Search continues for missing U.S. mother in Istanbul

U.S. and Turkish authorities still are searching for an American woman, Sarai Sierra, who disappeared on a three-week trip to Istanbul earlier this month.

The woman, 33 and the mother of two boys, is a photographer. Her passport, phone charger and articles of clothing were discovered in her hotel room. She was due to return to her Staten Island home on Jan. 22, according to authorities.

The woman’s husband of 14 years, Steve, told Fox News radio in New York that he and his brother-in-law have joined the search party in Turkey.

“You know,” he said in the radio interview, “you have so many thoughts going through your mind. You don’t know what to think; you don’t know what to believe; you don’t know what to expect. You don’t know what’s going to come out of this.”

Rep. Michael G. Grimm, who represents Staten Island, said in a statement: “My office has been working around the clock to locate her and return her home safely to her family. We remain in constant contact with officials in the U.S. and Istanbul, and will continue to urge them to use all available resources to find Ms. Sierra.”