GUILTY Turkey - Sarai Sierra, 33, NY woman murdered, Istanbul, 21 Jan 2013 - #5

[Herat]

The still photo is taken at the foot of the wrought iron pedestrian overpass, on the sea side, in front of a takeout food place (that's the counter, not a step). She is heading in the direction of Sarayburnu.

It's a warm sunny day. 63 F that day in Istanbul. Doesn't need a hat.

Looks like she is trying to be visible. As if she is meeting someone. Someone she likes and wants to look nice for. Like a man.

 

[Yashim]

Re: Earrings

First thought: Perp was going to steal them, but had a change of heart. Maybe perp demanded her valuables when confronted and asked for the earrings. Taking earrings off of a dead body whose face is disfigured is an unpleasant but intimate thing to do. Not like pulling a ring off of a finger (which wasn't done). Maybe the earrings looked more valuable at first then perp figured they were cheap or very recognizeable.

Where did you get all this info, Yashim?

One thing for sure. Please correct me if I am wrong. Forensics never dress a body up, or put an earring found on the scene back on the ear? Right? That should sometimes come convenient.

If the earrings were unpleasant, why not just toss them to the back of the cave. From what I gather, they were placed together. And why carry them with you to the cave?

Pulling a ring off the finger. Well, her ring finger was broken. Maybe trying to shield her face when getting hit with a stone. I wonder if there were any scratches on the ring from the impact of the stone.

Again, we are looking for the more complicated explanation. The perp asks for the earring. Doesn't like them and says why don't I out these next to the body? Harder to believe. But could be. And what about the bracelet. Most bracelets aren't unique. Can be easily sold. The cost is zero for the perp. He already killed the victim. Just doesn't add up.

This info was there from the very beginning. We just didn't process it.

 

[Yashim]

The still photo is taken at the foot of the wrought iron pedestrian overpass, on the sea side, in front of a takeout food place (that's the counter, not a step). She is heading in the direction of Sarayburnu.

It's a warm sunny day. 63 F that day in Istanbul. Doesn't need a hat.

Looks like she is trying to be visible. As if she is meeting someone. Someone she likes and wants to look nice for. Like a man.

Yes, she is trying to be visible. That's true. But not for a guy.

And you can wear a hat when 63F.

Tomorrow, I'll go check the cameras. Problem, it's usually dark and cold in the evening. To me it seemed like 80-84. But I'll check.

 

[Yashim]

Yashim's back.

I was worried you were out on assignment searching for the perp.

That Ziya guy does have mental issues. Just look at the pic. Who poses like that.

The ID pic looks more like a mugshot. Even worse criminals look nicer in mugshots.

I doubt he is the guy. If he was capable of doing such a thing, he would already have done it till now and ended up in prison.

He may have been involved in it but not committed the actual crime.

If he is involved, we may not find him alive. If he has nothing to do with it, he may show up somewhere.

 

[NewYork625]

Who do you think might have faked her murder, and who is the dead woman? What do you think happened to Z?

 

[Yashim]

Thank you for an excellent post! How would the ID be handled in Turkey? How would they be sure it was SS?

I just don't know. But identification and confirmation are different things.

Tomorrow, I'll look into it.

There is an interpol site, via a link in wikipedia, stating how disaster victims should be identified: DNA, fingerprint,.. But when a face is unrecognizable, it should also be treated like a disaster victim.

She had medical records with her. Maybe they used the info on them, but they should have officially asked for those...

 

[Rolandred]

In the very last footage, she is seen carrying a brown paper bag under her arm. Or something wrapped in light brown paper.

And doesn't look like heavy.

But I have never seen the shops in Eminönü use such brown paper bags. Why wouldn't she buy that on her way back?

She wouldn't be late anyway. And those shops are open until 7 PM.

That is weird. And no hat.

And in the previous footage in Eminönü, she seems to be on the land side not on the seaside. Because, as far as I remember the there are fences on both sides of the road. But on the lend side, somewhere in front of the Mosque (Yeni Cami) , they have placed bollards. And in the picture, I see bollards in the background. And that road on the back may even be the Arpacilar street and not the main avenue.

She must have switched to the seaside again.

I thought she just had her jacket slung over her shoulder...? I did not see any paper bag.
What one does not see in the video is who may or may not be following her and many other details including if she was with anyone. The important video tapes of SS are hours of footage we have not seen and are privy to LE -they have not released much of anything which forces us to just speculate.

