GUILTY Turkey - Sarai Sierra, 33, NY woman murdered, Istanbul, 21 Jan 2013 - #4

[KrysJP]

Could be. I didn't really take the way they reacted to come across that way. They seemed to me, to be more simple people who believed in right from wrong and who felt like sarai deserved justice. Of course no one wants to believe their own family member can do such things, but they seemed like they were being honest with police, and felt that if their brother was indeed guilty then he deserved to be caught. I didn't really get the impression they were trying to cover for him. But that's just from my opinion. What do I know.

We are all just guessing.

Also his DNA hasn't yet been proven to be under her finger nails, at this point, only that the DNA under her finger nails had a strong familial match. Which is still,pretty strong. However if it was his blanket, could his DNA get under her nails from grasping the blanket, or tryin to pull it off her mouth if someone was trying to keep her quiet.....

Or could he have been intentionally framed.

Makes a lot of sense. Could go either way. But now thinking about it. If the story is true on how he comes and goes every 2 or 3 years then maybe they are being truthful. Probably don't have a loving connection with their brother. Fed up from him coming and going and them trying to help him and he pushes them away. In that case, I can definitely see them cooperating and being honest. Nice job

 

[KrysJP]

So if we assume the article was written the day she was found, she would have been in the water since the 31st. If the article was written the day after she was found, she would have been in the water since the 30th.

And if I remember correctly sarai electronics were turned on the 29th and the 30th? Does anyone remember for sure?

I'm not sure it's related but that's an interesting timing.

Maybe they were still using that woman up until that time and were hoping to somehow use Sarai's Skype and that woman to accomplish .... Something ? Hmmm not sure that makes sense...bu the timing of the Skype call and when this women would have been put in the water is interesting.....I wonder if Sarai's electronics went into the water along with this woman....

I just find that WAY too much stuff going on with a woman who was visiting the country for a short period of time. What could she possibly have done so wrong that would make someone go through so much to kill her or have her killed? She was a harmless innocent woman on vacation. Why would someone go through such an extreme and drastic measures? Thats why I really feel that this was something so quick and random. I feel like her whole trip went so smooth and normal up until that moment. And even at that moment, WHY? what could have possibly happened? Noone has these answers but everyone wants to know. we don't have enough clues to really come to a conclusion. So until LE, FBI cracks this case, we are all left out in the cold. Only thing we could do is......JUST KEEP SLEUTHING!!!!!

 

[KuriousKev]

Oh also something else just occurred to me that I always thought was weird.

When Taylan heard her body was found, and that DNA was discovered, is supposedly when he told LE about bathroom sex on the night of the 20th. So many of us assumed he must be telling the truth because maybe he didn't kill her, but had good reason to believe his DNA could be found on her.

However if she did have bathroom sex with him on the night of the 20th, and didn't leave her apartment until 1133 on the 21st...most women I know would have showered. Especially after having sex the night before, and especially if said sex took place in a public bathroom. So assuming this why would Taylan be so nervous that his DNA could be found on the body, if there was such a gap in time btw when he last saw her and a high probability she would have showered. INLESS some sex did happen on the night of the 20th....and it was also the night of the 20th that she died...then he would have more reason to fear his DNA could be found on her, because he would KNOW there was no way she showered btw the sex and her death. This would be a much bigger risk for him, increasing his fear, and increasing his reason for singing to the cops about their sex act as the excuse.

Coincidently when it came out his DNA did not match, that his lawyer started to down play the sex act and up play the just tea scenario.

Just some thoughts...

We do know Steven talked to Taylan before Taylan was interviewed by LE.. I'm thinking Steven questioned Taylan about his wife's whereabouts and maybe Steven asked what did he do with his wife. Maybe Taylan told Steven he did not have sex with SS during their initial convo. Could be the reason Taylan did not originally mention sex to LE because he had already told Steven he and SS did not have sex. Hearing SS had DNA on her body probably forced Taylan to come clean in order to protect himself.

 

[bourne]

I think Newyork625 and Yashim are on the right track. <modsnip>. He's likely a paranoid schizophrenic & suffers from persecutors syndrome. Sarai probably stumbled onto his home in the walls while taking pics & he thought she was spy pursuing him and out to hurt him. So he struck out at her & snatched her iPad & phone. That's likely why her jewelry was left intact.

