I suspect she was a CIA spy. She would not have appeared in my newspaper otherwise.
"Missing US tourist baffles" Associated Press, January 29, 2013
ANKARA, Turkey — Police in Istanbul were scanning security camera footage Monday to try to trace a New York City woman who disappeared while vacationing alone in the city, an official said.
A tourist, huh? Was that her non-official cover?
Sarai Sierra, 33, was last in touch with her family on Jan. 21, the day she was supposed to fly home after two weeks in Turkey.
A police official said authorities were reviewing footage from around Istanbul’s Taksim neighborhood — the city’s main hub where she was staying at a hostel.
Several police teams have also been dispatched to surrounding neighborhoods to find possible clues and witnesses, the official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity, in line with government rules that bar civil servants from speaking to reporters without authorization.
Before she went missing, the mother of two told family members that she planned to take some photographs at Galata Bridge, a well-known tourist destination about a mile from Taksim. She was then supposed to begin traveling home.
Her belongings, including her passport and phone, were found in her room.
Sierra’s husband and brother were traveling to Istanbul to follow the search. Her two children, aged 11 and 9, do not know their mother is missing, her brother David Jimenez said Sunday.
Sierra had planned to go on the trip with a friend but ended up going by herself when the friend couldn’t make it.
Istanbul is a relatively safe city for travelers, though there are areas where women would be advised to avoid going alone at night. The Galata and Galata Bridge areas have been gentrified and are home to chic cafes and boutiques.
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I'm baffled by the story myself.
"N.Y. woman found dead, report says
ANKARA — Turkey’s state-run news agency said a missing New York City woman has been found dead in Istanbul, and police have detained nine people in the case. Sarai Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two, went missing while vacationing alone in Istanbul. She was last heard from Jan. 21, the day she was scheduled to be back at home. Her body was found Saturday in a low-income district (AP)."
"Turkey detains suspect in killing of N.Y. woman" Associated Press, March 18, 2013
ANKARA, Turkey — A Turkish man suspected in the killing of a New York City woman in Istanbul was arrested near the Syrian border Sunday, officials said.
The suspect, identified by authorities only as Ziya T., had been on the run since the body of Sarai Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two boys, was discovered last month. Authorities said Sierra died of a fatal blow to the head.
She had traveled to Turkey to explore her photography hobby. She did so alone after a friend who was supposed to join her canceled for financial reasons. Sierra’s body was found hidden near Istanbul’s ancient city walls on Feb. 2, 12 days after her family reported her missing.
Interior Minister Muammer Guler said the suspect was detained in the province of Hatay, near the border with Syria, as he entered Turkey. ‘‘We had information that the suspect had escaped abroad. He was believed to be in Syria,’’ Guler told reporters. ‘‘He was detained today in Hatay, as he was entering Turkey and was handed over to court officials.’’
Guler did not provide any other details about the arrest.
Turkish news reports have described the man as a homeless scrap-paper collector who used to hang around the city walls. The man was expected to be taken to Istanbul for questioning and to face possible formal arrest and charges.
Television footage showed the man, wearing military camouflage pants and a navy zipped jacket, being escorted down some stairs into a police armored personnel carrier.
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What about the other nine arrested?
I don't know what really happened to Sarai Sierra or who she was; however, THIS STORY in my NEWSPAPER STINKS! It DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!
"At trial, Turk admits killing US woman" by Suzan Fraser | Associated Press, September 04, 2013
ANKARA, Turkey — A Turkish court ordered that a man accused of killing a New York City woman in Istanbul be placed under observation for an evaluation of his mental health on the opening day of his trial Tuesday.
In his first testimony in court, Ziya Tasali, 46, admitted killing Sarai Sierra but denied accusations that he had sexually assaulted her, the private Dogan news agency reported.
Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two boys, was found dead on Feb. 2, days after her family reported her missing when she failed to return home from a solo vacation in Istanbul. Her body was discovered hidden near the remnants of Istanbul’s ancient city walls, and authorities said she was killed by a blow to the head.
Tasali was arrested near the Syrian border in March. He had been on the run since Sierra’s body was found and was believed to be in hiding in Syria.
Yeah, that's a safe place to hide(?).
During trial, Tasali described himself as a scrap-paper collector with no fixed address [who] ‘‘had sniffed paint thinner [vapors] and was high.’’
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A defense lawyer said he did not believe his client was ‘‘capable of grasping the meaning and results’’ of his actions. Judges hearing the case ordered state forensic medical experts to place Tasali under observation and report back on his mental health, the news agency said.
The court adjourned the trial until Nov. 21....
Sierra had traveled to Turkey to explore her photography hobby.
So my CIA paper claims.
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