Greek police are investigating the murder of Elisabeth-Jane Ross, a 38-year-old British woman whose body was found stuffed inside a suitcase in Athens. Detectives now suspect that Ross may have lied about planning to meet American friends before her disappearance.
Ross had informed her Greek friends in the Keratsini district, near the country's main seaport, that she was going to meet people from the United States in Kypseli, a central Athens neighborhood. She was last seen by these friends on July 15. Her body was subsequently discovered in a derelict building on July 18.
Investigators have made extensive inquiries to identify and locate these purported American friends but have so far been unsuccessful. A source close to the investigation told the Mail that these individuals "may not exist." Other friends Ross had met in Athens have been interviewed and are not considered suspects.
"The victim may well have wanted to be alone and said she was off to see American friends," a source indicated.
Ross's mobile phone was reportedly used to send text messages until she was publicly identified on July 29. Her father, a lawyer from Edinburgh, stated that he received messages from his daughter's phone until the day of her formal identification. Detectives believe the killer may have been using the device to mislead investigators.
One text message, sent on July 15 to a Greek friend, stated: "I need some time – I'm going to a Greek island." Family members also reported receiving messages indicating that Ross "needed some time to herself" and "wanted to be alone for a while."
The phone itself has not been recovered but was active in Athens until recently, according to investigators. Police have confirmed they have no information about whom Ross may have met in Kypseli.
"We do not yet know who the people she visited are, or whether they are Americans," a police spokesman stated. "We are still trying to find out where she went next (after Keratsini) and who she stayed with."
The Greek couple with whom Ross stayed in Keratsini are not considered suspects and have provided information to the police. Authorities are reportedly expediting toxicological tests to determine the cause of Ross's death.
