Turkish Police Seek Clues In Death Of NYC Woman

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish authorities finished an autopsy Monday on a New York City woman found dead in Istanbul and submitted DNA samples from it to a crime lab for testing, Turkey’s state-run media reported.

Sarai Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two, went missing Jan. 21 while on a solo vacation in Istanbul. Her body was found 12 days later, near the remnants of some ancient city walls. Police said she had suffered a fatal blow to the head.

Police on Monday were still scouring the area where the body was found for clues, with the help of sniffer dogs, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

The Milliyet newspaper said a forensic medicine lab will examine samples from Sierra’s fingernails as well as hair and other samples from a blanket found near her body. It said some nail scrapings suggest she may have tried to fight off her attacker.

More than a dozen people were questioned in the case but most of them have been released, Milliyet reported. It said three people were still being held for questioning.

Sierra, whose children are 9 and 11, had left for Istanbul on Jan. 7 to explore her photography hobby. She was to have traveled with a friend, but the friend cancelled.

Sierra was in regular contact with friends and relatives during the trip and had told them she would visit Galata Bridge, which spans Istanbul’s Golden Horn waterway, to take photos.

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• Police forensics search for missing New York City woman Sarai Sierra near the remnants of some ancient city walls in low-income district of Sarayburnu in Istanbul, Turkey, late Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013. Turkey’s state-run news agency said that she has been found dead in Istanbul and police have detained nine people in connection with the case. Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two, went missing while vacationing alone in Istanbul. Her body was discovered late Saturday amid the city walls.(AP Photo)

• Police forensics search for missing New York City woman Sarai Sierra near the remnants of some ancient city walls in low-income district of Sarayburnu in Istanbul, Turkey, late Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013. Turkey’s state-run news agency said that she has been found dead in Istanbul and police have detained nine people in connection with the case. Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two, went missing while vacationing alone in Istanbul. Her body was discovered late Saturday amid the city walls.(AP Photo)

• Police forensics search for missing New York City woman Sarai Sierra near the remnants of some ancient city walls in low-income district of Sarayburnu in Istanbul, Turkey, late Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013. Turkey’s state-run news agency said that she has been found dead in Istanbul and police have detained nine people in connection with the case. Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two, went missing while vacationing alone in Istanbul. Her body was discovered late Saturday amid the city walls.(AP Photo)

• Police forensics search for missing New York City woman Sarai Sierra near the remnants of some ancient city walls in low-income district of Sarayburnu in Istanbul, Turkey, late Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013. Turkey’s state-run news agency said that she has been found dead in Istanbul and police have detained nine people in connection with the case. Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two, went missing while vacationing alone in Istanbul. Her body was discovered late Saturday amid the city walls.(AP Photo)

• Police forensics search for missing New York City woman Sarai Sierra near the remnants of some ancient city walls in low-income district of Sarayburnu in Istanbul, Turkey, late Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013. Turkey’s state-run news agency said that she has been found dead in Istanbul and police have detained nine people in connection with the case. Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two, went missing while vacationing alone in Istanbul. Her body was discovered late Saturday amid the city walls.(AP Photo)

• A Turkish mother shows a picture of her missing son as the members of the Istanbul-based Association For Families With Lost Relatives hand out flyers with photos of Sarai Sierra, a New York City woman who disappeared while on vacation in Istanbul, urging anyone with information to call police, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. Sierra, a 33 year-old mother of two, has been missing since Jan. 21, when she was due to return home. Turkish police have set up a special unit to search for her and are trying to trace a man she had been in contact with during her stay.(AP Photo)

• Turkish men pin a photo of Sarai Sierra, a New York City woman, who disappeared while on vacation in Istanbul, on a three as the members of the Istanbul-based Association For Families With Lost Relatives hand out flyers with her photos, urging anyone with information to call police, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. Sierra, a 33 year-old mother of two, has been missing since Jan. 21, when she was due to return home. Turkish police have set up a special unit to search for her and are trying to trace a man she had been in contact with during her stay.(AP Photo)

• Members of the Istanbul-based Association For Families With Lost Relatives hand out flyers with photos of Sarai Sierra, a New York City woman who disappeared while on vacation in Istanbul, urging anyone with information to call police, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. Sierra, a 33 year-old mother of two, has been missing since Jan. 21, when she was due to return home. Turkish police have set up a special unit to search for her and are trying to trace a man she had been in contact with during her stay.(AP Photo)

• Members of the Istanbul-based Association For Families With Lost Relatives hand out flyers with photos of Sarai Sierra, a New York City woman who disappeared while on vacation in Istanbul, urging anyone with information to call police, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. Sierra, a 33 year-old mother of two, has been missing since Jan. 21, when she was due to return home. Turkish police have set up a special unit to search for her and are trying to trace a man she had been in contact with during her stay.(AP Photo)

• Members of the Istanbul-based Association For Families With Lost Relatives hand out flyers with photos of Sarai Sierra, a New York City woman who disappeared while on vacation in Istanbul, urging anyone with information to call police, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. Sierra, a 33 year-old mother of two, has been missing since Jan. 21, when she was due to return home. Turkish police have set up a special unit to search for her and are trying to trace a man she had been in contact with during her stay.(AP Photo)

