British woman’s body found in suitcase in Athens after being ‘discovered by homeless man'

A Scottish woman’s body has been found in a suitcase in Athens.

Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, was found dead in a derelict building, triggering an international investigation spanning multiple law enforcement agencies.

The grim discovery was made on July 18 by a homeless man in the Kypseli neighbourhood, a central Athens district known for its large population of foreign nationals.

The building is located on Evelpidon Street.

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Ms Ross, who was born in Scotland in 1988, remained unidentified for 11 days as Greek police struggled to establish who she was, eventually turning to international agencies for assistance.

Authorities are treating the case "as a criminal act, given how the body was found," police spokeswoman Konstantina confirmed.

Ms Ross had reportedly travelled to Greece from the United States, flying via Cyprus and arriving on June 29.

She had been staying in Athens with friends, who told investigators they last saw her on July 15.

Greek media, citing postmortem findings, reported she had been dead for approximately eight days before her body was discovered, though separate accounts suggested the timeframe may have been between five and seven days.

Ms Ross's mobile phone reportedly remained fully operational even after her death, continuing to function until reports of her identification were published.

Investigators in both Greece and Cyprus have been examining flight records and hotel reservations to piece together her movements.

Greek homicide detectives initially drew a blank when running fingerprints through local databases, prompting them to send the data to Interpol.

The international policing body's records ultimately matched the prints to a woman born in 1988.

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US authorities also played a crucial role, providing evidence based on DNA samples that Greek police had released.

CCTV footage from the area surrounding the abandoned building was being scrutinised to trace Ross's final movements, Dimoglidou confirmed.

Airlines were also contacted as detectives sought to determine whether she had been travelling alone.

Despite the postmortem finding "no evidence" of a struggle or visible injuries, the manner in which the body was concealed led authorities to classify the death as criminal.

Police Scotland confirmed its awareness of the case and its cooperation with Greek authorities.

A spokesman said: "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."

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office expressed its sympathies and confirmed it was engaged with local officials.

An FCDO spokesman said: "Our thoughts are with Elizabeth's family during this difficult time. We are providing consular support and are in contact with the local authorities."

Greek police stressed the inquiry remained active, requesting further information about Ross's arrival, her companions, and her route into the country.

Officials have not excluded the possibility of British investigators joining the probe.

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