Sarai Sierra (AP)
A Staten Island mother of two was found dead in Istanbul after she went missing during a solo vacation, Turkish news reports said.
The grisly discovery of Sarai Sierra, 33, who was stabbed in the abdomen, was made by residents near an ancient city wall in a low-income district, said the state-run Anadolu news agency.
Next to her body, police responding to the scene found her driver’s license, other Turkish outlets reported.
The private NTV news channel said Sierra was stabbed to death, but police would not immediately confirm the report.
Nine people have been detained for questioning, Anadolu said.
Sierra had been missing since Jan. 21, the day she was due to arrive on a flight to Newark.
Her husband, Steven Sierra, and her brother, traveled to Istabul to help track her down and turn over records of internet conversations she had with a man only identified as “Taylon.”
Sierra and Taylon were supposed to meet before Sierra headed home. Taylon said the meetup never happened.
Police questioned Taylon yesterday, but released him without charges.