Police sources in Greece have suggested that a British charity worker may have been killed after rejecting the advances of a boxer. Elizabeth-Jane Ross, 38, from Edinburgh, was found dead in Athens on July 18, three days after she was reported missing from her flat.
Suspect's claims
Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, is suspected of killing Ross and transporting her body in a black suitcase through Athens before dumping it in an abandoned building. The Afghan boxer allegedly told detectives that Ross was already dead when he found her, and he put her in the suitcase to steal money without drawing attention.
George Kalliakmanis, a former officer who leads the police union in Athens, told The Sun: 'He went to the flat where she was staying for a reason and it's not thought that reason is because he wanted to commit robbery and steal her cards. What was it? Nothing can be ruled out. Did she reject him? Nothing can be ruled out.'
Another source close to the investigation said: 'It can't be excluded that he had feelings for Ross who rejected him.'
Investigation details
Ahmadzai, who had access to Ross's flat through a charity he ran with his wife, is the prime suspect. His wife, Alaina Hall, allegedly told detectives her husband went missing on the evening of July 15. When she checked his location on Find My Friends, it allegedly showed him at Ross's apartment.
Hall, who shares a young child with Ahmadzai, received around £2,200 in cash and a new iPhone from her husband, which she feared may have been bought with Ross's bank cards. Greek police told The Times that Hall's testimony has been 'crucial' to the investigation.
Ahmadzai, who arrived on Lesbos via Pakistan, Iran and Turkey in 2016, met his American wife at a migrant camp, where she volunteered and he worked as a translator. He has been charged with manslaughter, robbery and weapon offences.
Tribute to victim
Ross, known as Lisa, was a missionary and a long-standing member of the City on a Hill church in Edinburgh. Pastor Peter Anderson paid tribute: 'We have lost a precious church member, Lisa. She was a member of our church for 20 years, and a very, very precious girl, and it's a real tragic loss. Lisa's life was actually all about mission. She served people and she cared for people all over the world.'
