Elisabeth Ross, a 38-year-old Scottish aid worker, was found dead inside a suitcase in Athens on July 18. A 26-year-old Afghan man has been arrested and remanded on charges including intentional homicide, robbery and firearms offences; he denies intentionally killing her. Police say CCTV, bank-card withdrawals of about €10,000 and post-death phone messages are key elements of the probe. Investigators are examining how the suspect entered Ross’s flat and whether they knew each other through refugee support work.
Scottish Aid Worker Found in Suitcase in Athens — Afghan Man Charged; He Denies Intentional Killing
An unmarked police vehicle carrying the man accused of murdering Elisabeth Ross arrives at court in Athens on Wednesday. - Nikos Panagiotopoulos/Shutterstock
A 38-year-old Scottish aid worker, Elisabeth Ross, was found dead inside a suitcase at an abandoned construction site in Athens on July 18. Greek police arrested a 26-year-old Afghan man on Sunday and remanded him in custody on charges including intentional homicide, robbery and firearms offences; he denies intentionally killing Ross.
Investigation Developments
Authorities say the suspect, whose name is withheld under Greek law, was identified from CCTV footage that shows a man wheeling a large suitcase near the abandoned site where the body was later discovered. Police allege the suspect admitted withdrawing around €10,000 from Ross’s bank account following her death.
George Kalliakmanis, head of the Union of Police Officers of Southeast Attica, said the suspect initially told investigators he found Ross dead in a bathroom, panicked and removed the body. Investigators are still probing how he entered Ross’s apartment — whether she opened the door or he had a key — and whether the two knew each other through refugee support work in Greece.
An abandoned building in Athens, Greece, where the body of a British 38-year-old woman, Elisabeth Ross, was found in a suitcase on July 18. - Louiza Vradi/Reuters
Phone Activity, Location Data and Forensic Findings
Police believe messages were sent from Ross’s phone after her death, impersonating her; those exchanges stopped after the body was discovered. After the discovery, the suspect’s wife reported to police that a location-sharing app the couple used placed her husband at Ross’s flat on the night of July 15 into the early hours of July 16. Investigators said they have found no evidence linking the wife to the killing.
An initial coroner’s report has not established a definitive cause of death, though asphyxiation has not been ruled out, Kalliakmanis said. The suspect has appeared in court for preliminary hearings while the inquiry continues.
Background Details
CNN Greece reported the suspect trained as a boxer and had some success at Greek national championships. He left Afghanistan at about age 15, arrived in Greece in 2016, and in 2023 married a US citizen; the couple have one child and co-founded a small NGO supporting refugees that same year.
Police Scotland confirmed it is liaising with Greek authorities and providing support to Ross’s family in Scotland. A US State Department spokesperson declined to confirm the wife’s nationality but said, "When an American encounters difficulties abroad, the Department works to provide all appropriate consular assistance."
Note: All allegations remain subject to investigation and legal process. The suspect denies intentional homicide.
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