Get you up to speed: Foreign national, 26, arrested after British woman found dead in suitcase in Athens | News World
Elisabeth Jane Ross, a 38-year-old British charity worker, was found dead in a suitcase in an abandoned building in the Kypseli district of Athens on July 18. A 26-year-old man from Afghanistan has been arrested and charged with manslaughter, robbery, and weapon violations after confessing to the crime.
Greek police are examining Elisabeth Jane Ross’s mobile phone, which remained active after her death, suggesting attempts to create the impression she was still alive. The 26-year-old suspect, charged with manslaughter and robbery, reportedly used the victim’s bank cards following her death.
Greek police have arrested a 26-year-old Afghan man who confessed to the murder of British charity worker Elisabeth Jane Ross, charged him with manslaughter, robbery, and weapon violations. Authorities are investigating the victim’s mobile phone, which showed suspicious activity after her death, indicating that someone attempted to mislead others into believing she was still alive.
What remains unclear — It is unknown who assisted the suspect in disposing of Elisabeth Jane Ross’s body or facilitating the use of her bank cards.
Man detained after British woman found dead in suitcase in Athens
Elisabeth Jane Ross was found dead last Saturday
A man has been arrested in connection with the death of a British charity worker found dead in Athens.
Elisabeth Jane Ross, 38, was found stuffed inside a suitcase and hidden in an abandoned building on July 18.
Greek police said a 26-year-old from Afghanistan confessed in police interrogation and has been charged with manslaughter, robbery and weapon violations.
Police said a raid of the suspect’s home found a fake pistol and a knife.
He is also suspected of using the victim’s bank card following her death.
The Scottish national would volunteer at local NGO charities and visit the Greek capital often, it has emerged.
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Known as Lisa, she would be seen talking to homeless people in the run-down sections of the city.
Detectives told local media they are investigating her mobile phone which ‘remained active’ after she died.
An abandoned building where the body of a British 38-year-old woman, Elisabeth Ross, was found (Picture: Reuters)
They believe someone was sending messages to create the false impression that she was still alive. It was then switched off when the case began to garner international attention.
The texts claim she ‘needed some time to herself’ and that she ‘wanted to be alone for a while’, according to media outlets in the country.
Police told Greek media: ‘The phone was being used. Text messages were even sent obviously with a view to making people believe she was still alive.
Greek authorities remove body of Elisabeth Jane Ross from an abandoned building.
(Picture: Intime News/Athena Pictures)
A homeless man found Elisabeth’s body after following a ‘bad smell’ into an empty building. He then saw something coming out of a suitcase which ‘looked like a human limb’.
Elisabeth Jane Ross, from Scotland, was found dead in the Kypseli district in Athens on Saturday
Hellenic Police said that specialised officers carried out biological tests on the composed body. They managed to retrieve a set of fingerprints but were not on any Greek databases. The information was shared with US authorities who found them to be identical to those of a 38-year-old British citizen.
Elisabeth entered the country on June 26 and resided in a friendly residence in the Piraeus area until July 10, 2026, when she left for an unknown destination within Attica.
‘It emerged that the 26-year-old placed the body in a suitcase and transported it to the abandoned site.
‘In fact, in the following days, the 26-year-old used the victim’s bank cards to withdraw money.’
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