Glad to see jashim back too!

 

[Yashim]

Do you believe that SS has faked her own disappearance? What arrangements did her Dad make?

Faking death would be a cruel accusation, especially for someone who most probably is dead.

And why would she do that? Any insurance fraud would easily be discovered by FBI.

Maybe she shot some pics of a New York mafia execution. And this is FBI's innovative way of relocating witnesses.

After all, I still do not understand why FBI is involved from day 1, yet it took LE to get the gmail messages so late. (My guess.)

Then FBI is trying to justify her death saying she was seen with criminal elements. And a former FBI does the talking. They usually let the retired dudes talk when they don't want to be held accountable.

But the only assumption that makes some pieces come together is that body wasn't hers.

Or a very rare alignment of coincidences. That could be true too. But then no need to spend time on this case.

 

[Yashim]

I thought she just had her jacket slung over her shoulder...? I did not see any paper bag.
What one does not see in the video is who may or may not be following her and many other details including if she was with anyone. The important video tapes of SS are hours of footage we have not seen and are privy to LE -they have not released much of anything which forces us to just speculate.

Glad to see jashim back too!

Thanks. I am glad to be back too.

And you are so right, why don't they show us the entire footage from the Eminönü cam? All we got is just one frame. We can't tell if she meets with someone or takes something from someone.

And that is no way to carry a jacket. But maybe it is.

But we either have to accept some details as unexplainable or put them into a context where they make sense.

 

[NewYork625]

Faking death would be a cruel accusation, especially for someone who most probably is dead.

And why would she do that? Any insurance fraud would easily be discovered by FBI.

Maybe she shot some pics of a New York mafia execution. And this is FBI's innovative way of relocating witnesses.

After all, I still do not understand why FBI is involved from day 1, yet it took LE to get the gmail messages so late. (My guess.)

Then FBI is trying to justify her death saying she was seen with criminal elements. And a former FBI does the talking. They usually let the retired dudes talk when they don't want to be held accountable.

But the only assumption that makes some pieces come together is that body wasn't hers.

Or a very rare alignment of coincidences. That could be true too. But then no need to spend time on this case.

Relocation? Why make it so elaborate? Why have so many people involved (Amsterdam, T, Z,...?)? Why Istanbul? Do you think they disfigured someone else's dead body? I'm not saying it's completely crazy, just asking for speculation to fill in the details...

 

[Rolandred]

Faking death would be a cruel accusation, especially for someone who most probably is dead.

And why would she do that? Any insurance fraud would easily be discovered by FBI.

Maybe she shot some pics of a New York mafia execution. And this is FBI's innovative way of relocating witnesses.

After all, I still do not understand why FBI is involved from day 1, yet it took LE to get the gmail messages so late. (My guess.)

Then FBI is trying to justify her death saying she was seen with criminal elements. And a former FBI does the talking. They usually let the retired dudes talk when they don't want to be held accountable.

But the only assumption that makes some pieces come together is that body wasn't hers.

Or a very rare alignment of coincidences. That could be true too. But then no need to spend time on this case.

Why is there an assumption that the body wasn't hers? Why do you think the FBI is trying to justify her death saying she was seen with criminal elements? The Turkish LE said that as well...Is not the FBI involved because she is a US citizen and the circumstances of her travel and death are unusual enough to raise red flags? Well - red flags for hundreds in their opinions out there on this whole case, but that is beside the point I guess...

What about the IG "friends"...the FBI surely must be investigating them...are not they the "criminal elements" the FBI and LE have been referring too?

 

[Yashim]

Who do you think might have faked her murder, and who is the dead woman? What do you think happened to Z?

If Z is involved, I doubt we'll ever see her again.

The dead woman can still be SS.

Or she may have been taken to some place and killed there.

But I'll just say this. It has become quite difficult to control Turkey-Syria border. And there are many refugees in the camps along the Turkish border and the hospitals in Turkey. Some are deadly wounded. It shouldn't be that difficult to find a body.

I am not quite comfortable with thinking of these possibilities. If this is a faked murder, I'll just assume she's doing something great for her country or world peace. Otherwise, such accusations will haunt me forever.

But this is how crimes are sold. Every angle is considered. Right?

