Tag Archives: Michael Grimm

News, Politics, Government

Body of New York mom murdered in Turkey being returned home

Leave a comment

The body of a New York City woman killed while on vacation in Turkey is reportedly being returned home.

The Anadolu Agency, Turkey‘s state-run news outlet, said a casket carrying the remains of Sarai Sierra, 33, was being loaded onto a New York-bound plane on Thursday. Turkish Airlines is transporting the body for free, the agency said.

Sierra, a mother of two from Staten Island, was found dead 12 days after she disappeared in Istanbul. Police said she was killed by a blow to the head and are still trying to find her attacker or attackers. Sierra was on her first trip abroad pursuing a newfound hobby of photography, relatives said.

On Wednesday, a man being questioned by Turkish authorities reportedly told investigators he had a sexual relationship with Sierra. The Turkish man, identified only as “Taylan,” gave DNA and sperm samples to police, the Turkish daily Vatan reported. The man told investigators he had a consensual sexual relationship with Sierra before she was last seen on Jan. 21.

But Sierra’s best friend, Magdalena Rodriguez, told FoxNews.com she doubted the man’s claim.

“We know Sarai,” said Rodriguez, who originally planned to accompany Sierra on her vacation to Istanbul. “We know she didn’t run off with anybody. She would have told me. She would have said something.”

Rodriguez said she was in constant contact with Sierra throughout her trip.

“I don’t believe what he [Taylan] says for one second,” she said. “Sarai wouldn’t willingly and knowingly involve herself with people who did not have her best interest at heart.”

Turkish authorities have said Sierra died from a single blow to the head. A local funeral company on Tuesday told the Hürriyet Daily News, an English-language newspaper in Turkey, that she had multiple injuries to her head and face. Her body was found Saturday near remnants of the city’s ancient walls. Turkish police said there appeared to be no sign of a sexual assault, though the New York Daily News reported the woman was found in only a shirt and underwear. Sierra’s gold jewelry was still on her, but her tablet computer and U.S. cellphone are missing.

A source familiar with the investigation told FoxNews.com that Sierra had contacted “amateur tour guides” online in advance of her trip. Taylan was among the individuals whom she had communicated with, and the two were known to have met on Jan. 13, according to multiple Turkish media accounts. The pair had planned to meet by the Galata Tower on Jan. 21 — the day she was last seen — but Taylan reportedly told investigators that Sierra never showed up.

Rodriguez claims she and the family were aware of Sierra’s online communications. “We knew about the tour guides … We knew she planned to meet them,” she said, adding, “She’s not one to just meet a random person and then wander away with them.”

New York Rep. Michael Grimm, a former FBI agent, said Turkish police still have hours of video footage to review as they piece together Sierra’s last movements. A special unit of Turkish police …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

News, Politics, Government

Man held in Turkey claims he had affair with murdered New York woman

Leave a comment

A man being questioned by Turkish authorities in the murder of a New York tourist found beaten to death in Istanbul has reportedly told authorities there he had a sexual relationship with the woman.

The Turkish man, identified only as “Taylan,” gave DNA and sperm samples to police investigating the death of 33-year-old Sarai Sierra, a mother of two found beaten beyond recognition near ancient walls in Istanbul, the Turkish daily Vatan reported Wednesday. The man told investigators he had a consensual sexual relationship with Sierra before she was last seen on Jan. 21, according to the newspaper.

But Sierra’s best friend, Magdalena Rodriguez, told FoxNews.com she doesn’t believe the man’s claim.

“We know Sarai. We know she didn’t run off with anybody,” said Rodriguez, who originally planned to accompany Sierra on her solo vacation to Istanbul.

“She would have told me. She would have said something,” said Rodriguez, who claims she was in constant contact with Sierra during the trip.

“I don’t believe what he [Taylan] says for one second,” she said, adding, “Sarai wouldn’t willingly and knowingly involve herself with people who did not have her best interest at heart.”

Sierra, a freelance photographer from Staten Island, N.Y., traveled to Istanbul Jan. 7 and failed to return on a flight Jan. 21. Her body was found Saturday near remnants of the city’s ancient walls. Turkish police said there appeared to be no sign of a sexual assault, though the New York Daily News reported the woman was found in only a shirt and underwear. Sierra’s jewelry was still on her, but her tablet computer and U.S. cellphone are missing.

A source familiar with the investigation told FoxNews.com that Sierra had contacted “amateur tour guides” online in advance of her trip. Taylan was among the individuals whom she had communicated with, and the two were known to have met on Jan. 13, according to multiple Turkish media accounts. The pair had planned to meet by the Galata Tower on Jan. 21 — the day she was last seen — but Taylan reportedly told investigators that Sierra never showed up.

Rodriguez claims she and the family were aware of Sierra’s online communications. “We knew about the tour guides … We knew she planned to meet them,” she said, adding, “She’s not one to just meet a random person and then wander away with them.”

