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

[Chewy]

So if you were the lead detective on the case, your initial assumption that because she is dead and not where you expected to find her body, that she was involved in something "not kosher". Therefore you are implying that any foreigner who dies in Turkey would possibly have to be involved with something "not kosher". Which of course, is what we call "victim blaming", but I would rather not get into that discussion, that is your bias for whatever reason.

Well, you basically answered my question anyways by saying " teeny tiny clue that she may have been". Yes, it is a very small relationship between the two, and this I can agree on with you, even if you did not intend to state it as such.

No. Um seriously did you read anything I posted? :waitasec: Her story doesn't add up. And her story is very different than other people's stories.

From where she chose to stay
Her decision to travel alone.
Her decision to cut her trip short
Her decision to hook up with a stranger in another country
The fact that she has small children at home

(this might be a difficult one to comprehend if you don't have kids, but most people who have kids will evaluate the risk of something they want to do for fun, with the risk they put their kids in by doing so. Not everyone conforms to this mindset but as you pointed out so frequently, she's a church going mother who has been married for 20 years with a pretty decent past. She's certainly not the type to do this kind of thing unless something is wrong.)

Lead detective in me in this case says "FOUL PLAY" and not a random hit.

 

[ThinkHard]

Kudos. This is a very smart assertion, or whatever they call it.

The only thing with that theory is that wouldn't her license have at least in theory been in her bag? As well as her extra pair of shoes?

And both of those were reportedly found with the body. So in theory someone would have had to go through her bag.

Just a thought.

 

[Herat]

I don't know how relevant this is, although we are discussing the lady who saw the car, but

Who was it that found the body and reported it to the police?

Is there any understanding that the area had or had not been searched before?

 

[alpmighty]

I disagree slightly with the above. In cases reported in India, a donor is found and then the organ is sold to someone willing to be a less than 100% receipient match. Quick and dirty and really bad medicine.

The urban legend stuff about tourists waking up in bathtubs of ice missing their kidney is just urban legend and not to be believed.

You are right, but then again, that would leave a very alarming, suspicious pattern that would be picked up by LE. If you are going to make profits, then you'll have to deal with multiple possible donors.

India is vast both geographically and population wise. LE coverage there, from what I know, isn't exactly extensive. Those all might make it for a harvesting organization as you described, but LE coverage in Turkey is both tight and extensive. An organ transplant operation wouldn't stay under the radar at all.

 

[lillygator]

She left her intermediate school aged children in the care of their father and grandparents. It's not babysitting if they're your kids.

I travel extensively alone. I am about SS's age. Only once in all my travels was my safety ever in clear and present danger. And you know what, that was from someone I had known for 20 years.

"intermediate" I have kids, 10, 8 and 1 the 10 and 8 year olds are in 4th and 2nd grade, not an age I would pick up, trapse off to another country to go "photograph" for weeks at a time, especially during the school year. And I never said "babysitting", sure the dad can take car of them.

As a mom, I just can't understand it, obviously she felt differently.

 

[belimom]

I took the time to read the article during our nice siesta that we had for awhile. He posted that awhile ago and I think it was discussed here. I, for one, agreed with him for being ticked off -- b/c I assumed he was innocent and that LE wasn't looking at him.

But the way this article is mentioned, they drag him right back into the thick of things. I'm just trying to decipher if it is bad journalism (they even have "suspect" under his picture: "Suspect: One person who is believed to be talking to investigators is Ammer Reduron who Sarai connected with on Instagram in the months before her trip and stayed with while she was in Amsterdam) or if there is really something more to his involvement.

Quoting myself b/c I want to know what you guys think of this (referring to Ammer). ^^^

 

[Herat]

The only thing with that theory is that wouldn't her license have at least in theory been in her bag? As well as her extra pair of shoes?

And both of those were reportedly found with the body. So in theory someone would have had to go through her bag.

Just a thought.

Oh, here we go with the shoes again. I know it's been discussed heavily before but I did not find there was a consensus (shocked face).

Did she bring her high heels with her?
(If so, it implies she was meeting someone for a social activity- which also ties in with the jewelry)

Were both pair of shoes found at the scene?

 

[alpmighty]

Lead detective in me in this case says "FOUL PLAY" and not a random hit.

There's been an official statement from the chief of TNP Istanbul that there were no indications of rape or any indications that she was a mule, or a spy.

 

[Yashim]

Slightly off-topic but I wonder where all those homeless people are now that the walls are out of bounds for them. I wonder if they will all stick together and make another part of Istanbul "unsafe".