 

[NewYork625]

OT Yashim, are you aware that there is a series of mystery novels involving an Inspector Yashim from Istanbul?

 

[Herat]

Relocation makes no sense. Why try to relocate her and leave the husband and kids unprotected?

If you really want to make yourself crazy, Yashim, start reading the post about the Red Shirt Lady decoy theory in thread #4, about page 65 or so.

A woman with long dark hair wearing a long red shirt and jeans was pulled from the water off just about the time SS goes missing. There is even footage of a policeman using a cell phone with two of SS's NYC photographs to compare with the woman found. I don't think anyone here ever found any followup on who that woman was.

 

[Rolandred]

Thanks. I am glad to be back too.

And you are so right, why don't they show us the entire footage from the Eminönü cam? All we got is just one frame. We can't tell if she meets with someone or takes something from someone.

And that is no way to carry a jacket. But maybe it is.

But we either have to accept some details as unexplainable or put them into a context where they make sense.

I don't know - I would tie my jacket around my waist to free my arms....just seems she was holding it over the shoulder with her hand

 

[NewYork625]

If Z is involved, I doubt we'll ever see her again.

The dead woman can still be SS.

Or she may have been taken to some place and killed there.

But I'll just say this. It has become quite difficult to control Turkey-Syria border. And there are many refugees in the camps along the Turkish border and the hospitals in Turkey. Some are deadly wounded. It shouldn't be that difficult to find a body.

I am not quite comfortable with thinking of these possibilities. If this is a faked murder, I'll just assume she's doing something great for her country or world peace. Otherwise, such accusations will haunt me forever.

But this is how crimes are sold. Every angle is considered. Right?

New theories are always welcome and interesting! Who knows, someone here might just come up with an idea that will help LE solve the crime.

 

[Yashim]

Why is there an assumption that the body wasn't hers? Why do you think the FBI is trying to justify her death saying she was seen with criminal elements? The Turkish LE said that as well...Is not the FBI involved because she is a US citizen and the circumstances of her travel and death are unusual enough to raise red flags? Well - red flags for hundreds in their opinions out there on this whole case, but that is beside the point I guess...

What about the IG "friends"...the FBI surely must be investigating them...are not they the "criminal elements" the FBI and LE have been referring too?

I am curious about the 95% that LE has.

I really don't understand FBI. Trying to help but also besmirching SS. There are no drugs involved, no terrorist attacks, no guns, no historical artifacts.

How do I know? If it was, they would solve it by now and informed us. I mean you.

Would such criminal elements hang out in IG? FBI is financed through taxes. Unless there is a big crime there should be another reason for their participation. There are many unusual deaths, this is the first time I see FBI. Maybe that's due to legislation change.

 

[Yashim]

I don't know - I would tie my jacket around my waist to free my arms....just seems she was holding it over the shoulder with her hand

I'd do that too.

 

[Yashim]

Relocation makes no sense. Why try to relocate her and leave the husband and kids unprotected?

If you really want to make yourself crazy, Yashim, start reading the post about the Red Shirt Lady decoy theory in thread #4, about page 65 or so.

A woman with long dark hair wearing a long red shirt and jeans was pulled from the water off just about the time SS goes missing. There is even footage of a policeman using a cell phone with two of SS's NYC photographs to compare with the woman found. I don't think anyone here ever found any followup on who that woman was.

I don't think that was a policeman. The person asking the question and handing the iPhone was a reporter. The guy answering was a bystander, some fisherman from that place.

Cops either wear uniforms or vests when in a crime scene. unless undercover.

I believe she was the woman who jumped off the Bosporus Bridge a few weeks ago.

You're right, I haven't heard much though.

Below is a link of the pics for unidentified dead bodies. Too scared to look myself. Just click on GİRİŞ.

If you want to search for her. And keep children away. Not suitable for under 18.

http://www.asayis.pol.tr/kbcara.asp

 

[NewYork625]

"The FBI is in Turkey investigating the case, and is looking into a possible connection to drug trafficking — among other lines of inquiry, a source said.

“There are some witness reports that she was seen with sketchy characters,” said the source, adding that agents are following up those leads to determine if they’re accurate."


http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/02/06/new-york-mother-reportedly-met-with-criminal-element-in-turkey/?test=latestnews#ixzz2LJI1HWbr

Perhaps the witness was the man who saw her taking a card from a group of 4-5 men?