A Turkish mother shows a picture of her missing son as the members of the Istanbul-based Association For Families With Lost Relatives hand out flyers with photos of Sarai Sierra, a New York City woman who was found dead in Istanbul. (AP Photo) (AP2013)
Ankara, Turkey – The body of a missing New York City woman has been found in neighborhood in the Turkish city of Istanbul and police in the country have detained people in connection with the slaying, local media reported Saturday.
Sarai Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two, went missing while vacationing alone in Istanbul. She had last been heard from on Jan. 21, the day she was due back home.
Her body was discovered Saturday near the remnants of some ancient city walls in a low-income district.
The Anadolu Agency said police have detained nine people for questioning in Istanbul.
It gave no other information about the arrests.
Sierra's husband, Steven, and her brother, David, have been in Turkey since the beginning of the week aiding government officials in their search.
Steven Sierra gave police authorization to access his wife's social media sites, saying he knows authorities are working hard to find Sierra.
"It's been emotionally overwhelmingly," Steven wrote in an email to the Staten Island Advance.
"But, I and my family must rely on Hope & Faith in The Lord, & not allow fear to rule our thoughts & lives."
The office of U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY) has been in constant contact with officials overseas throughout the search for the missing Staten Island resident and released a statement with their condolences as well as praise for the effort put in by Turkish officials.
"Our community mourns the loss of a beloved wife, daughter, and mother of two children; as we are deeply saddened to hear the news of Sarai Sierra’s death," Grimm said. "From the time her family notified us of her disappearance, my staff and I have been working tirelessly with Mrs. Sierra’s family and U.S. and Turkish officials to resolve this case. Today’s news is truly a heartbreaking tragedy."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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