Horrifying surveillance footage has captured the moment when a man, who has been arrested in connection with the death of a British woman, was seen dragging a suitcase believed to contain her remains through the streets of Athens, Greece.
The disturbing video reportedly depicts Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, moving the large black case through the city center on July 16. Dressed in a black T-shirt and shorts with a blue rucksack, Ahmadzai can be observed walking along the streets as CCTV cameras track his journey towards an abandoned building in Kypseli.
According to authorities, Ahmadzai allegedly abandoned the body of 38-year-old Elisabeth Jane Ross, also known as Lisa, along with the suitcase in the deserted building in central Athens before fleeing the scene. Lisa’s body was discovered on July 18 by a homeless individual who promptly alerted the police.
Following his arrest, Ahmadzai has been charged with various offenses related to Lisa’s death, including intentional homicide, robbery, and weapons violations. Despite admitting to transporting Lisa’s body in the suitcase, he denies committing murder, as per reports from local media outlets.
George Kalliakmanis, the honorary president of the police officers’ association in Athens, stated that Ahmadzai confessed to moving Lisa’s body to the location using a trolley. The police possess CCTV footage of him carrying out this act on the night of July 16. Ahmadzai also admitted to withdrawing €10,000 from ATMs using Lisa’s credit cards but denies the murder allegations.
Ahmadzai, a champion boxer from Afghanistan who ran a refugee charity in Athens, arrived in Lesvos as a migrant in 2016 and married US-born Alaina Hall in 2023. The couple, known for their refugee assistance ministry in Athens, had connections with Elisabeth through their charitable work.
Preliminary medical reports suggest that Lisa died from asphyxiation, with an ongoing autopsy awaiting toxicology results to determine the official cause of death. Investigators established that Lisa had arrived in Greece in late June and had been staying at various locations before renting an apartment in Exarchia, where she was found deceased.
Concern arose among Lisa’s loved ones when they received text messages that seemed unusual in comparison to her typical writing style. Alaina, Ahmadzai’s wife, reportedly provided crucial evidence to the investigation, including a location-sharing app indicating her husband’s presence at Lisa’s apartment on the night of the incident.
Alaina also handed over a mobile phone and cash that she suspected belonged to the victim. During questioning, Ahmadzai claimed to have found Lisa dead in the apartment before disposing of her body in the suitcase the following night. However, police allege that he used Lisa’s phone to impersonate her in messages sent to her contacts and withdrew money using her bank cards.
Ahmadzai’s troubled past, detailed on his website, includes the tragic loss of his family members in Taliban-related incidents. Despite his tumultuous history, he managed to establish himself in Greece, even winning the Greek super lightweight boxing title in 2023.
The suspect has been referred to the appropriate legal authorities to face the charges and is scheduled to appear before magistrates in Athens soon.