New York Rep. Michael Grimm, a former FBI agent, said Turkish police still have hours of video footage to review as they piece together Sierra’s last movements. A special unit of Turkish police set up to find Sierra has an image of her at Galata Bridge, which spans Istanbul’s Golden Horn waterway and where she went on her last day to take photos. An FBI official confirmed to FoxNews.com that the agency is also involved and has been since the early stages of the investigation.

During her trip, Sierra made two pre-planned excursions to Munich and Amsterdam, and then returned to Istanbul. Authorities are probing Sierra’s trips to Munich and Amsterdam as part of …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

News, Politics, Government

Mystery lingers after discovery of New York woman's body in Turkey

Leave a comment

The discovery of a New York woman’s body in Turkey has done little to solve the mystery surrounding her disappearance and death, say sources involved in the international investigation.

Sarai Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two from Staten Island, N.Y., traveled to Istanbul on a solo vacation Jan. 7 and failed to return on a flight Jan. 21. Her body was found Saturday near remnants of the city’s ancient walls. But many of the questions that surfaced during the search for Sierra — such as whom she contacted, why she took two side trips and where she stayed — remain unanswered.

Turkish authorities say Sierra died from a single blow to the head. A local funeral company on Tuesday told the Hürriyet Daily News, an English-language newspaper in Turkey, that she had multiple injuries to her head and face.

“There are serious blows, particularly to her head and face,” Manuel Manukyan, owner of the Nevzat funeral company, told the newspaper. Manukyan is working with the U.S. Consulate and Sierra’s family to bring her remains back to the U.S.

Prosecutors in Istanbul got a court order Monday for authorities to take blood and DNA samples from 21 people already questioned in the death, according to Turkish state media.

Sierra, a freelance photographer, was found in the clothes she was last seen wearing the day she disappeared, authorities said, noting that there was no sign of a sexual assault. Sierra’s jewelry was still on her, but her tablet computer and U.S. cellphone were missing.

Samples reportedly taken from under her fingernails suggest she may have tried to fight off her attacker. A blanket was also found near the body, leading investigators to question whether she was killed in another location and then placed near the ancient walls, which are close to a highway.

Turkish authorities finished an autopsy Monday on Sierra and gave DNA samples from it to a crime lab, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. After that, Istanbul prosecutors got the court order but did not identify the possible suspects, the agency reported.

A source familiar with the investigation told FoxNews.com that it is believed Sierra contacted “amateur tour guides” online to show her around popular sites in the city. Sierra’s trip also included pre-planned excursions to Amsterdam and Munich. Authorities, however, have said little about those trips, which, combined with her expenses in Turkey, are said to have cost more than $10,000, according to the Hürriyet Daily News.

New York Rep. Michael Grimm, a former FBI agent, said Turkish police still have hours of video footage to review as they piece together Sierra’s last movements. A special unit of Turkish police set up to find Sierra has an image of her at Galata Bridge, which spans Istanbul’s Golden Horn waterway and where she went on her last day to take photos. The FBI is also significantly involved in the investigation, Grimm said.

Meanwhile, her family was working out how to return her body to the U.S.

“Our No. 1 priority right now is bringing Sarai home,” Grimm said during a press conference Monday with Sierra’s family in Staten Island.

Sierra’s husband, Steven, is in Istanbul, where he traveled last week to help in the search. He intends to accompany her body back to New York, but the family is still determining how to fund the transport. Their church and friends are working to raise money to help defray the costs.

Sierra made her first trip overseas alone after her childhood friend, Magdalena Rodriguez, backed out. At Monday’s news conference in New York, Rodriguez fought back tears as she said she wished she had not changed her plans.

“I wasn’t working at the time and I didn’t have the money to go,” she explained.

Sierra’s two sons, ages 9 and 11, have not yet been told of their mother’s death, according to family members.

“We’re going to talk about that when he gets back,” the woman’s mother, Betzaida Jimenez told reporters Monday.

She recalled hugging her daughter before she departed and praying together for a safe journey.

“Just the thought that I’ll never be able to hug her again,” she said, pausing to compose herself. “We just didn’t think a tragedy like this was going to happen.”

FoxNews.com’s Cristina Corbin and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

News, Politics, Government

FBI investigating NYC woman's death in Istanbul

Leave a comment

A U.S. congressman says the FBI is playing a significant role in the investigation into the death of a New York City woman found dead in Istanbul while on a solo vacation.

Rep. Michael Grimm, a former FBI agent, says U.S. investigators were invited by Turkish authorities to assist as they try to find out what happened to Sarai Sierra. The 33-year-old mother of two went missing Jan. 21. Her body was found 12 days later.

Grimm and Sierra’s parents, Betzaida and Dennis Jimenez, say the family’s immediate concern is returning Sierra’s body to the U.S.

Her husband, Steven, is in Turkey. He intends to accompany her body, but the family is still determining how to fund the transport.

Grimm says the family’s priority is bringing her home.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

News, Politics, Government

Turkish police hold man in NYC woman's disappearance, say her phone's been active

Leave a comment

Turkish police have detained a man who exchanged online messages with a New York City woman missing in Istanbul, while local authorities say there’s a chance she’s still alive because her cell phone has been active.

