Toxicology findings that could explain how Elisabeth-Jane Ross died are expected in the coming days after Greek police fast-tracked the tests. The 38-year-old from Edinburgh was found dead in an abandoned building in the Kypseli district of Athens on 18 July.
Lisa, as she was known, is believed to have been dead for about eight days when her body was discovered. Police have said she had no visible wounds or clear signs of struggle. A post-mortem is under way, and officers hope the results will confirm whether foul play was involved.
Body found in abandoned building
A homeless man made the discovery on Evelpidon Street at around 1pm on 18 July. He followed a foul smell into the derelict building, which had been empty for two years, and saw a human limb visible from the outside of a suitcase.
Lisa could not be identified at first because she reportedly had no identification with her. Officers described her as around 30 years old, 5ft 4in tall, with reddish hair tied in a bun, wearing black shorts with a French university insignia and a T-shirt. On Monday, Interpol told the Hellenic Police that DNA testing confirmed the body was Ross.
It is understood Lisa travelled from Edinburgh to Greece on 26 June.
Tributes to the 'kindest soul'
Tributes have been paid after her death was confirmed. Her aunt said: "Lisa was my beautiful loving niece we can't believe this has happened."
Pauline Hood wrote: "I am totally devastated. One of the kindest souls I've ever met. Lisa would have done anything for anyone. She went that extra mile. She had a beautiful heart. I've got a lot of good memories of Lisa. Thinking of her friends and family at this most difficult time."
Jem Wren added: "Lisa was a lovely girl, I went to school with her. I just can't believe someone could do this to another person. Bless her and her family. RIP." Anne Morrison said: "I hope they find out who did this! Sending condolences to Lisa's family and friends!"
Edinburgh MSP Simita Kumar said: "My heart breaks for Elisabeth-Jane Ross, and my thoughts are with her family and friends. It's a tragic loss of such a young life. My deepest sympathies are will all who knew her. I am aware that Police Scotland are liaising with the Greek authorities, and I hope that those responsible will be brought to justice as quickly as possible. My office and I will do all we can to support Elisabeth-Jane's family through this unimaginable time."
Texts sent after death
Detectives have revealed that text messages were sent from Lisa's phone after she died. A local police officer said: "The phone was being used. Text messages were even sent obviously with a view to making people believe she was still alive. We are treating the building as a crime scene."
On 15 July, texts were sent to Lisa's family saying she "needed some time to herself" and "wanted to be alone for a while". She was last seen by friends that day. A message sent on 18 July to a Greek friend she had known "for years" and had been staying with said: "I need some time - I'm going to a Greek island."
Her phone was active in the Athens area until Lisa was formally identified by the media. Her father, from Edinburgh, is believed to have received messages from 15 to 29 July.
Search for American friends
Lisa had been staying with Greek friends in the Keratsini district and told them on 15 July she was leaving to stay with a group of Americans she knew in Kypseli. Officers have now shifted their efforts to tracing those Americans after clearing her Greek friends of any wrongdoing. They have not yet been traced.
Prime suspect named as homeless man
A homeless man called Markos has been named as the prime suspect. He is known to frequent the Kypseli district and regularly slept rough in the derelict space where the suitcase was found. He has not been seen since the building was declared a crime scene, prompting a citywide manhunt.
Markos has been described as around 40 years old, heavily covered in tattoos, and a known heavy drinker and drug user with a reputation for being aggressive and threatening, particularly towards women.
Hamid Reza, a homeless man living in a makeshift shelter near where the discovery was made, said police told him Markos is their number one suspect. The 67-year-old Iranian told the Daily Mail: "They want to find and question him very quickly. They have been asking a lot of people and driving around the area looking for him. Everybody knows that Markos carries a knife, and local women are scared of him. He was always around this area, even living in the car park, but nobody has seen him since the body was discovered."
A Greek police source said his potential involvement is being probed by detectives, but stressed it had not been reported at the time and the suggestion only came to light in recent days. The source said: "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."
