The body of Elisabeth-Jane Ross, a 38-year-old from Edinburgh, was found in a suitcase by a homeless man in an abandoned car park in the Kypseli area of Athens at around 1pm on July 18. Greek police believe she may have been dead for around eight days, with no visible wounds or clear signs of struggle.
Greek police have reportedly named a man known as Markos as their prime suspect in the investigation. He is described as a homeless man in his 40s with extensive tattoos and is said to have a reputation for aggression.
Suspect described as aggressive drug user
According to the Daily Mail, Markos is known to frequent the area where the British woman's body was found. He has been described as a drug user and heavy drinker with a reputation for being aggressive. Police have launched a search across Athens after he has not been seen in the area since the space turned into a crime scene.
A Greek police source told the Mail: "We have a lead on a homeless man. We want to question a particular individual, but we are also looking for a number of other people as part of this investigation."
Phone activity after death
Following the discovery of Lisa's body, police revealed that texts were sent from her phone in the days after her death and until she was identified by the press. A Greek officer said: "The phone was being used. Text messages were even sent obviously with a view to making people believe she was still alive."
Victim's movements and investigation
Lisa is said to have travelled to Greece on June 29 via Cyprus after coming from the US. She had been staying in the Keratsini area of Athens with Greek friends, who have been cleared of any wrongdoing, but had told them she was going to visit "American friends" in Kypseli.
Greek police said they are working to identify these "American friends" while waiting for the results of toxicology tests. A spokesperson said: "We do not yet know who the people she visited (in Kypseli) are, nor whether they are Americans or if they even exist. We are trying to find out where she went and who she stayed with."
Police Scotland and background
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "We are aware of the death of Scottish woman in Athens and are liaising with authorities in Greece. Officers are providing support to her family in Scotland."
It is believed that Lisa had visited Greece regularly over the course of seven years, working for a number of NGOs to help vulnerable social groups including abused women and migrants. It is also believed she may have been moved by the issues faced by Greece's homeless population and had been in the area for compassionate reasons linked to her Christian faith.
