A man is set to face trial in a Greek court for the alleged murder of a Scottish woman and the disposal of her body in a suitcase in Athens. This court appearance follows the release of disturbing CCTV footage showing the accused individual, reportedly identified as Sharif Ahmadzai, pushing the victim’s body through the streets of Athens.
The video captured a man, believed to be Ahmadzai, dressed in a black T-shirt and shorts, carrying a blue rucksack, transporting the large suitcase through the city center. The footage traces his movements as he slowly made his way to an abandoned building in Kypseli on July 16, where the body of Elisabeth Jane Ross, also known as Lisa, was allegedly abandoned. Her remains were discovered two days later by a homeless individual who alerted the authorities.
After reviewing surveillance footage near the scene, the suspect was taken into custody for questioning. Initially detained on charges related to illegal weapons possession, the 26-year-old now faces accusations of murder and theft of over 10,000 euros from the victim’s bank accounts using her bank cards.
Although admitting to moving the body, the suspect denies the murder charges. Following the alleged murder, he allegedly sent messages from the victim’s phone to her contacts before acquiring another phone to text her friends, including his spouse, in an attempt to deceive them. Reports suggest that he impersonated an unnamed jihadist in these messages, claiming responsibility for the act due to the victim’s religion.
Ms. Ross is believed to have passed away between five and seven days before her discovery during a heatwave with temperatures reaching 36 degrees Celsius. Greek authorities, including the Hellenic Police, identified her using fingerprints and are awaiting tissue analysis results to determine the cause of death, potentially suffocation as indicated by a preliminary medical examiner assessment.
Both the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Police Scotland have expressed condolences to the victim’s family and are collaborating with Greek authorities to provide support and investigate the case.