The investigation into who killed the Staten Island mother vacationing in Istanbul, Sarai Sierra, is focused on a homeless man who was seen in the seedy neighborhood of the city where her body was found, news reports said.
Turkish police are hunting down the person who killed Sierra with a blow to the head and left her to die, near the ancient part of the city's walls. Thus far, the only suspect remains a paper collector known as "Z," according to the Staten Island Advance. New surveillance footage also has surfaced showing Sierra while in the city.
Witnesses allegedly told police that Z hasn't been seen since he was covered in dirt on Jan. 21- the day the 33-year-old was supposed to fly home to her husband and her two children in Staten Island. Sierra's body was found 12 days later on Feb. 2, close to where Z had loitered, the New York Post reported.
Unnamed officials have now speculated that Sierra was killed after resisting an attempted robbery. Police collected DNA samples from 53 people since her murder two weeks ago.
The Daily Mail previously reported police narrowed their investigation down to five people, including transients and friends that Sierra met online before she went to going to Turkey. Sierra was traveling alone on a two-week trip to Turkey, Amsterdam and Munich to reportedly pursue her photography hobby and while she was away for her first trip abroad. She regularly stayed in touch with her family and friends leading up to her disappearance - the day she was to return home.
Sierra's wake is scheduled for Thursday in the Staten Island church where she had met her husband Steven, according to WCBS. Valentine's Day is the anniversary of the couple's engagement, according to the New York Daily News.
