A close acquaintance of a woman from Scotland, whose remains were discovered inside a suitcase in Athens, shared her concerns about the missing person. Afghan boxer Sharif Ahmadzai faces charges of intentional homicide in connection with the death of Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, whose body was found by a homeless individual in an abandoned building in the Kypseli district of the Greek capital on July 18.
Ahmadzai was transported to the Court of First Instance in Athens this morning in a grey Hyundai vehicle with tinted windows. Reports from Greece indicate that Alaina Hall, the defendant’s wife, informed the authorities about her growing apprehension after losing contact with her friend in July.
Hall, who knew the victim and met her in February through volunteer work and church gatherings, last saw her on July 12. After sending a text message to Ross six days later without receiving a response, Hall inquired with Ahmadzai, who claimed their last interaction was on July 15 when Ross supposedly requested his company to deliver a bible.
Expressing her unease, Hall recalled waking up at midnight on July 15 to find her husband absent and later discovering his presence at an apartment on Rethymno Street through location tracking on her phone. This led to suspicions as she had no reason to believe he would be there at that hour.
Following Ross’s disappearance and subsequent discovery of her body, Hall became increasingly fearful that the victim was her friend. She attempted to contact Ross through text messages and noted unusual responses that did not match Ross’s typical communication style in terms of language proficiency and emoji usage.
Feeling unsettled by the sequence of events, Hall raised her concerns to authorities, highlighting discrepancies in dates, messages, and her husband’s behavior. As the investigation progressed, she and her husband received threatening messages with photos, believed to be from Ahmadzai to divert attention away from him.
Ahmadzai, initially apprehended for illegal possession of weapons, now faces charges of intentional homicide and alleged theft of over 10,000 euros from Ross’s bank accounts. Despite admitting to relocating the body, Ahmadzai denies involvement in the homicide. During a recent court appearance, his lawyer confirmed his silence on the charges.
The judge ordered Ahmadzai’s pre-trial detention pending further evidence gathering, with another hearing scheduled for a later date. Surveillance footage near the crime scene led to Ahmadzai’s arrest, with authorities identifying Ross using fingerprints. Ross, reportedly from Edinburgh, entered Greece on June 26 and initially stayed with friends in Piraeus, a port area of Athens.
Both the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Police Scotland expressed their condolences and offered support to Ross’s family, emphasizing ongoing cooperation with Greek authorities in the case.