A 26-year-old Afghan man, who worked as a cleaner at the building where Elisabeth-Jane Ross was staying, has confessed to moving her body after her death, Greek police reported.
The 38-year-old Scottish woman's remains were discovered by a homeless individual in an abandoned car park in the Kypseli district of Athens on July 18. Police have arrested the suspect in connection with her "intentional homicide."
Authorities stated that the suspect met Ms. Ross through her volunteer work assisting refugees and the homeless. He was apprehended in central Athens after allegedly using Ms. Ross's bank cards to withdraw money following her death. He has admitted to transporting her body in a suitcase to the car park where it was found.
According to police statements, the suspect confessed to his actions on July 30, admitting that he placed Ms. Ross's body in a suitcase and transported it to the abandoned site. In the subsequent days, he reportedly used her bank cards to withdraw cash. Searches at his residence uncovered a replica pistol and a knife, leading to his arrest for weapons law violations.
Ms. Ross, known as Lisa, had been a regular visitor to Greece for seven years and volunteered with the One Heart organization, which provides medical support to refugees. Her family in Edinburgh reported receiving messages from her phone between July 15 and July 29, some of which suggested she wanted to be alone or was traveling to a Greek island, an apparent attempt to conceal her death.
Her body was discovered three days after she had informed Greek friends, with whom she was staying outside Athens, that she intended to visit acquaintances in Kypseli. Police confirmed that fingerprint evidence was found on the suitcase and CCTV footage showed a man carrying it to the abandoned car park. A criminal file has been opened against the 26-year-old foreign national for intentional homicide, robbery, and weapons violations.