A man accused of killing a Scottish woman and disposing of her body in a suitcase in Athens reportedly used a burner phone to pose as a jihadist who claimed to have killed her because of her Christian faith.
Victim identified
The woman, identified as 38-year-old Elisabeth-Jane Ross, was discovered dead by a homeless man in a derelict building in the Kypseli area of the Greek capital on July 18.
The suspect is widely reported to be Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, an Afghan boxer who left his home country after being orphaned as a teenager and converted to Christianity when he met his wife, a US citizen named Alaina Hall. The authorities have not publicly confirmed his identity.
Alleged messages
After allegedly murdering Ms Ross, Ahmadzai is accused of sending a series of messages from her phone to her friends and family before switching off the device. He is then said to have bought another phone and texted her friends in Athens, including his wife, impersonating an unnamed jihadist saying he had killed the Scot because of her religion, Greek newspapers Proto Thema and Ta Nea reported.
The newspapers reported that Ms Hall told the police that she suspected her husband’s involvement in the murder when she woke up to find he was not in their apartment and tracked his phone to where Ms Ross was staying.
Court appearance
Ahmadzai is due to appear in court on Wednesday. Ms Hall’s aunt, Leanne Hall, told the Daily Mail that her pilot brother, Thomas, 65, and sister-in-law Susan, 61, had not wanted her to marry Ahmadzai.
Ms Ross, who was known as Lisa, is believed to have died between five and seven days before she was found, during a heatwave in which temperatures reached 36C. The Hellenic Police, Greece’s national force, were able to identify her using fingerprints.
Investigation details
Ms Ross, who is understood to be from Edinburgh, entered Greece on June 26 and was initially staying with friends in Piraeus. She is then said to have gone to meet American friends in another part of the Greek capital.
The Hellenic Police said they analysed video footage to identify the suspect, who they allege confessed on Thursday. The 26-year-old man is believed to have put her body into a suitcase, taking it to the abandoned site where it was found.
In the following days he is said to have used her bank card to withdraw money. A replica pistol and a knife were found at the suspect’s home and police have filed a case against him for manslaughter, robbery and violation of weapons laws.
Official responses
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said earlier: “Our thoughts are with Elisabeth’s family during this difficult time. We are providing consular support and are in contact with the local authorities.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson previously said: “We are aware of the death of a Scottish woman in Athens and are liaising with authorities in Greece. Officers are providing support to her family in Scotland.”