I used to work in a combined Psychiatric & Addictive Disorders dept. and he fits the clinical description of schizophrenia.

 

[KrysJP]

I think Newyork625 and Yashim are on the right track. <modsnip>. He's likely a paranoid schizophrenic & suffers from persecutors syndrome. Sarai probably stumbled onto his home in the walls while taking pics & he thought she was spy pursuing him and out to hurt him. So he struck out at her & snatched her iPad & phone. That's likely why her jewelry was left intact.

I used to work in a combined Psychiatric & Addictive Disorders dept. and he fits the clinical description of schizophrenia.

that was my theory from the beginning. she was over there taking pictures of the cave/walls by herself and he saw her and thought she was taking a pic of him.maybe he was doing something illegal.drugs or whatever. he probably yanked her to get the phone and she started fighting back.most likely she was screaming so he grabbed the rock and hit her.i dont think his intentions were at all to kill her but it got out of hand..if not that then he tried to rob her for her belongings and that also got out of hand. Idk but like everyone says..its just my opinion.

 

[CMac2]

I swore I was taking the night off from this case, and in the few hours I'm gone some craziness has happened! I have no opinions yet... But wow. Huh.

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[CMac2]

I think Newyork625 and Yashim are on the right track. <modsnip>. He's likely a paranoid schizophrenic & suffers from persecutors syndrome. Sarai probably stumbled onto his home in the walls while taking pics & he thought she was spy pursuing him and out to hurt him. So he struck out at her & snatched her iPad & phone. That's likely why her jewelry was left intact.

I used to work in a combined Psychiatric & Addictive Disorders dept. and he fits the clinical description of schizophrenia.

Can you summarize the clinical description of schizophrenia, and then point to how those things relate directly to Z, specifically? His family describes him as mentally unstable, but (probably b/c I'm not a mental health professional) I am having a hard time ascribing any particular symptoms of any specific illness to him.

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[Meri]

sorry...

 

[Meri]

NEW: EXCLUSIVE: New York mom pictured on CCTV near spot she was bludgeoned to death in Turkey as first photo of murder suspect is revealed

(apologies if this info has been posted already)

REPORT

Okay, I'm WAY behind and maybe someone already noticed this, but I don't think those are bell-bottom pants, but rather skinny jeans. Now, seeing it blown up like this, it looks like her legs are moving and the shot blurred a bit down by her legs.

Not that I give a darn what pants she was wearing but that seems to be the theme of the night - or it was by the time *I* finally got to this picture.

 

[zarra30]

I don't think anyone does. Theres way too much false information and new theories trickling out every so often.

I just returned and had time to look at the video of the woman in the water with the red shirt and read up on the comments. Interesting.
Does anyone remember WHY they originally assumed she was alive on the 21st?

 

[zarra30]

They apparently have her on 20 cameras, and/or videos. She'll be walking, and seen from lots of angles. I think her mother or husband would know best if it's her. I saw her mom on a talk show and she knew immediately that the airport video was her daughter. When she saw her she just knew.

 

[english]

I have a terrible sense of direction so someone please tell me I'm wrong. The video camera image at Eminonu, showing the steps, isn't SS facing the wrong way to be heading for Cankurtaran? Obviously, video over a still photo would help, but I don't see a woman confidently striding around Istanbul, I see a woman wandering around as if looking for someone.

 

[zarra30]

I have a terrible sense of direction so someone please tell me I'm wrong. The video camera image at Eminonu, showing the steps, isn't SS facing the wrong way to be heading for Cankurtaran? Obviously, video over a still photo would help, but I don't see a woman confidently striding around Istanbul, I see a woman wandering around as if looking for someone.

I don't think any Turkish guys are on the thread who might know about directions and I can't help.

But....wouldn't it be a twist if someone was after the lady who ended up in the water and accidentally mistook Sarai for her and killed her? Then realized the error and killed the poor woman in the water?

Just speculation... one more scenario in this ever changing drama.

