Sarai Sierra (
)
The Staten Island mom murdered in Turkey was buried in an emotional funeral today as investigators overseas detained siblings of a homeless man wanted in connection to her death.
Police took DNA sample of two brothers and a sister of a possible suspect in the brutal murder of Sarai Sierra, according to Turkey’s state-run agency.
The siblings were taken into custody in the city of Karabuk, about 250 miles east of Istanbul. They were released after being questioned about their brother’s whereabouts.
Meanwhile, in Staten Island’s Concord neighborhood, Sierra was remembered in tearful eulogies as a loving mother with an infectious laugh.
“I’m still asking a lot of questions right now … why this way?” said husband Steven Diaz-Sierra to more than 300 mourners at The Christian Pentecostal Church.
Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two, suffered a fatal blow to the head and was found in Istanbul earlier this month after going missing for 11 days.
“Sarai made me laugh so very much. When she wasn’t making me angry, she’d make me laugh,” he said.
Diaz-Sierra, who had hinted at his wife’s infidelity via posts on Instagram, acknowledged their 16-year “roller coaster” marriage but insisted their love ran deep.
“I trusted her. She trusted me,” he said.
Her sister, Christina Jimenez, choked back sobs while reading a poem she wrote for Sierra.
“I miss your voice, your infectious laugh. The memories we share, I swear they’ll never pass,” said Jimenez, as mom Betzaida Jimenez dabbed tears from her eyes.
Sierra had traveled solo to Turkey to explore photography after her best friend of 25 years, Maggie Rodriguez, backed out.
“I wish I went with her, obviously. I wish I was a little bit more persuasive to maybe make her stay,” said Rodriguez. “I miss her terribly.”
Sierra was buried at Silver Mount Cemetery, just blocks away from her home on Victory Boulevard. At the cemetery, Betzaida, overcome with grief, wailed and collapsed into the arms of Pastor John Rocco Carlo.
The reverend prayed for justice in Sierra’s death.
“I pray whoever is responsible will be quickly brought to justice,” he said.
In one final goodbye, Sierra’s young sons, Sion and Silas, tossed pink flowers into her grave as Diaz-Sierra rested his hands on the white casket and wept.
“We drove each other crazy, she knew how to push my buttons, I knew how to push hers. We learned how to do that after 16 years,” said Diaz-Sierra. “Despite that … the love was truly deep.”
With Post Wire Services