Greek police have charged a 26-year-old Afghan man with intentional homicide after the body of Elisabeth Jane Ross, 38, was discovered inside a suitcase in an abandoned building in the Kypseli district of Athens on Saturday, July 18.
Ross, known as Lisa and originally from Edinburgh, arrived in Greece in late June and rented a ground-floor flat in the Exarchia area. Local media report the suspect faces additional charges of robbery and weapons offences.
Body found in suitcase
The suitcase was located on Evelpidon Street in Kypseli. According to police, the accused had access to Lisa's flat through a set of keys. She was last known to have contacted a friend three days before her body was found.
Her family and friends grew worried when they continued to receive text messages that did not match her usual writing style, sparking fears that someone else was using her phone.
CCTV and phone data
After police examined CCTV and mobile phone data, footage showed the suspect moving a large suitcase from the Exarchia flat to the abandoned building in Kypseli on the night of July 16, according to the Daily Record. Minutes later, he was seen leaving the area carrying only a rucksack.
During interrogation, the suspect allegedly claimed he found Lisa dead in the flat's bathroom before placing her remains in a suitcase and disposing of it the following evening. However, police allege he subsequently confessed to using her phone to pose as her in texts sent to family and friends, while also making withdrawals using her bank cards.
Weapons and identification
A raid on the suspect's residence on August 1 revealed a replica Glock-style pistol and a military-style knife, resulting in further weapons charges. Officers said forensic experts were able to retrieve usable fingerprints from the victim despite the advanced state of decomposition of her remains.
Fingerprints matching Lisa were identified following cooperation from Interpol. The suspect has been referred to the appropriate prosecuting authority to face the charges. Lisa travelled to Greece on an Edinburgh flight on June 26.
Tributes to Lisa
Her aunt said: "Lisa was my beautiful loving niece we can't believe this has happened."
Pauline Hood expressed: "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 wrote: "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 commented: "I hope they find out who did this! Sending condolences to Lisa's family and friends!"
Edinburgh MSP Simita Kumar stated: "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."