 

[ToutCa]

In the video of the boat pulling up the woman in the water, there's a guy (police) by the side of the boat who has a smart phone, and he keeps pulling up photos of Sarai Sierra - first the classic one of her with the hat and scarf and then the "supposed" one of her with her hair down and sunglasses and a small purse and flared jeans, etc. (which may actually have been photos of the woman found dead in the water and not SS at all).

They were both both photos of SS. He had been told on no uncertain terms by his superiors to be on the lookout for SS dead or alive. When they found a body of an unknown woman floating in the water, the first order of business was to check and see if it was SS.

 

[ToutCa]

the Superintentant of Police might actually be correct that she was seen in the same clothes on Jan 20,

I think this has been garbled, what was meant was that she was found in the same clothes she disappeared in. On the 21st, not the 20th.

 

[katydid23]

I also don't know much about it but I am sure those who do would know how to use it to incriminate someone.

I may be wrong but I really don't think this guy is a murderer. He might be involved in it in some way, like finding a body. Trying to hide it? Covering it with his blanket? Yes, but that does not make him guilty.

I am inclined to believe he was mentally ill, but that does not mean capable of murder.

I really don't believe he is the one who killed Sarai. JMO

But how did his DNA get under her fingernails?

 

[ToutCa]

But how did his DNA get under her fingernails?

If it's there, someone could have used his blanket to contaminate the crime scence, even rubbed it under there.

It would be great to know what kind of DNA was recovered from the crime scene and from where.

Until they tell us (and that may only come at trial), there will be questions.

 

[ToutCa]

I don't mean to be rude, but I don't understand the theory that the Jan. 21 surveillance footage is not SS.

**LE found her body by following her walk on the CCTV footage.
They located surveillance footage of SS on Jan. 21 and traced her route across town. When nothing else was working out, they sent hundreds of cops to her last known location and fanned out along her expected route. Almost immediately, they found her body.

If they were following the wrong person, the chances of that happening are zero.

**Her family must have identified her on the video.
They had it all before they located her body. So her husband and brother must have seen it while they were in town and surely identified her.

**She dressed differently from the day before and wore her hair down.
She was a woman. She was a fashionable woman. No surprise.

**The body of the drowned woman.
Police were checking every body found to see if it was SS. That's normal procedure in a high-profile, high-pressure missing persons investigation. There's no reason to assume that every crime occurring in Instanbul Jan. 20-Feb. 4 had to do with SS.

 

[wpoe]

Just some thoughts...

We do know Steven talked to Taylan before Taylan was interviewed by LE.. I'm thinking Steven questioned Taylan about his wife's whereabouts and maybe Steven asked what did he do with his wife. Maybe Taylan told Steven he did not have sex with SS during their initial convo. Could be the reason Taylan did not originally mention sex to LE because he had already told Steven he and SS did not have sex. Hearing SS had DNA on her body probably forced Taylan to come clean in order to protect himself.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the contact between Steven and Taylan by email? Not a lot of room for conversation if just a series of emails that start with "Where is my wife?" A mad husband coming into town could also be a reason why Taylan began "covering his tracks".

 

[bet2173]

that was my theory from the beginning. she was over there taking pictures of the cave/walls by herself and he saw her and thought she was taking a pic of him.maybe he was doing something illegal.drugs or whatever. he probably yanked her to get the phone and she started fighting back.most likely she was screaming so he grabbed the rock and hit her.i dont think his intentions were at all to kill her but it got out of hand..if not that then he tried to rob her for her belongings and that also got out of hand. Idk but like everyone says..its just my opinion.

But Sarai seemed to be a super-polite girl. Let's assume that she was taking his picture, I'm sure she has asked his permission first. And if he was schizophrenic she must have sensed a weirdness in his actions and walked away from there.

Plus, here, people like the idea of their pictures to be taken. They do not give harsh reactions to the offer. That's why most of the renowned photographers in Turkey have street people's portraits in their portfolio. And also, Sarai was into the buildings, architecture, bridges, etc not the portraits of people.

Having so many pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge in her instagram feed, I wonder if she's been to Arnavutkoy, Bebek area to take the photos of the Bosphorous Bridge.