Sarai Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two, went missing while vacationing alone in Istanbul. She was last heard from on Jan. 21, the day she was due back home.

A police official in Istanbul, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government rules, said Friday that the man had been detained but refused to identify him or provide further details on the arrest.

Turkish news reports have identified him as “Taylan,” who police say arranged to meet Sierra by the Galata Tower on Jan. 20. But the person in custody told authorities that the two did not meet Jan. 21, despite planning to do so, the Hürriyet Daily News reported.

“We did not meet that day, but we had met before,” the newspaper quoted the man as saying during his interrogation. He reportedly told police he first met Sierra online four months ago.

A source familiar with the investigation told FoxNews.com that Sierra may have contacted an “amateur tour guide” online to show her around popular sites while in Instanbul.

Authorities say they believe Sierra may still be alive because her U.S. phone was activated twice since she disappeared, according to local news outlets. Sierra reportedly made a call using a Skype application on her phone Jan. 30, and the phone was turned on once again yesterday.

Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y., is urging U.S. and Turkish officials to use “all resources necessary” to find Sierra, a freelance photographer who traveled to Istanbul alone on Jan. 7 and failed to return on a flight Jan. 22. Grimm, who represents New York‘s 11th District, which includes Staten Island where Sierra is from, is a former FBI agent.

“One good thing here is that Istanbul has a very good local police department,” Grimm told FoxNews.com. “They’ve interacted with our U.S. law enforcement at all levels. I have a great deal of confidence. They are taking it very seriously.”

Sierra’s husband, who is in Turkey assisting with the search, reportedly gave authorities access to his wife’s Facebook and Twitter correspondence. The woman’s family last had contact with her on Jan. 21.

After arriving in Turkey on Jan. 7, Sierra later boarded flights to at least two other countries — Germany and the Netherlands — before returning to Istanbul, according to family members.

On Tuesday, Turkish investigators released surveillance video showing Sierra two days before she was scheduled to return to the U.S. The video shows the young woman eating alone in a food court and walking around a shopping mall not far from the hostel where she was staying. The website also reports that Sierra’s travel expenses in the three countries totaled more than $10,000.

The woman’s sister, Christina Jimenez, said the family is requesting privacy while authorities conduct their search.

“I spoke to my sister every day,” Jimenez told FoxNews.com Wednesday. “I miss her so much and love her. That’s all I can say.”

FoxNews.com’s Cristina Corbin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

News, Politics, Government

N.Y. lawmaker calls for 'all resources necessary' in hunt for American woman missing in Turkey

Leave a comment

By Cristina Corbin

A New York lawmaker is calling on the State Department and the Turkish government to use “all resources necessary” to find an American woman who mysteriously disappeared on a solo trip to Istanbul.

Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y., is urging U.S. and Turkish officials to bolster the investigation into the whereabouts of Sarai Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two from Staten Island, N.Y. Sierra, a freelance photographer, traveled to Istanbul alone on Jan. 7 and failed to return on a flight Jan. 22.

On Wednesday, a Turkish official said police are trying to trace an individual whom Sierra allegedly corresponded with through social networking sites. A source familiar with the investigation told FoxNews.com that Sierra may have contacted an “amateur tour guide” online to show her around popular sites in the city.

Hürriyet Daily News, an English-language newspaper in Turkey, reported Wednesday that authorities are searching for four Turkish citizens who contacted Sierra while she was in Istanbul. The individuals include a man named “Taylan” who police say arranged to meet Sierra by the Galata Tower on Jan. 20, according to the paper’s website.

Sierra’s husband, who is in Turkey assisting with the search, reportedly gave authorities access to his wife’s Facebook and Twitter correspondence. The woman’s family last had contact with her on Jan. 21.

After arriving in Turkey on Jan. 7, Sierra later boarded flights to at least two other countries — Germany and the Netherlands — before returning to Istanbul, according to family members. On Tuesday, Turkish investigators released surveillance video showing Sierra two days before she was scheduled to return to the U.S. The video shows the young woman eating alone in a food court and walking around a shopping mall not far from the hostel where she was staying.

Grimm, who represents New York‘s 11th District, which includes Staten Island, is a former FBI agent. In a statement issued Saturday, he said he was “troubled” by the facts surrounding the case.

“We remain in constant contact with officials in the U.S. and Istanbul, and will continue to urge them to use all available resources to find Ms. Sierra,” Grimm said. “I am committed to standing with her family every step of the way until she is back safe in Staten Island.”

Grimm spoke Monday to the U.S. ambassador in Istanbul, the Turkish ambassador in the U.S. and the chief in Turkey for the State Department. All are coordinating a full scale investigation to locate Sierra and have engaged the highest levels officials on this case, according to Grimm’s office. The FBI is also investigating.

The woman’s sister, Christina Jimenez, said the family is requesting privacy while authorities conduct their search.

“I spoke to my sister every day,” Jimenez told FoxNews.com Wednesday. “I miss her so much and love her. That’s all I can say.”

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News