• The photos of Sarai Sierra, a New York City woman who disappeared while on vacation in Istanbul seen among the missing Turks on the back of a midibus as members of the Istanbul-based Association For Families With Lost Relatives hand out flyers with her photos, urging anyone with information to call police, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. Sierra, a 33 year-old mother of two, has been missing since Jan. 21, when she was due to return home. Turkish police have set up a special unit to search for her and are trying to trace a man she had been in contact with during her stay.(AP Photo)

• A member of the Istanbul-based Association For Families With Lost Relatives hands out flyers with photos of Sarai Sierra, a New York City woman who disappeared while on vacation in Istanbul, urging anyone with information to call police, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. Sierra, a 33 year-old mother of two, has been missing since Jan. 21, when she was due to return home. Turkish police have set up a special unit to search for her and are trying to trace a man she had been in contact with during her stay.(AP Photo)

• A photo of Sarai Sierra, a New York City woman who disappeared while on vacation in Istanbul is seen on the back of a minibus as members of the Istanbul-based Association For Families With Lost Relatives hand out flyers with her photos, urging anyone with information to call police, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. Sierra, a 33 year-old mother of two, has been missing since Jan. 21, when she was due to return home. Turkish police have set up a special unit to search for her and are trying to trace a man she had been in contact with during her stay.(AP Photo)

• Members of the Istanbul-based Association For Families With Lost Relatives hand out flyers with photos of Sarai Sierra, a New York City woman who disappeared while on vacation in Istanbul, urging anyone with information to call police, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. Sierra, a 33 year-old mother of two, has been missing since Jan. 21, when she was due to return home. Turkish police have set up a special unit to search for her and are trying to trace a man she had been in contact with during her stay.(AP Photo)

• Members of the Istanbul-based Association For Families With Lost Relatives hand out flyers with photos of Sarai Sierra, a New York City woman who disappeared while on vacation in Istanbul, urging anyone with information to call police, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. Sierra, a 33 year-old mother of two, has been missing since Jan. 21, when she was due to return home. Turkish police have set up a special unit to search for her and are trying to trace a man she had been in contact with during her stay.(AP Photo)

• A view of the street with the hostel, in yellow at the end-left, where Sarai Sierra, a New York City woman, 33, was staying in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Turkish police have released Tuesday security camera footage of Sierra who has gone missing while vacationing alone in Istanbul. Sarai Sierra has been missing since Jan. 21, when she was supposed to return to New York but was not on her flight back home.(AP Photo)

• A Turkish security official leaves the hostel with belongings of Sarai Sierra, a New York City woman, 33, in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Turkish police have released Tuesday security camera footage of Sierra who has gone missing while vacationing alone in Istanbul. Sarai Sierra has been missing since Jan. 21, when she was supposed to return to New York but was not on her flight back home.(AP Photo)

• A view of the street with the hostel, in yellow, where Sarai Sierra, a New York City woman, 33, was staying in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Turkish police have released Tuesday security camera footage of Sierra who has gone missing while vacationing alone in Istanbul. Sarai Sierra has been missing since Jan. 21, when she was supposed to return to New York but was not on her flight back home.(AP Photo)

• A view of the street with the hostel, in yellow, , Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013 where Sarai Sierra, a New York City woman, 33, was staying in Istanbul, Turkey. Turkish police have released Tuesday security camera footage of Sierra who has gone missing while vacationing alone in Istanbul. Sierra has been missing since Jan. 21, when she was supposed to return to New York but was not on her flight back home.(AP Photo)

• A view of the street of a hostel where Sarai Sierra, a New York City woman, 33, was staying in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Turkish police have released Tuesday security camera footage of Sierra who has gone missing while vacationing alone in Istanbul. Sarai Sierra has been missing since Jan. 21, when she was supposed to return to New York but was not on her flight back home.(AP Photo)

• In this undated image made from a CCTV video released by Turkish police on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013, a woman identified by police as Sarai Sierra, 33, standing at center left, is seen at a shopping mall cafeteria in Istanbul, Turkey. Sierra has been missing since Jan. 21, when she was supposed to return to New York but was not on her flight back home. She arrived in Istanbul on Jan 7. (AP Photo)

• In this undated image made from a CCTV video released by Turkish police on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013, a woman identified by police as Sarai Sierra, 33, right, walks outside a shopping mall in Istanbul, Turkey. Sierra has been missing since Jan. 21, when she was supposed to return to New York but was not on her flight back home. She arrived in Istanbul on Jan 7. (AP Photo)

• Sarai Sierra

  In this image provided by the family, Sarai Sierra is shown in an undated family photo, in New York. Sierra has reportedly gone missing during a trip to Turkey. She last contacted her family, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, the day she was to fly from Istanbul to New York. (AP Photo/Family Photo)

• Police forensics search for missing New York City woman Sarai Sierra near the remnants of some ancient city walls in low-income district of Sarayburnu in Istanbul, Turkey, late Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013. Turkey’s state-run news agency said that she has been found dead in Istanbul and police have detained nine people in connection with the case. Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two, went missing while vacationing alone in Istanbul. Her body was discovered late Saturday amid the city walls.(AP Photo)

Turkish Police Seek Clues In Death Of NYC Woman