When I arrived back home from my lengthy vacation, I went to see my captain and explained what had happened in Istanbul. I further added that I had a buccal swab from the young lady. I asked if our lab could run a DNA sample to compare it with any samples that we had on file in the hopes that we could identify her.
Captain Smelter agreed with my request. Since he knew my background, he suggested that I submit my sample as well. “Peter, I am sure that the thought had crossed your mind that the girl that you met was close to your sister’s age, so what could it hurt? Besides stranger things have happened.”
Two weeks later, I received the shock of my life. The DNA sample from the girl in Istanbul was a close familial match to my sample. This meant that the deceased young lady was, in fact, my sister Yua. I just about passed out when I heard the news. Besides finding my sister it was our real first break in the case.
I immediately called my Aunt Ichika and my Aunt Christine. They were in some strangely relieved and extremely saddened at the same time. We had long since come to the realization that the odds of there being a happy resolution to this tragedy were basically non-existent.
After I talked to my aunts, I contacted my captain again to tell him the news. Before I could even request more time off, he gave me a month’s leave of absence to settle my affairs. I thanked him profusely. I now knew what I had to do and that was to bring my sister back home.
I contacted the funeral home and cemetery where my parents were buried and asked if there was any way that I could bury my sister on the family plot. They said that my grandfather Gordon Anderson had purchased a plot big enough to bury up to ten people on it, so there was absolutely no problem with my request. I also gave him instructions for the inscription I wanted on Yua’s tombstone. They said that they had a perfect tombstone for my sister. I said that I trusted their judgment. After I finished taking care of that matter, I purchased an open plane ticket to Istanbul. This meant that I had no set return date to come back home. By doing it this way, it gave me scheduling flexibility.
The soonest I could get tickets was for the following day, so I had time to pack and rest up some. Before I went to sleep I contacted Uber which had just come to Washington D.C. the previous year in 2011 and scheduled an 0700 pickup time. In case you are wondering the first city in the U.S. to get Uber was San Francisco in 2010. There initially were only three cars used.
I didn’t sleep very well that night, so I got up early and ran on my treadmill for 30 minutes and then took a quick shower, grabbed my suitcase and went down to the lobby of my apartment complex to wait for my ride.
I only had to wait a few minutes before my Uber driver showed up. The drive was uneventful, and before I knew it, we were at the Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA). My flight was direct to the Istanbul Ataturk Airport (ISL).
The flight distance from Washington (United States) to İstanbul (Turkey) is 5,218 miles. This is equivalent to 8,397 kilometers or 4,531 nautical miles. The calculated distance (air line) is the straight line distance or direct flight distance between cities. The distance between cities calculated based on their latitudes and longitudes. This distance may be very much different from the actual travel distance.
When my plane landed in Istanbul, I found the closest hotel to it. I had no intention of spending a great deal of time in the city on this occasion. I was simply here to bring my sister’s remains back to the US.
I had considered going straight to the cemetery once I landed but I was just too tired. Besides, I am sure Yua wouldn’t mind spending one more day here. Just in case there were any delays, I reserved the room for three days. After eating a traditional Turkisk breakfast which is compromised of black and green olives, cucumbers, cured meats, dips and sauces, eggs, fresh cheeses, fresh tomatoes, fresh-baked bread, fruit preserves and jams, honey, pastries, and sweet butter, I grabbed a taxi to Tomb Molla Guran Cemetery where Yua was buried. I am not sure what I expected when I arrived at the cemetery. I guess I expected to meet with some resistance. When I told them that I did not expect a refund for the plot that I had purchased, their attitude changed completely. Now they had a chance to sell the same plot twice. Something that is very rare in their type of business. I also told them that I would pay them for their inconvenience and expenses. I asked them to make the arrangements for her transportation, of course, with due compensation, the arrangements were quickly made by Aslan Aksoy, the director of the cemetery.
Aslan said that my sister Yua would be at the Istanbul Ataturk Airport the following day. Since I had an open departure time and a coffin to transport, it was easier to make the arrangements in person at the airport. I had already checked the times for departing flights to Washington D.C, so I arrived at the airport four hours early to give me plenty of time to work out the details.
Luckily for me, even though coach was filled there were still a few first-class seats available. The arrangements had all been made by the director at the cemetery, so the only thing that remained was paying for the transport of the casket and my plane ticket. Now that I knew my arrival time back in Washington D.C., I was able to contact Washington National Cemetery funeral home to notify them of the pick-up time at the airport.
When I finally boarded my plane back home, it was with a sense of relief. My sister Yua would finally be back where she belonged. This was, however, just the first step. Now, I needed to find out who did this to my sister. Once I did that then I would determine what the final outcome was going to be. I was afraid that there would be no real justice for my sister if I went through the justice department. However, the alternative was just too terrible to think of at the moment. Once you cross that line there is no coming back.
I was finally able to relax and fall asleep. When I woke up, it was to the flight attendant announcing their arrival at Ronald Reagan National Airport.
When I finally got back to my apartment after making sure my sister was picked up by the funeral home, I called my two aunts. I called them to find out what date would work for a funeral. Since she was already buried, I figured a closed casket would be inorder.
I instructed Bill Schmidly to inspect the body and, if necessary, clean up her face some for evidentiary photos to be taken. When I mentioned my reasons, he said that he routinely works with forensic photographers, so he would go ahead and get the photos that I needed. I thanked him, and since my aunts agreed upon next Thursday for the funeral, I went ahead and scheduled it as well.
When I saw the photos that were taken of my sister, I changed my mind and decided to go with an open casket after all. The mortician had done a wonderful job on Yua. She looked absolutely beautiful. Besides, an open casket would help with closure for the family. Another thing happened when I saw her pictures, I decided that there would indeed be no mercy given. I decided that I was going to be the judge and executioner. They took my beautiful sister from me before she even had a chance to live her life. God only knows what her life had been like. I must admit that I had been having a difficult time with deciding on what the final outcome should be for the guily parties, but now there was no chance of me deciding on clemency. Everybody that had a hand in her demise would face my wrath.
The day of Yua’s funeral finally came, I, of course was present along with Aunt Ichika and Aunt Christine and Uncle Mark and my two cousins Thomas and Julie. Yua’s grandmother Aiko also made a surprise appearance. Even though I had given her ample notice, I did not think that she would make the trip. Her presence was most welcome. My current partner Detective Gault and Special Agent Pierany, my ex-partner Sergeant Tomlinson and even Captain Smelter showed up for the ceremony as well.
The ceremony was simple and was followed by a small gathering afterwards at the Captain’s house. He readily offered his house when it became apparent that he’s the only one that had a house capable of accomodating our small party. Captain Smelter was certainly a class act, he went way above and beyond what was necessary. I paid for the catering and clean-up so that he and and his wife Elizabeth would not be put out. When the day finally finished, my beloved sister Yua was buried next to her mother Sikura and her father Papa Sam. Hopefully she will finally find peace here with her loved ones. Even though I am nowhere satisfied yet, I do feel a little better that I have finally found her.
While I haven’t found peace yet, I am hoping that this ceremony in some small way will help the rest of my family resolve some of their feelings.