The 26-year-old man arrested and charged over the death of Elisabeth Jane Ross, also known as Lisa, worked as a cleaner in the apartment block where she lived, according to reports.
Her remains were found inside a suitcase by a homeless man in an abandoned building in the Kypseli district of Athens on Saturday, July 18. The suspect, from Afghanistan, faces charges of intentional homicide, robbery and weapons offences.
Suspect's role in the building
George Kalliakmanis, the president of the Attica Police Officers' Union, told The Times: “[The suspect] and his wife worked as the cleaners of the building where Elisabeth lived. He allegedly killed her, took her bank card, and put her body in a suitcase or a box. He then transported it to the abandoned building using a trolley.
“Once there, he realised the suitcase he had used would likely contain his fingerprints, so he transferred the body into a second suitcase, trying to be more careful to avoid leaving prints.”
Timeline leading to the discovery
Investigators determined that Lisa, from Edinburgh, arrived in Greece in late June and stayed at several locations before renting a ground-floor apartment in Exarchia. According to cops, the accused had access to her apartment through a set of keys.
Lisa was last known to have contacted a friend three days before she was found dead. Her loved ones then became concerned when they continued receiving text messages that appeared uncharacteristic of her writing style, raising fears that someone else was using her phone.
After cops trawled CCTV and mobile phone data, footage showed the suspect transporting a large suitcase from the Exarchia apartment to the abandoned building in Kypseli on the night of July 16. Minutes later, he was captured leaving the area carrying only a backpack.
Wife's evidence and arrest
The suspect's wife also provided key evidence to the probe. She told investigators that a location-sharing application showed her husband at Lisa's apartment during the night of July 15 and into July 16.
After Lisa's identity became public, she reportedly suspected her husband’s involvement and left their home with her child. His wife handed cops a mobile phone and €2,550 in cash that she believed may have belonged to the victim.
During questioning, the suspect allegedly claimed he found Lisa dead in the apartment bathroom before placing her body in a suitcase and disposing of it the following night. But police allege he later admitted to using the victim's mobile phone to impersonate her in messages sent to relatives and friends, while also withdrawing money using her bank cards.
A search of the suspect’s home on August 1 uncovered a replica Glock-style pistol and a military-style knife, leading to additional weapons charges. The suspect has been referred to the competent prosecuting authority to face the charges.
Lisa's cause of death remains unknown pending toxicology reports. An autopsy is currently underway.
