10:39, 3 February, 2013

The body of a missing American woman in her thirties was discovered near the city walls in the Sarayburnu district of Istanbul earlier today as security forces detained at least 10 people as part of an investigation into the disappearance of Sarai Sierra, who has been missing since Jan. 21. As reports Armenpress citing Hürriyet Daily News , senior police sources said Sierra might have been stabbed to death in her abdomen and sent her body to the forensics department for an autopsy.

The victim’s clothing, an extra pair of shoes she was carrying with her, bottles of alcohol and a broken piece of glass found at the crime scene were all sent to the Istanbul police department for further examination. Sierra’s family last made contact with her on Jan. 21, the day before she was supposed to fly back to the United States. The 33-year-old mother of two had been on vacation alone in Turkey since Jan. 7. Daily Sabah reported earlier that police believed there might have been a good chance Sierra was still alive after discovering her U.S. phone had been activated twice since she was reported missing. A call was reportedly made using a Skype application on Sierra’s American phone on Jan. 30, nine days after she was reported missing. The woman’s phone was turned on once again yesterday, daily Sabah reported.