A man is set to face trial in a Greek court for the alleged murder of a Scottish woman, whose body was found in a suitcase in Athens. Recently released CCTV footage purportedly shows the accused, identified as Sharif Ahmadzai, transporting the victim’s body through the streets of Athens in the mentioned suitcase.
The suspect, a 26-year-old originally from Afghanistan, was captured on video wearing a black T-shirt and shorts while carrying the suitcase towards an abandoned building in Kypseli on July 16. It is claimed that he abandoned the body of the victim, Elisabeth Jane Ross, also known as Lisa, in that location before fleeing the scene. The victim’s remains were discovered two days later by a homeless individual who promptly alerted the authorities.
Following a review of surveillance footage near the abandoned building, the suspect was taken into custody for illegal possession of weapons. Subsequently, he was charged with murder and accused of stealing over 10,000 euros from the victim’s bank accounts using her bank cards.
Although the suspect admitted to moving the body, he denies the murder allegations. Reports suggest that after the crime, he impersonated the victim by sending messages from her phone to her acquaintances before turning off the device. Additionally, he allegedly used another phone to send messages to the victim’s friends in Athens, posing as an unnamed jihadist claiming responsibility for the murder due to the victim’s religion.
The victim is believed to have passed away between five to seven days before her discovery during a heatwave in Athens. Greek authorities have identified the victim as Ms. Ross through fingerprint analysis and are awaiting further examination results to determine the cause of death.
Both the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Police Scotland have extended their support to the victim’s family during this tragic period. The UK authorities are working in collaboration with the Greek officials to address the case.