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

[Herat]

Sorry I thought I heard a knock on my door.

BAD Yashim

No supper for you.:furious:

 

[ThinkHard]

Is it traditional to take off one's shoes in winter when visiting a Turkish home?

It's customary to take off your shoes in any season when visiting a Turkish home.

 

[NewYork625]

I am new here but I have read through quite a bit of the posts here and have read just about every article that has appeared in the "legit" press. I have also looked at social media accounts of some of the principals involved.

Something is not right about the family. We all knew they were sugar coating SS and the trip from the start, but since then they lost no time trying to profit from her disappearance and death. First their church raises money for Steven and David to go to Istanbul. Ok. Then they are selling photos on Instagram to "bring the body home." But oops Turkish airlines is doing this for free. Then they are still selling her photos to pay for funeral. But funeral home is doing it for free too. Then they say funeral has been paid for and any new photo sales are "for the sons." Well since she didn't help support family they have lost their mom but not out any cash. I would like to know how much money has been raised selling her images since she disappeared.

News reports state SS and also her parents declared bankruptcy in 2005. She was already married, did she declare on her own or with Steven?

When I saw they were selling her photos, I thought maybe someone had voluntarily set that up for them. I don't know that it was their idea.

Also, since they and the grandparents (who also declared bankruptcy) have had a struggle with finances, and since they have two young sons, I don't think it necessarily makes them suspicious. Although, as I said earlier, I guess anything's possible...

 

[SandyP]

Well she had no reservations about crashing on Ammers sofa when she went to Amsterdam. And actually when you look at her timeline she was in Istanbul for a week Jan 7-15 then the Amst-Mun trip Jan 15/16-19 then back in Istanbul for 2 days.

When did she change the return ticket? Any?

 

[necco]

:what:

That is true, but what I meant is that I doubt any life insurance would be millions of dollars. It would be commensurate w the lost income needed to raise children, in most cases, rather than millions of dollars to go out and buy jewelry.

The latter case is when it gets suspicious.

Yes. We joke around among my friends that you need enough life insurance to take care of things, but not enough to make it look like a good idea.

 

[bourne]

NYTimes is Probably the most reliable newspaper we have in the USA. It is considered by far the good standard. Not to say every single thing in the Times is correct but it goes through a very thorough fact checking process. It is by no means a tabloid. The Times had an interview w Steven.

I never said most Americans don't have friends unless they lived in Turkey, i said most Americans don't have Turkish friends. If you surveyed all Americans, most of them (probably over 90%) do not have friends in Turkey, in fact, most Americans probably do not have friends in any overseas country. I could say the same thing about France or Germany. Most Americans could not simply call up a friend in Turkey (or any country) and ask to stay in their house, let alone know someone well enough to trust them to kill someone.

most Americans have never been overseas and less than a quarter I think even have a passport. Of the Americans who know people overseas, most of them are probably family connections or else they met them in college or work or something. there are more Turkish people living and working in NYC than say Kansas, so it makes is slightly more likely he might have known someone from Turkey, but still pretty unlikely that he would have known someone so well to be able to arrange a hit.

Also given the fact that he relied on friends of friends of the brother for hosting in Turkey, I think it is safe to say he did not have much contact w Turkey, (though he could be lying)

Yep, NYTimes is one of the most credible news source in the U.S. They fact-check before publishing and make redactions with editorial admissions when they're wrong.

 

[Yashim]

BAD Yashim

No supper for you.:furious:

Sorry.

But I really have a hunch that something's cookin'

The only way that the perp can get away will be the case when he is a random guy, he is smart, and he is mobile.

Or if he is some druggie who already lost his life.

I'll check papers first thing in the morning and pass on anything of value...

Keep sleuthing.

 

[SandyP]

David set up the sale of the photos. He is on Instagram too.

