Greek police have arrested a 26-year-old Afghan man suspected of murdering a Scottish aid worker and hiding her body inside a suitcase in an abandoned building in Athens.
The body of Elizabeth Jane Ross, 38, was discovered by a homeless man on July 18 in the central Athens neighborhood of Kypseli.
British media reported that the suspect allegedly tried to conceal her death in the following days by using her phone to send messages to relatives while posing as Ross.
“I need time alone,” one message reportedly said. Another stated: “I want to be alone for a while.”
The man was arrested Thursday, nearly two weeks after the body was found, after security cameras allegedly captured him using Ross’ bank cards at several ATMs.
Body discovered in abandoned building
Ross, who lived in Edinburgh, reportedly had ties to a Greek organization that assists refugees arriving in the country, particularly those from Afghanistan and Iran.
As part of her work, she frequently traveled to Greece.
She arrived for her final visit on June 26 and initially stayed for about two weeks with acquaintances in Keratsini, an Athens suburb. She later left for what local police described as an unknown destination.
The abandoned Athens building where the body was found inside a suitcase
(Photo: REUTERS/Louiza Vradi)
According to the BBC, Ross told those hosting her that she planned to travel on July 15 to Kypseli, where she said she had American friends.
Three days later, a homeless man found her body inside a suitcase in an abandoned building in the same neighborhood.
Reports said the body had been wrapped in fabric. The man who discovered it told investigators that the suitcase had not been there two days earlier, suggesting it was placed in the building no earlier than July 16.
The investigation initially encountered difficulties because no fingerprints were found on the suitcase, The Guardian reported.
The breakthrough came after the suspect allegedly began using Ross’ bank cards.
(Photo: REUTERS/Louiza Vradi)
“He was caught on camera withdrawing money with the cards from several ATMs,” a source familiar with the investigation told the newspaper.
Messages allegedly sent from victim’s phone
Police arrested the suspect at an apartment in central Athens, where investigators said they seized an imitation handgun and a knife.
Greek police said he confessed to the killing, according to the reports.
Investigators also allege that he used Ross’ phone to send messages to her family, including her father, in an effort to delay suspicion and make it appear that she was still alive.
The messages continued until Wednesday, the day before his arrest, when news of Ross’ death became public.
The Sun reported that the messages helped investigators track the phone’s location.
“It is clear that whoever sent them was trying to buy time,” an officer familiar with the investigation told the newspaper.
Motive and cause of death remain unclear
Authorities have not yet established what led to Ross’ death.
The Daily Mail reported that investigators suspect the man may have met her through her work assisting refugees and homeless people.
The precise cause of death also remains unknown.
An initial examination reportedly found no clear signs of injury or a struggle, but the results were inconclusive. Authorities are awaiting toxicology findings and further analysis of tissue samples.
Greek prosecutors were expected to file charges against the suspect.
‘Here lies an angel’
Flowers were placed outside the abandoned building where Ross’ body was found. One accompanying note read: “Here lies an angel.”
A friend from Edinburgh used similar words in an interview with The Guardian.
“We lost an angel,” the friend said. “She was full of innocence and kindness. She only wanted to help people everywhere she went.”
The Telegraph reported that Ross was a devout Christian who had volunteered not only in Greece but in other parts of the world, including assisting Syrian refugees in the Kurdistan region.
In Athens, she was reportedly often seen speaking with homeless people in poorer parts of the city, including areas where people gathered to use drugs and sleep outdoors.