Turkish police confirm NYC mom Sarai Sierra's murder
Police forensics search for missing New York City woman Sarai Sierra near the remnants of some ancient city walls in low-income district of Sarayburnu in Istanbul, Turkey, late Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013. Turkey's state-run news agency said that she has been found dead in Istanbul and police have detained nine people in connection with the case. Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two, went missing while vacationing alone in Istanbul. Her body was discovered late Saturday amid the city walls. / AP Photo
ANKARA, Turkey Turkish police say a New York City woman who went missing and was later found dead in Istanbul had suffered a fatal blow to the head.
Missing NYC woman found dead in Turkey
N.Y. mom found dead in Turkey
Istanbul police chief Huseyin Capkin said Sunday that forensic experts had not concluded their autopsy report on the victim, Sarai Sierra, but that it was "clear" the head injury caused her death.
NTV, a Turkish broadcaster, says 15 people have been detained for questioning in the case.
In Washington, the U.S. State Department confirmed Sierra's death in Istanbul, thanked Turkey's government for its extensive efforts to locate her body and said the investigation of what happened to her would continue.
"We are also appreciative of the many expressions of sympathy received from the Turkish people," the State Department said in its statement.
Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two, was last heard from on Jan. 21, the day she was to fly home from a vacation. Her body was discovered Saturday evening near the remnants of ancient city walls.
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.
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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.
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.
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I think theres a word game and the murderer was playing with the police...poor woman. I am a traveler bu if I did not know a place ... I make contact with a local tour of a hotel, not a hostel.
What possessed her to do the trip alone when she's got kids and a husband at home - friend bailing on her or not.
The place where her body found is one of the last place I would like to be when its dark although Im an above average height and weight male.
my condolence for her relatives and friends
I agree with many, that I would not travel to another country alone, or for that matter, with anyone! I was in the military and traveled the world in the 70's. Back then, Americans were accepted as good people, everywhere I went. I rode camels in Bahrain, bartered for wood carvings in Kenya, Africa and worked the black market in Naples. Much of it, I was alone. But, I never feared for my safety, because I knew at this time, Americans were respected.
I would also say, this was the time I learned that we as Americans, were beginning to be hated, because I was stationed on a ship that was at the mouth of the Shatt al Arab to provide gunfire support for the helicopters that were used to evacuate the hostages held by the Islamic's that stormed our embassy in Iran when the Shah was overthrown. Yes, at one time, Iran was one of our middle east allies. We sold them F-14 Tomcats and Spruance class destroyers. I don't know if they actually got those destroyers, because I remember seeing 4 of them at Ingall's ship repair when I came home.
I have not traveled abroad since then, just because of the things I witnessed in Iran. Then, seeing the spread of Islamic terrorism in the 80's and into the 90's, when seeing the barracks being destroyed, killing all those military members (hundreds), the USS Cole, then the attempt to bring down the towers by exploding bombs under them in the parking garage.
These instances, and all that we've witnessed in the media since the late 80's and 90's, including the final destruction of the World Trade Center towers, led to my belief that if I travel abroad, I'm putting myself in harms way. Being ex-military, I'm not going to be naive and think, "it won't happen to me".
so if she was NOT a "beautiful woman", then the outcome would not be sad?