An Afghan boxer accused of murdering a British aid worker in Athens was allegedly caught on CCTV wheeling a suitcase containing her body out of her apartment before dumping it nearby. Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, is suspected of killing Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, and is set to appear before an investigating magistrate in the Greek capital on Wednesday, nearly three weeks after her body was found on July 18.
Court appearance and charges
The court appearance comes four days after Ahmadzai was accused of intentional homicide following three days of questioning. He denies murder but has confessed to hiding Ms Ross's body in a suitcase. He is also charged with robbery and illegal possession of a weapon.
George Kalliakmanis, honorary president of the police officers' association in Athens, said: "He has admitted to carrying her body in a trolley to the site. Police have CCTV footage of him doing this on the night of July 16. He has also confessed to withdrawing €10,000 [£8,500] from ATMs using credit cards that belonged to her. But he has denied murder, which police do not believe."
Investigation details
Mr Kalliakmanis added that Ahmadzai's US-born wife Alaina Hall, who was friends with Ms Ross, was very helpful. Officers began investigating Ahmadzai last Thursday after she reported his suspicious behaviour, including checking his phone location which allegedly showed him at Ms Ross's apartment on Rethymnou Street.
After the report, police raided the family home and found a replica pistol and a military-style knife. Ms Hall left the property with their baby before handing detectives £2,185 and a new Apple iPhone she believes her husband bought with Ms Ross's money.
CCTV evidence
CCTV footage allegedly shows Ahmadzai arriving by car at Ms Ross's property on July 16. At around 10pm, he is seen wheeling a suitcase along the road near the abandoned car park where her body was found. About thirteen minutes later, he is seen walking away without the case.
Forensic scientists believe Ms Ross, originally from Edinburgh, was likely asphyxiated following an initial post-mortem, though the autopsy was deemed inconclusive due to advanced decay. Further tests are expected to determine the exact cause of death.
Background and motive
Ahmadzai reportedly told police he discovered Ms Ross already dead in her bathroom. He allegedly sent messages to her relatives and friends from her phone, pretending to be her, including one saying: "I need some time. I’m going to a Greek island."
Police are still trying to establish the motive. According to the Guardian, a police source said: "We believe there was a confrontation. But was that spurred by Ross discovering the Afghan rummaging through her things and stealing her credit cards, or was it a case of sexual assault or the Briton spurning his advances?"
Ahmadzai, a professional boxer, arrived in Greece in 2016 and later converted to Christianity. He and his wife ran a ministry helping refugees. Ms Ross had volunteered in Greece for seven years, working with NGOs helping refugees and homeless people.
Ms Ross's aunt, Anne Bangham, said: "It is horrific. She was such a beautiful, loving and kind young lady. She had not long arrived there to work."
