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Turkish Police Reportedly Hunt for homeless man suspected of Killing American Woman

Turkish authorities probing the murder of an American woman in Istanbul are reportedly hunting for a homeless man who may have attacked her near the city's ancient walls on the day she disappeared. Istanbul police are searching for the man, identified only as "Z," in their investigation into the death of 33-year-old Sarai Sierra, of Staten Island, N.Y., whose body was found Feb. 2 near remnants of the city's ancient walls, according to the Turkish newspaper, Vatan.

February 15, 2013
Published in Turkey

Sarai Sierra: A Passage to Turkey

Sarai's family was visited by Turkish local association.

The mystery surrounding New York mom Sarai Sierra’s murder has not yet been solved. Like everybody else, I’m trying to figure out what went wrong. In no way do I want to say anything that might offend her memory or her family. If she had not been murdered, she would probably be telling her kids and relatives of her trip right now, showing her photographs to them. None of us would have heard her name... She would have been one of the happy 25 million tourists who visit Turkey. But something went wrong, she encountered brutality; under what circumstances, how and why, we do not yet know. Was her murderer(s) a pervert, a thief, a sniffer, a criminal she met through the web or is the reality something completely different from any option we’ve imagined so far?

February 11, 2013
Published in Turkey

Body of N.Y. Woman Murdered in Turkey Being Flown Home

(AP) ISTANBUL - Turkey's state-run agency says the body of a New York City woman killed while on a solo vacation in Turkey is being returned home. The Anadolu Agency says a casket carrying the remains of Sarai Sierra was loaded onto a New York-bound plane on Thursday. The agency said Turkish Airlines is transporting the body for free.

February 8, 2013
Published in Turkey

Body of NYC Woman Killed in Turkey to Return to US

AP - The body of a New York City mother of two who was killed in Turkey while on a solo vacation is being returned to the U.S. Sarai Sierra's remains are expected to arrive Thursday, the New York Daily News reported. Turkish Airlines is providing the transportation for free. A funeral home on Staten Island has offered free services, but the owner said it's unclear whether the family is accepting the offer. Sierra's husband, Steven, went to Istanbul after she went missing, and he's expected to return to New York on Wednesday to finalize arrangements.