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Subscribe to RSSSarai Sierra, an amateur photographer, took her first trip abroad to Turkey – alone. She was found dead in Istanbul's historic district. NBC's Michelle Franzen reports.
A New York City mom who went missing while visiting Turkey was killed by a blunt trauma wound to the head, Turkish officials said early Sunday.
The body of Sarai Sierra, 33, who had been missing for almost two weeks, was found Saturday evening dumped against ramparts of an ancient city wall, police said.
Police are reportedly questioning 15 people over her killing.
Mother-of-two Sierra, from Staten Island, had not been in contact with her family since Jan. 21, the day before she was supposed to fly home after a two-week vacation - her first overseas trip.
What happened in the days in which she was missing is not clear, police said.
Her husband, Steven, identified her body late on Saturday at an Istanbul morgue, state broadcaster TRT reported.
Sierra left for Turkey on Jan. 7 – alone, because a friend had dropped out of the trip. She wanted to pursue her photography hobby. An Instagram account she set up over the summer, with images of scenes around New York City, had developed a strong following.
During her two-week trip abroad, Sierra also visited the Netherlands and Munich, Germany, according to the AP.
Police briefly detained a man last week who exchanged messages with Sierra online. The man had contacted her and made plans to meet with her on a bridge she wanted to photograph, according to Hurriyet. The bridge was a short distance from where Sierra's body was found.
The man was released after being questioned. It was unclear whether he was among the those arrested after the body was found.
Speaking earlier, Steven Sierra said Sarai stayed in close touch with him and their children, ages 9 and 11, by phone and by Skype. After she didn’t arrive at the airport as planned, he and his brother-in-law David Jimenez traveled to Turkey to look for her.
Isolde Raftery, Staff Writer, NBC News, contributed to this report.
Phone of NYC mom missing in Turkey used twice in recent days
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NYC needs to pass a law banning people from NYC being killed...NYC is going to run out of people if this kind of thing is allowed to continue...
Amsterdam, Munich, $10,000, I smell a coverup. Gotta love mainstream media...
I doubt a coverup, just another woman, falling victim to criminals once more. I am sure she stuck out of the crowd.
Was she tall? :))
a nice piece of ass gone to waste
You mean gone to turkey.
Joe NY,
You need help.
Sad. My cup-half-full side was hoping against hope that she would be found alive. Heartfelt sympathies to her family & friends. <3
I think there is more to this story. She was talking to someone online that she was to meet at a bridge then her friend dropped out at the last minute maybe she had another plan all along?
No matter where one travels, you need to be careful. Don't go to isolated places at night, especially alone, stay in well-travelled areas, don't flash that you have a lot of money. She was staying in a hostel so likely there were other travelers around at night. I heard these side trips to Munich and Amsterdam were not known by her family -so why did she go? Having two weeks and then squeezing these other two cities seems a little rushed. Is there something more to this story? Did she go off and meet someone alone and was naive?
The point is, this happens in the US or Mexico far more than in places like Turkey. Turkey, to many Europeans, is considered a part of the EU, even though it's not officially. They are not 'uncivilized.'
Hearing these comments about 'why did she go to Turkey on vacation?' and 'they are a third world country' makes me realize how truly dumb Americans are about other cultures. A culture that totes guns, fraud, government corruption, poverty and crime as their claims to fame should shut the f up.
That had to be one Hungry turkey.. :-)
Nope ... not Hungary at all.
The young woman had no business to go to Turkey alone. He traveling companion backed out and she should have taken the hint. The family who let her go there and are mourning her lost should all have their heads examined.
"mourning her loss" Never assume. Maybe the kids. Hubby? Not so sure.
Guess her companion should be feelin somewhat guilty right about now.
Why?
Her companion probably feels somewhat alive...
I am wondering why she is meeting men on bridges in Turkey alone when her family is back in the USA?
She was planning to cross "a bridge" (leaving her family) what better place to "cross a bridge" than a bridge.
Jeremy, I assume you have never done it on a bridge. Wind blowing (amoung other things) the bridge swinging (amoung others), and you try to hold on for dear life. Very thrilling. If she could speak she would tell. There's just one hitch, and that is the ENDING.
It will always amaze me why people are so intent on going to unsafe foreign countries, especially a woman in a country know to have no respect for wemon.
for the most part Turkey is a pretty safe country unless you do something stupid like be a single female traveling alone in a male dominated society....
And please Randall enlighten me and tell me all the places you have travelled....let me guess....Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, maybe even ventured to London. Please do tell genius.
TK; So does your world travelling abilities give you the right to be arrogant?
Stay away from Turkey, stay away from islamist dominated countries. Best advice I could give you!
Very suspicious. A married mom of two goes to Turkey for two weeks ? (Is her name Turkish? I have never heard that name before.) I think there will be more to this story than just a tourist who was robbed and killed.
Last name is Puerto Rican ans so was she.
I felt pretty sure she would be found dead when I read that she was missing. What a sad ending.
