Body of missing US woman found in Istanbul

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Sarai Sierra had been on vacation alone in Turkey since Jan. 7. Sierra's family last made contact with her on Jan. 21.

The body of a missing American woman in her thirties was discovered near the city walls in the Sarayburnu district of Istanbul earlier today, while security forces detained at least 10 people as part of an investigation into the case.Sarai Sierra had been missing since Jan. 21. Senior police sources said it looked as if she was stabbed to death in the abdomen, and the body has been sent to the local forensics department for an autopsy. The victim's clothing, an extra pair of shoes she was carrying, bottles of alcohol and a broken piece of glass found at the crime scene were all sent to the Istanbul police department for further examination.Private broadcaster NTV reported that police also found Sierra’s drivers license next to the body, but the Hürriyet Daily News was unable to confirm the report with the police.



Police forces were immediately

dispatched to the crime scene.

DAILY NEWS photo, Emrah GÜREL

Sierra's family last made contact with her on Jan. 21, the day before she was supposed to fly back to the United States. The 33-year-old mother of two had been on vacation alone in Turkey since Jan. 7.Daily Sabah reported earlier that police believed there might have been a good chance Sierra was still alive, after discovering that her U.S. phone had been activated twice since she was reported missing.A call was reportedly made using a Skype application on Sierra's U.S. phone on Jan. 30, nine days after she was reported missing. The phone was turned on once again, daily Sabah reported.