Authorities have identified the main suspect in the murder of 24-year-old Aramata from Burkina Faso, whose body was discovered in a suitcase in the Agios Panteleimonas neighborhood of Athens — a case that has shocked the entire country. According to reports, police have identified the killer of the young woman, while the search for his whereabouts and eventual arrest is ongoing. The victim’s body was found on Sunday evening (08/11) inside a suitcase left on a sidewalk in Agios Panteleimonas.
Read also: Agios Panteleimonas: The 24-year-old found dead inside a suitcase — suspect identified (Video)
Woman found dead in suitcase in Athens: The suspect’s profile
The alleged perpetrator is described as a man from Aramata’s close circle, believed to be from Papua New Guinea and living near the location where the suitcase was found, according to information reported by police correspondent Vasilis Lampropoulos on Live News. The suspect has reportedly disappeared in recent days, making his location a top priority for investigators.
According to the same source, authorities had also looked into a young man from Cameroon who had hosted the victim at his home in the Kypseli neighborhood on her first night after arriving in Athens. He gave a statement to police and was at one point reported missing. However, Greek police (ELAS) believe he is not connected to the young woman’s death.
Athens suitcase murder: Investigators zero in on victim’s inner circle
The investigation has extended beyond Athens, with authorities closely examining Aramata’s inner circle — a group of approximately ten people who knew her. The probe also focuses on the final days she spent on the island of Folegandros, where she had been working before returning to the capital.
Within Aramata’s circle, three men of African origin have come under particular scrutiny during the investigation.
Two of them have reportedly been ruled out as suspects for different reasons. Attention has now shifted to the third — a young man believed to be from Papua New Guinea — who is considered the prime suspect currently being sought by police. A key piece of evidence in the investigation is surveillance footage that allegedly captures the moment the suitcase was left at the location where it was discovered. Authorities are reported to have identifying information about the man they are searching for, yet he remains at large.
The scenarios investigators are exploring in Aramata’s death
Regarding the circumstances of the 24-year-old’s death, investigators do not consider it likely that she died from a drug overdose before being placed in the suitcase. As reported on Live News, there are currently no indications that the young woman used drugs.
Instead, authorities are examining the possibility that an incident occurred inside a residence — such as a physical altercation — during which she died without any premeditation. This scenario remains under active investigation, and police believe that more information may emerge once the prime suspect is located.
The completion of forensic examinations is also expected to yield critical findings. According to Vasilis Lampropoulos, the victim’s hyoid bone shows no fracture — a finding that would typically be associated with strangulation.
However, the possibility of death by asphyxiation has not been ruled out. Investigators are also considering the possibility that she may have been smothered with a pillow, which could be further assessed through histological analysis — a process that has not yet been completed. The Greek police investigation remains active, with the primary objective being the apprehension of the identified prime suspect and the full clarification of the circumstances surrounding 24-year-old Aramata’s death.