With the terrible turmoil in the world I am surprised that a young woman and her husband; with young children would think it was okay for her to travel alone to a place such as Turkey. (I would not care to travel in a large group there either). Then her husband and brother-in-law book ONE-WAY tickets to Turkey to look for her? Did they not plan on returning? More to this story then we are hearing.
If a woman cannot survive as a couple days as a tourist. How well do you think they will do in combat?
My Army Girl would kick butts in that hellhole!
Because clearly, this one incident defines the combat-readiness of an entire gender. Your reasoning skills are phenomenal.
stupid people get what htey deserve, a woman does no tgo traveling alone in the middle east, unless she isnt very smart, and turkey? i have been there, spent 6 months in instanbul, andi like t o think i can handle myself, but i w ouldnt go anyplace at night alone,those turks are good with knives, very good, and unless your in a group at night? you do not go anywhere alone, she was a pretty lady, i thought at 1st she was kidnapped and sold off as a sex slave, that happens a lot in turkey,more than they advertise or say,too bad dor her family but her husband is no man, he shoul dof gone with her or had her change her plans till he could go or someone could go, the world isnt vvery freindly it is down right dangerous,darwin in action
Really? She got what she deserved? What a dumb comment to make. And Turkey is NOT considered Middle East. My God, these comments. Shameful to say I have a US Passport.
TK- do tell, you seem to be a very smart world traveler (not).....hummmmm Turkey is not considered a Middle Eastern Country, are you serious? Pull out a World map or Google it, it is most definitely a Middle Eastern Country. It is certainly shameful to say you have a U.S. Passport, too bad it has never been used.
I'm sorry rf tbss - my passport has been widely used darling - I live currently in Berlin, Germany and have been all over the world, especially Europe. And no, Turkey is NOT considered middle east nor are they considered Europe. The county has a great divide still to this day - so please - do a little searching on your own. I can tell you from experience that places like Chicago or Mexico are much more dangerous.
What is shameful is seeing all the arrogant American comments about this poor woman being stupid for traveling there when the crime rate is what it is in the US. It's pathetic that people with 2 weeks of vacation per year think they know the world. They don't. And clearly you don't either. So, please, the next time you ask your boss time off for your vacation, enjoy your Hawaii or Disneyland or wherever it is you go because it's obvious you are not 'well-travelled.'
Oh and rf tbss - please check out this thing called Wikipedia - it has a very low level description of what is the Middle East and what people 'consider' to be the Middle East. You can even go to www.google.com and type in 'turkey' and read about the divide in the country. You might learn something that you slept through in 11th grade history class.
TK, STAY in Berlin since AMERICA is so ignorant and backward. STAY in your civilized country and forget about America, ok?
TK, darling.....you are citing a source of wikipedia.....my 13 year old kid knows that wikipedia is not to be considered a viable source of information as any fool (like you) can edit it with erroneous information (that means incorrect). You make alot of assumptions, I am my own boss and have been a successful Engineer for over 20 years. My previous employer is a Fortune 50 International Company so I am very familiar with how businesses operate and vacations differ in different Countries. I guess I slept through 11 th grade. Although Turkey is considered a "Eurasian" Country it is located in the area that is designated as Middle East. Like I said Google it and you'll find many credible links to show you otherwise.
How incredibly sad for the family of this American. There is no where in the world where evil doesn't exist.
I sure hope the government of Turkey takes immediate action to strengthen their anti-knife laws, or, better yet, to ban knives completely.
I adopted my children from a pretty volatile nation. While I was in their country, I pretty much stayed at my hotel all the time. For mandatory trips out I had a translator/companion with me at all times and did my best to keep a low profile. You have to use common sense and especially when you have children, you have to decide when it is acceptable to risk their parent's life.
Ban turkeys
i will say this Stupid is as Stupid does. Either she wasnt watching the news on researching anything or she figured she was gonna be safe. Either way if the rest of the group is leaving, you leave with them. If the group dont go, you dont go. This isnt 1990 or even 2000. This is 2013 and the world is crazy everywhere. Take for instance the Dutch people a few years back that tried to take a boat ride around the world duringthe time Somalia was kidnapping like every week, result- they got killed. The 3 college kids"hiking" in Iran- Jailed.
Stupid college kids going to Mexico to party- kidnapped, raped, robbed, killed or all of the above.
Some places you just dont go alone, some places you dont go at all. You think she was gonna be able to take a gun to Turkey? yeah right.
Her husband was obviously weak, for him to even let this go down without leaving with her. Travel in the US is 50-50 at best. Going overseas it can go either way depending on the day of the week.
The GOOD NEWS! ..Turkey is a GUN & Knife FREE zone (unless you are rich & have connections) ....so Sarai should feel safe there out photographing alone...knowing that the Police will carry out a full investigation should something happen! The bad news...she's DEAD!! The GOOD news.....If she were here in the USA & out alone photographing..& 'carrying' a S&W 442, the miscreant would be dead! The BAD news, anti Gun people would be SCREAMING that she had NO RIGHT to STAND HER GROUND!!! Take your pick!!!!!!!!
God Have Mercy on Her. God grant peace to the Family. Women Please Travel with conpanions.