hotel room, but that the bags look totally different?

I actually don't think the bag looks totally different. It looks like it's one of those bags that has both the short handle-straps (the braided straps we see in both pics) and a longer strap- so that the user can alter the look- carry it several different ways.

To me, it looks like it could be the same bag (just packed more tightly- with more stuff in it- in the pic you posted). JMO.