English,

Did you see this bit on the homeless people protesting a possible evacuation attempt by the authorities?

http://www.aktifhaber.com/evsizlerden-sarai-sierra-eylemi-733851h.htm

As I have tried to emphasize before, "Plain" homeless try to stay away from trouble. Unless they are extremely intoxicated. If this was the case, the attacked woman may have a higher chance of escaping.

 

[Herat]

Quoting myself b/c I want to know what you guys think of this (referring to Ammer). ^^^

I think Ammer is rightfully totally annoyed at the epic public and internet repeated colonoscopies of his life that are ongoing by the responsibility-free media.

I think his response is very real and honest.

 

[Munich]

She left her intermediate school aged children in the care of their father and grandparents. It's not babysitting if they're your kids.

I travel extensively alone. I am about SS's age. Only once in all my travels was my safety ever in clear and present danger. And you know what, that was from someone I had known for 20 years.

Another adventurous traveler signing in. (Touch wood) but I have NEVER encountered a sketchy situation. The worst would be being offered every kind of drug under the sun in Kathmandu and the going through a very thorough check at the airport.

In nearly 50 different countries I have felt adequately safe. I've informed people where I'll be, my flight schedule, where I'm staying. I think that's why I am attracted to this story. SS's adventurous spirit is something I see both in myself and in the people I like to be around.

Didn't Mark Twain say it best, "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."

It's not a big scary world. People are people and we're all fighting battles, albeit different ones.

 

[Herat]

Quoting myself b/c I want to know what you guys think of this (referring to Ammer). ^^^

I think Ammer is rightfully totally annoyed at the epic public and internet repeated colonoscopies of his life that are ongoing by the responsibility-free media.

I think his response is very real and honest.

I think he is absolutely innocent.

And I think scrupulous LE work means that his DNA is tested. Regardless of whether there is documentation of travel or not.

 

[belimom]

I think Ammer is rightfully totally annoyed at the epic public and internet repeated colonoscopies of his life that are ongoing by the responsibility-free media.

I think his response is very real and honest.

I agree -- and I didn't see anything wrong with his response days ago. But now it depends on if this article is putting a spin on it that doesn't exist (LE still questioning him/looking at him/suspecting him) or if LE really has included him in this small subset of IGers.

 

[Miziree]

Was there any additional news about the women they found deceased in the water? Was it anywhere near where Sarai was found?

 

[Chewy]

I've traveled all over the place as well. (Not 50 countries though) But I have not traveled somewhere that I didn't have a contact on the other side that was secure. I wouldn't do it alone.

She's got two little kids at home (9and 11 are little in my book) and the whole thing just seems very weird.

 

[Yashim]

There's been an official statement from the chief of TNP Istanbul that there were no indications of rape or any indications that she was a mule, or a spy.

This was the common feeling we all had at the precinct. From the very beginning.


If this crime is random, attempts at catching the perp will also produce random outcomes.

 

[alpmighty]

I don't know offhand, but in addition to Verizon, probably AT&T and Sprint. I had an existing contract with Verizon and used an upgrade.

If there aren't any more operators offering this device which has coverage in NY, then we can reduce the number of variants of Galaxy S3 that she had to three. AT&T, Verizon and Sprint all offer different variants. Verizon and Sprint ones wouldn't work in Turkey at all. They are CDMA only. You can't roam or use local disposable operator SIM cards. However, AT&T one can be used in Turkey, both roaming and with a local operator. (Assuming AT&T hands out the phone unlocked)

 

[Chewy]

If she wasn't raped she wasn't raped, no mystery there. The spy angle is just Hollywood IMO. But if she was an unwitting mule how would you know?

 

[ThinkHard]

Oh, here we go with the shoes again. I know it's been discussed heavily before but I did not find there was a consensus (shocked face).

Did she bring her high heels with her?
(If so, it implies she was meeting someone for a social activity- which also ties in with the jewelry)

Were both pair of shoes found at the scene?

I think you missed the point of what I was saying. I wasnt trying to go into the shoes, I was pointing out that it seemed unlikely someone grabbed her bag without looking in it, due to the fact her license (and even possibly her extra shoes) were found with the body, and in all likely hoof these would have been in her bag.

 

[Kluver13]

"intermediate" I have kids, 10, 8 and 1 the 10 and 8 year olds are in 4th and 2nd grade, not an age I would pick up, trapse off to another country to go "photograph" for weeks at a time, especially during the school year. And I never said "babysitting", sure the dad can take car of them.

As a mom, I just can't understand it, obviously she felt differently.

Quite frankly, her children may have been the motivating factor in her decision to leave if the drug mule theory and marital strife is to be considered. People are inherently complex, "rational" motivations and decisions that we may assume for ourselves cannot be transferred to others.