Report: Missing NYC woman found dead in Turkey
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - A New York City woman who went missing while vacationing alone in Istanbul was found dead on Saturday, and police were questioning 11 people in connection with the case, Turkey's state-run news agency said.
Sarai Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two, was last heard from on Jan. 21, the day she was to fly home. Her disappearance attracted a lot of interest in Turkey, where the disappearance of tourists is rare, and Istanbul police had set up a special unit to find her.
The state-run Anadolu Agency said the body of a woman was discovered Saturday evening near the remnants of ancient city walls and that police later identified it as Sierra's.
The agency said she was found with a head wound and a blanket near her body. She was wearing jeans, a jumper and a jacket, and still had her earrings and a bracelet.
Police reached by The Associated Press refused to comment on the case.
Sierra, whose children are 9 and 11, had left for Istanbul on Jan. 7 to explore her photography hobby and made a side trip to Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Munich, Germany. She had originally planned to travel with a friend, but ended up traveling alone when her friend canceled.
She was in regular contact with friends and relatives, and was last in touch with her family on Jan. 21, the day she was due back in New York. She told them she would visit Galata Bridge, which spans Istanbul's Golden Horn waterway, to take photos.
The body was found not far from the bridge and near a major road that runs alongside the sea of Marmara. Here tourists often photograph dozens of tankers waiting to access the Bosporus strait.
On Saturday, police stopped traffic there as forensic police inspected the area.
Anadolu suggested Sierra may have been killed at another location and that her body may have been brought to the site to be hidden there.
At least 11 people were being questioned in Istanbul, Anadolu said, and a police official at the site told journalists that two of them were women. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters about the case. Earlier, Anadolu had said nine people were detained.
It was not clear if a Turkish man Sierra had exchanged emails with during her stay in Istanbul was among those being questioned. He was detained for questioning Friday, then released. Turkish news reports said Sierra had arranged to meet the man on Galata Bridge, but he reportedly told police the meeting never took place.
Shortly after her body was discovered, a woman came forward and told police she had seen a white car parked near the city walls as she was driving there the night of Jan. 29, Anadolu reported. She said a man was trying to remove "something" from the car.
"At that moment, I noticed a woman's hand," Anadolu quoted the woman as telling reporters after talking with police. The agency said she declined to give her name.
Sierra's husband, Steven, and her brother, David Jimenez, traveled to Istanbul to help search for her. Sierra's mother, Betzaida Jimenez, said Saturday that she couldn't talk about the case when reached in New York.
Shortly after Sierra was reported missing, Turkey set up a special police unit which scanned hours of security camera footage in downtown Istanbul in search of clues. A Turkish missing persons association joined the search, handing out flyers with photos of Sierra and urging anyone with information to call police.
While break-ins and petty thievery are common in Istanbul, the vast and crowded city is considered relatively safe compared to other major urban centers. Sierra's death was unlikely to have a significant impact on tourism, a large component of the Turkish economy.
In 2008, an Italian artist, Pippa Bacca, was raped and killed while hitchhiking to Israel wearing a wedding dress to plead for peace. Her naked body was found in a forest in northwest Turkey. A Turkish man was sentenced to life in prison for the attack.
Sarai Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two, was last heard from on Jan. 21, the day she was to fly home. Her disappearance attracted a lot of interest in Turkey, where the disappearance of tourists is rare, and Istanbul police had set up a special unit to find her.
The state-run Anadolu Agency said the body of a woman was discovered Saturday evening near the remnants of ancient city walls and that police later identified it as Sierra's.
The agency said she was found with a head wound and a blanket near her body. She was wearing jeans, a jumper and a jacket, and still had her earrings and a bracelet.
Police reached by The Associated Press refused to comment on the case.
Sierra, whose children are 9 and 11, had left for Istanbul on Jan. 7 to explore her photography hobby and made a side trip to Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Munich, Germany. She had originally planned to travel with a friend, but ended up traveling alone when her friend canceled.
She was in regular contact with friends and relatives, and was last in touch with her family on Jan. 21, the day she was due back in New York. She told them she would visit Galata Bridge, which spans Istanbul's Golden Horn waterway, to take photos.
The body was found not far from the bridge and near a major road that runs alongside the sea of Marmara. Here tourists often photograph dozens of tankers waiting to access the Bosporus strait.
On Saturday, police stopped traffic there as forensic police inspected the area.
Anadolu suggested Sierra may have been killed at another location and that her body may have been brought to the site to be hidden there.
At least 11 people were being questioned in Istanbul, Anadolu said, and a police official at the site told journalists that two of them were women. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters about the case. Earlier, Anadolu had said nine people were detained.
It was not clear if a Turkish man Sierra had exchanged emails with during her stay in Istanbul was among those being questioned. He was detained for questioning Friday, then released. Turkish news reports said Sierra had arranged to meet the man on Galata Bridge, but he reportedly told police the meeting never took place.
Shortly after her body was discovered, a woman came forward and told police she had seen a white car parked near the city walls as she was driving there the night of Jan. 29, Anadolu reported. She said a man was trying to remove "something" from the car.