 

[NewYork625]

How reliable is the NY times? Why would you say most people don't have friends unless they live in Turkey? I have family that have many good friends there, and they do not reside in that area. I wouldn't make assumptions based on someone not being from an area. Maybe I'm misunderstanding you?
Also, just because one person acts a particular way can't be a measure on how others will behave, when guilty. However I'm not focused on the husband, again, it was just a thought that I put out there.

The NY Times is extremely reputable.

The actual quote was: "Despite having grown up in New York, Mr. Sierra found Istanbul overwhelming, with its sprawling size, bustling crowds and warrens of narrow streets. Friends of Mr. Jimenez introduced them to “friends of friends,” who put them up during their stay, Mr. Sierra said."

Nothing was said about people not having friends unless they live in Turkey. I think that was PippaCatherine's opinion, and you misunderstood how she meant it.

The article: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/12/nyregion/for-husband-of-slain-staten-island-woman-a-grim-and-uncertain-odyssey.html

 

[bourne]

There were some news reports that David and Steven stayed with"friends of friends" in Istanbul. So family did know someone even if indirectly

If money was so tight you have to wonder why Sarai chose to stay in rented $17 a night room in rough part of town rather than contact same family friends.

Cite source pls

 

[Yashim]

Hi there - checking in after a long day at work. It doesn't seem that there is anything new. Or did I miss something? TIA!

Sarai Sierra, a mother of two who enjoys photography, was looking forward to her trip and arrived in Istanbul on Jan. 7. She was supposed to return to New York on Jan. 21

 

[bourne]

Sorry.

But I really have a hunch that something's cookin'

The only way that the perp can get away will be the case when he is a random guy, he is smart, and he is mobile.

Or if he is some druggie who already lost his life.

I'll check papers first thing in the morning and pass on anything of value...

Keep sleuthing.

Are you still suspecting the 14-year old teenage druggie weakling of murdering Sarai? :banghead:

 

[SandyP]

Is anyone else disturbed that Steven and Ammer look like they could be identical twins? When I first saw photos of the two of them I thought WTF is going on here?

 

[Herat]

In my experience, the last day of a foreign trip is a busy day full of last minute stuff. Shopping to burn off any extra currency or to buy souveniers is a common occurrence. However she doesn't have much money to spend and I just don't see her being interested in buying something like a carpet. First of all, they are relatively expensive. Secondly, they are bulky and heavy to take back. The carpet sellers I've encountered in Morocco are very aggressive and can be really annoying. I don't ever recall being in a shop where one removed one's shoes. If there was an apartment attached to a house, invariably there were women and children there. I think it would be an unusual situation where SS ends up in a shopkeeper's apartment alone.

 

[PippaCatherine]

Is anyone else disturbed that Steven and Ammer look like they could be identical twins? When I first saw photos of the two of them I thought WTF is going on here?

Definitely similarities, perhaps the cap?

 

[Herat]

When did she change the return ticket? Any?

From earlier discussions, I believe it was early in the trip, not long after she arrived.

 

[SandyP]

NY Times article today David or Steven quoted they stayed with "friends of friends." Price of Sarai's room was discussed on earlier threads. Someone even found the room on airbnb. It was the cheapest one.

 

[bourne]

''got into someone's car and....''
jumped out while it was moving.

If that were true, LE would have found physical evidence to that effect.

 

[looks like rain]

Hi, Everyone,

I am new to Websleuths, but I've been following all four threads for several days.

I am certain that everyone on here will disagree strongly with my theory, but I wanted to put it out there just in case. I am ready for the snark to come down on me.

:what:

It is sad and deplorable that someone killed Sarai. But we have to notice that there is a strong possibility of a criminal element being involved in her death, and that it also seems unlikely she herself was involved in something criminal.

I think that Sarai's husband had her killed, by a criminal acquaintance of one of her IG contacts in Turkey. Possibly Taylan's acquaintance.

