Sarai Sierra Found Dead: Body Of Missing NYC Woman Discovered In Turkey

Sarai Sierra, a New York City woman missing since January 21, has been found dead in Turkey.

On February 2, 2013 Turkish police recovered the body of a female in the Sarayburnu district of Istanbul and later confirmed the victim’s identity. While authorities have not yet reported the cause of the woman’s death, they have detained nine individuals for questioning.

A 33-year-old mother of two young sons, Sarai Sierra was vacationing alone in Istanbul when she was reported missing. An article by CNN reports that she last contacted her family on January 21, the day she was scheduled for a return flight home. Steven Sierra, the missing woman’s husband, described his wife’s final interaction with family:

“The last we heard from my wife was Monday morning on the 21st. She had spoken with her sister and the last thing she said was, ‘I’m coming home tomorrow,’ and she was excited and put a little smiley face at the end of her statement”

During the conversation Sierra indicated that she planned to visit Istanbul’s Galata Bridge to take photographs. The bridge is located near the ancient city walls where the missing woman’s body was found.

Turkish authorities have speculated that she may have been killed at another location and her remains later hidden at the site where they were discovered.

According to The Associated Press, Sierra’s disappearance is a rare occurrence in Turkey where foreign tourists can usually travel safely. Turkish police where quick to respond to the missing woman’s case and deployed a special unit to aid in her recovery.

Sarai Sierra planned the trip to Turkey in an effort to explore her interests in photography.