Greek authorities have identified the body found in a suitcase in an abandoned building in central Athens as that of a 38-year-old British woman, revealing she had been dead for several weeks.
Eleven days after the discovery, police shed light on the mystery after appealing to foreign law enforcement agencies. The remains were confirmed to belong to a British woman, with next of kin informed. The victim was born in Scotland in 1988.
Details of the Discovery
The body was found wrapped in cloth and placed in a bin bag inside the suitcase on 18 July in a derelict building in Kypseli, a district popular among foreign nationals in downtown Athens. A homeless man reportedly made the discovery, according to public broadcaster ERT. The woman was described as 5ft 4in tall with auburn hair gathered in a bun, wearing a black T-shirt and shorts, with no tattoos or distinguishing marks.
The woman had reportedly flown from the US to Greece, arriving on 29 June from Cyprus.
Investigation and Forensics
Greek homicide officers sent fingerprints to Interpol after drawing a blank on local databases. US authorities provided DNA evidence that police released on Wednesday. Detectives cordoned off the building on Evelpidon Street as they investigated. Police spokesperson Konstantina Dimoglidou previously said CCTV was being examined to trace the woman's movements, treating the incident as a criminal act given how the body was found. Airlines were approached to reconstruct the Briton's journey and determine if she travelled alone. Officials in Greece and Cyprus scoured flight logs and hotel bookings.
Local media, citing postmortem results, said the victim had been dead for eight days before discovery, with no evidence of a struggle or signs of injury. Greek officials did not rule out UK investigators joining the inquiry. The British embassy acknowledged being informed but made no further comment.
Officials noted that while British tourists often die in Greece from drowning or road accidents, incidents like this are very rare.