"At that moment, I noticed a woman's hand," Anadolu quoted the woman as telling reporters after talking with police. The agency said she declined to give her name.
Sierra's husband, Steven, and her brother, David Jimenez, traveled to Istanbul to help search for her. Sierra's mother, Betzaida Jimenez, said Saturday that she couldn't talk about the case when reached in New York.
Shortly after Sierra was reported missing, Turkey set up a special police unit which scanned hours of security camera footage in downtown Istanbul in search of clues. A Turkish missing persons association joined the search, handing out flyers with photos of Sierra and urging anyone with information to call police.
While break-ins and petty thievery are common in Istanbul, the vast and crowded city is considered relatively safe compared to other major urban centers. Sierra's death was unlikely to have a significant impact on tourism, a large component of the Turkish economy.
In 2008, an Italian artist, Pippa Bacca, was raped and killed while hitchhiking to Israel wearing a wedding dress to plead for peace. Her naked body was found in a forest in northwest Turkey. A Turkish man was sentenced to life in prison for the attack.
This is beautiful picture. My condolences to her family and friends. Shouldn't have gone out of the country to visit another country alone always take a friend or loved one with you.
She was probably looking for someone to go hiking with her on the Iran border.
My condolences to her family. I can't help thinking that as a mother of two, going off to a country in turmoil for photography and adventure by herself, is just a bit selfish. At least when her friend canceled the trip, she might have reconsidered? I know, it's not for me to say, but still......... And no, I am not making any judgement of her motives or aspirations.Â
 @jpk Certainly not saying that she deserved to die, but I'm often a bit aghast at the sheer aarogance of some US Citizens. Much like in the case a few years back where the girl went missing in Bermuda, just because you might be there on vacation does not mean that everyone is going to be nice to you. Something I learned a long time ago is that when you vacation out of the US, you NEVER go anywhere alone.Â
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What's really sad is that Turkey is easily one of the friendliest and most accomodating of the middle eastern countries when it comes to western tourists. It's also a beautiful country, I can see why she went there on a photo-cation.Â
 @MarkKpic  @jpk I disagree. I am currently living in the UK and I travel alone all the time. The places I've been in Europe I would far rather travel alone to then most places in the US.
@Braedyn @MarkKpic @jpk ----As a photographer traveling abroad by myself, I try to at least have a local with me to take the worry out of communication and directions. I find, except for my local, traveling solo is better for my photography. Having a friend or relative to travel with is too distracting from my photography.
The key word is "careful".
 @jpk  @Braedyn  @MarkKpic I mean I've travelled all of Europe, not just in the UK, and I don't speak many of the languages here for example. If I was going to let the fear of potential misfortunes dictate my life, I'd never leave the house let alone the country! You just need to be careful and hope for the best, just as I do every time I step on an airplane.
 @The Resistance  @Braedyn  @MarkKpic  @jpk Sure, but loads of things could happen. I've never been in a car accident, plane crash, victim of a robbery either, but that doesn't mean I stop travelling by car or airplane or carry money in my purse. You just remain cautious and vigilant, but you still live your life.
 @Braedyn  @jpk I suppose I could condition my statement.Â
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1) Avoid tourist trap areas. Local criminals LOVE out of towners who are unfamilliar with local customs and/or scams. Not to mention language barriers when it come to even reporting crimes.Â
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2) Remeber that you are a guest, dont act like a tourist.Â
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Insofar as US cities. I've been to all 50 of the lower states, spent time in HI and AK. About the only time I've ever felt unsafe was in Chicago heading to my car after a Cubs game. It seems that ol man Wrigley had some wisdom behind his belief that BBall games should take place during the day. The trick is to avoid crime burbs. As a US tourist, the two best resources you have at your disposal are the internet and local police officers. Between the two, you can typically figure out what areas to avoid.Â
@Braedyn @MarkKpic @jpk ---- An I hope nothing ever happens to you. Just because it hasn't happened doesn't mean it won't.
@Braedyn @MarkKpic Good for you! At least there are no language issues for you there. And I agree with you about some places in the US, even without any language problems. Â
At present, it is best to always be safe and cautious when visiting anywhere, especially in the Mid East, or anyplace where Western tourists may become victims of assault by national or religious extremists. The world at present is NOT very friendly.
 @jpk When in Rome... as it were.Â
Exactly! Those who venture into foreign places need to abide by the local customs and traditions. But sometimes, people vacationing in foreign countries tend to think it's like Disneyland, and have all the expectations that go along with living in the USA. Â
 @jpk >'The world at present is NOT very friendly.'
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I dunno... I guess my experience has always been that you tend to get what you give. Moreover, I find that a lot of the people who have the most problems dealing with 'the locals' are the ones who forget that they are visitors and try to interject their ideologies into other societies. If the local custom is to wear a burka, wear the damn burka or vacation someplace else. If I'm asked to understand that a business doesn't conduct business during mid-day prayers, I'm not going to go off on some self-riteous rant about 'taking my money elsewhere'. (a particularly noteworthy personal experience. The idiot then got his rentals tires slashed).