A US woman who vanished last month while on holiday in Turkey has been found dead in Istanbul, according to Turkish media reports. The body of Sarai Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two from New York, was discovered near the city's ancient walls.
Police have arrested nine individuals in connection with the case, the state-run Anadolu agency reports. Ms Sierra had been missing since 21 January, the day before she was due to return to New York City. She had left for Turkey two weeks earlier and made short trips to the Netherlands and Germany, the Associated Press reports.
Security camera footage showed Ms Sierra at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport before she flew to Amsterdam. Her body was reportedly found close to the Galata Bridge, a popular tourist site spanning Istanbul's Golden Horn waterway. Shortly before her disappearance, Ms Sierra had allegedly told her family she planned to visit the bridge.
Although police have not yet commented on the case, reports suggest the American may have been stabbed to death. Anadolu says she may have been killed at a different location before her body was hidden near the city walls. The US embassy in Ankara had been working with Turkish authorities to help track down the missing woman, and police in Istanbul set up a special unit to find her. Her husband and brother had also travelled to Istanbul to join the search.
