Man in court after Scottish woman's body found inside suitcase in Athens by homeless man

The 26-year-old man is accused of killing Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, a Scottish charity worker from Edinburgh whose body was found in a suitcase in a derelict building in Athens' Kypseli area on July 18

Abigail Hunt Content Editor

09:50, 05 Aug 2026

[Elisabeth Jane Ross, also known as Lisa, was found by a homeless man on July 18.]

Elisabeth Jane Ross, also known as Lisa, was found by a homeless man on July 18(Image: Facebook)

A man charged with the murder of a Scottish woman and disposing of her body in a suitcase has made an appearance at an Athens court.

The 26-year-old is accused of killing Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, whose body was found by a homeless man in an abandoned building in the Kypseli district of the Greek capital on July 18. The man arrived for a hearing on Wednesday morning in an unmarked grey Hyundai i30 car, accompanied by several police officers.

He departed in the same vehicle about an hour later. It's understood that he was assigned a court-appointed solicitor during the hearing, which was held behind closed doors. He is due to appear again for another hearing on Thursday.

[A 26-year-old man arrives in court on Wednesday]

A 26-year-old man arrives in court on Wednesday(Image: PA)

The court is situated on Evelpidon Street in the city, just a short stroll from where the charity worker's body was discovered.

The suspect is widely believed to be Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, an Afghan boxer who left his homeland after being orphaned as a teenager. His identity has not been officially confirmed by the authorities.

He was initially arrested on charges of illegal weapons possession, and is now facing a murder charge as well as accusations that he stole more than 10,000 euro from the victim's bank accounts using her bank cards, according to the police.

[Greek officials have stated that he confessed to moving the body, but refuted the murder allegations]

Greek officials have stated that he confessed to moving the body, but refuted the murder allegations(Image: Facebook)

Greek officials have stated that he confessed to moving the body, but refuted the murder allegations.

Police said the suspect was taken into custody for questioning after investigators examined CCTV footage recorded near the derelict building.

After allegedly killing Ms Ross, Ahmadzai is accused of sending a series of messages from her phone to her friends and family before turning off the device.

[The abandoned building where Elisabeth-Jane Ross's body was found]

The abandoned building where Elisabeth-Jane Ross's body was found(Image: Mega TV news in Greece )

He is then reported to have purchased another phone and texted her friends in Athens, including his wife, pretending to be an unidentified jihadist claiming he had murdered the Scot due to her faith, according to Greek newspapers Proto Thema and Ta Nea.

The papers reported that his wife, a US citizen named Alaina Hall, informed the police that she suspected her husband's involvement in the murder when she woke up to find he was not in their flat and tracked his phone to where Ms Ross was staying.

Ms Ross is thought to have died between five and seven days prior to being discovered, during a heatwave where temperatures soared to 36C.

The Hellenic Police, Greece's national force, were able to identify her using fingerprints. Ms Ross, who is believed to be from Edinburgh, arrived in Greece on June 26 and was initially staying with friends in Piraeus, a port area of Athens.

She is then reported to have gone to meet American friends in another part of the Greek capital, but it remains unclear if this meeting ever took place.

Authorities are awaiting the results of tissue analysis to determine whether she died from suffocation, as suggested by a preliminary assessment by the medical examiner.

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The Foreign and Commonwealth Office earlier stated: "Our thoughts are with Elisabeth's family during this difficult time. We are providing consular support and are in contact with the local authorities."

A spokesperson for Police Scotland previously stated: "We are aware of the death of a Scottish woman in Athens and are liaising with authorities in Greece. Officers are providing support to her family in Scotland."

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