A Staten Island mom who vanished while vacationing last month in Turkey was found stabbed to death in Istanbul, Turkish news agencies reported Saturday.
The body of Sarai Sierra, 33, was discovered by local residents near some ancient walls in a hardscrabble section of the Turkish city, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.
Police identified the victim as the missing mother of two, who was last heard from on Jan. 20 — the day before her scheduled flight back to New York.
Sierra, who was still carrying her driver’s license, was fatally stabbed, the private news channel NTV reported. She arrived in Istanbul on Jan. 7, and failed to show up for her return flight.
According to family members, Sarai — an aspiring photographer — flew to Turkey to take pictures of local graffiti and to meet for the first time with friends met online through Instagram.
The Associated Press reported that Istanbul investigators were hunting for a person who used the name “Taylan” in correspondence with Sarai via social media.
The two “presumably met” after Sierra’s arrival, according to Turkish news reports. They had planned a rendezvous at the Galata Bridge in Istanbul.
She wound up traveling alone after a friend backed out of the trip at the last minute. Sierra texted her sister on Jan. 20, saying she was looking forward to coming home.
The victim was never heard from again.
Her husband, 40-year-old Steven Sierra, said earlier this week that their two sons — ages 9 and 11 — had no idea that their mother was missing.
“She was in contact with us every day while she was out there, her husband said. “Everything was fine until the day before she was supposed to arrive home.”
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