This would explain why the first person he asked about Sarai was Taylan, why Taylan's answer was curt, and why Taylan then went on to delete his gmail and IG accounts. He wasn't guilty, directly, but there is evidence of his involvement in the murder.

I also think this explains why her husband has not talked about how upset he is that LE let Taylan go, that he still thinks Taylan did it, etc. Talk like that to the press happens all the time in U.S. crime cases, even though it makes it more difficult to prosecute. I also think it explains why he is now going over the top in asserting his love for her. Nobody has questioned that, yet he's there in the press going on and on about wanting to marry her again and again even knowing she would eventually cheat.

I think that her husband suspected, or even knew, she was romantically interested in Taylan (this much, I take for granted everyone now believes). And he contacted Taylan, on his own, maybe asking if he knew someone that could provide Sarai with drugs to bring home to the U.S. or something like that. Taylan puts him into contact with some of his friends who can help get him drugs (because who doesn't know someone who can get access to drugs?) and Sarai's husband takes it from there.

Bear with me, here. lease:

Since the simplest answer is usually correct, all of this time I firmly believed Taylan was responsible for her death. I still believe that this is possible, even probable, but, hear me out.

Sarai's husband had her email passwords and used them regularly. This, to me, exhibits, at the very least, extreme distrust and, at the very most, extreme controlling behaviors.

He and Sarai were on the outs. What the cause was is unknown, but she was staying with her parents AND she set up a trip to Turkey alone (her friend initially said she backed out at the last minute, but has now changed her story to say that she backed out early on in the planning). I believe Sarai asked her friend to continue to "plan" to go with her in order to make the trip more acceptable to her controlling husband. She knew all along she'd go alone. I do think she wanted to escape her husband, long-term. Perhaps with Taylan or someone else overseas.

Sarai had been emailing guys in Turkey and Amsterdam for at least 4 months. There are emails that may have been deleted and unaccounted for. At this point we don't know the contents of any emails, but I am sure that Sarai would not have left the most flirtatious/romantic emails in the account her husband had access to. So we won't find out about them unless LE drudges them up. Also - who knows, she may have had other email addresses and/or IG accounts under assumed names.

Next - her husband of course realizes, or at least strongly suspects, that she's planning to cheat on him in Turkey. He follows along with her emails, and even contacts some of her IG "friends." Of course he's enraged - but he hides it. Secretly, the rage builds over several months. Who wouldn't be enraged that their spouse was cheating? Add to that the fact that he's controlling enough to have her email passwords - not a good scenario. Not one that Sarai felt safe with - she clearly lied to him about her friend going to Istanbul, and she was also staying with her parents, indicating that she was feeling unsafe at home.

Next - he gets the idea to kill her. And he realizes that he might be able to pay some random person in Istanbul to do it. He doesn't need an expert hit-man, just someone willing to kill someone they don't know for money.

With her husband AND Taylan tipping the murderer off, either knowingly or unknowingly, to where Sarai will be on what days and at what times, this guy has ample access and opportunity to murder her. If Turkish LE believes someone was following her, this could explain why. I do not believe she was forced into being a drug mule, because I think that LE would have found some evidence of that by now. And an organized drug cartel wouldn't have killed her this way. You'd never find her body, if that was the case.

I do not think the murderer was professional at all, but I do think this was a hit.

I'm going to get it for this, I know, but after reading all of your posts and thinking this through, this came to me. Thoughts? Questions? Snark? What have you? :moo:

I always thought it was kind of strange why her husband and I believe her brother were telling her not to cheat on her husband. Like was she telling people before she went to Turkey that she might cheat on her husband???
Why were they saying that? I don't believe it is something you would want to be known! I don't understand those comments by her husband. It's like they knew she was going to cheat on her husband. My observation only! Where did that come from?

 

[bourne]

Definitely similarities, perhaps the cap?

Someone had posted the public Fb page of the IG friend from Amsterdam and I went on it awhile ago. He had tons of pics there and he looked nothing like Mr. Sierra.