According to information reported by the BBC, the 26-year-old Afghan national arrested for the murder of 38-year-old British woman Elizabeth Jane Ross has confessed to transporting her body in a suitcase in the Kypseli neighborhood of Athens. As reported by Anna Emmei for parapolitika.gr, the charges filed against him include premeditated murder, robbery, and violations of weapons legislation. Details that have come to light indicate that Ross was reported missing on July 10 — two weeks after her arrival in Athens on June 26 — during her stay in Piraeus. According to the same sources, Greek authorities cooperated with agencies from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Scotland to piece together the case. The investigation has shed light on the first suspicions, drawn from the final messages sent from her mobile phone, as well as her stay in the Exarcheia neighborhood.
Kypseli murder: A timeline of the killing of the 38-year-old British woman
Authorities were initially focused on identifying the dismembered body of a woman discovered wrapped in black fabric and in an advanced state of decomposition inside a large travel suitcase, found on the afternoon of July 18 inside an abandoned building complex in Kypseli.
There were no documents, personal belongings, or any other identifying items found with the remains. Despite the condition of the body and the extreme summer heat, forensic investigators from the Criminal Investigation Division managed to recover usable fingerprints. Through cooperation with Interpol and foreign law enforcement agencies, the victim was identified as 38-year-old British national Elizabeth Jane Ross, originally from Scotland.
Ross had arrived in Greece on June 26, 2025, flying from Edinburgh. She was the daughter of a prominent Scottish lawyer who served as an advisor to the Scottish Prime Minister. From an early age, she had been deeply involved in volunteer work with churches and various organizations in the United Kingdom, Greece, and other countries. She initially stayed at an Airbnb accommodation before moving in with friends. From July 2 to July 16, she relocated to a ground-floor apartment at 9 Rethymnou Street in Exarcheia — a property to which, according to the investigation, the suspect also held a set of keys. The apartment is believed to have served as a gathering place for individuals connected to a religious organization or NGO.
A British female friend of Ross also frequented the same property. That friend’s partner was the 26-year-old Afghan national. The last confirmed contact between Ross and anyone in her circle took place on the evening of July 15. After that night, no one saw her again — though messages continued to be sent from her phone.
Family members and friends soon began to notice that the writing style in her messages had changed. The replies didn’t sound like her, the tone was different, and communications grew increasingly suspicious. It became apparent that someone else had taken possession of her phone and was attempting to create the impression that she was still alive.
€12,000 withdrawn from her bank account
At the same time, a series of withdrawals were being made from her bank account. According to investigators, the suspect allegedly withdrew the maximum permitted daily amount on a consecutive basis, with the total sum of withdrawals reaching approximately €12,000.
The breakthrough for investigators came from security camera footage and telecommunications data analysis. On the night of July 16, the 26-year-old was captured on camera leaving the apartment while carrying a large travel suitcase. His route led to the abandoned building complex where, two days later, Ross’s body would be discovered. Just minutes after arriving at the location, he was seen leaving without the suitcase — carrying only a backpack.
He was with her on the night of the murder
Significant weight was also given to the testimony of the Afghan suspect’s partner. The woman told police that, through a location-sharing app, she had determined that the 26-year-old was at the apartment where Ross was staying on the night of July 15 to 16.
When the identity of the victim was made public, she began to suspect that her partner was involved in the case. She took their child, left their shared home, and handed over to authorities a brand-new mobile phone and €2,550 in cash, believing the money may have come from the victim.
According to sources, she also testified that the 26-year-old had admitted to her that he had killed Ross. The suspected motive cited was a disagreement related to an attempt at religious conversion.
The 26-year-old was brought in for questioning on July 30 by the Organized Crime Division. During police questioning, he reportedly did not admit to killing the 38-year-old.
He claimed that when he went to the apartment, he found her already dead in the bathroom. He did, however, admit to placing her body inside the suitcase and transporting it to the abandoned building, stating that he did so to “avoid getting into trouble.”
He also reportedly confessed to using her mobile phone, sending messages to her friends and relatives while impersonating her, and making withdrawals using her bank cards.
During a subsequent search of his home, authorities seized a metal Glock-type replica pistol and a military-style knife.
