Elisabeth-Jane Ross, a 38-year-old British woman with ties to Greece, was found dead inside a suitcase in an abandoned lot in Kypseli, central Athens, on 18 July. Greek police have assigned their entire homicide division to the case, but as of now, no suspects have been identified and the cause of death remains undetermined.
Discovery and Initial Findings
The body was discovered by a homeless man at midday on Evelpidon Street, in a derelict area between an apartment block and a design school. The site, once a car park, is now a wasteland of graffiti-covered walls and abandoned buildings, separated from a tree-lined residential road by sheets of corrugated iron.
Police spokesperson Konstantina Dimoglidou stated, “We’ve had the entire homicide division of the Greek FBI working night and day on the case. We’re in contact with other police forces. We’re going to solve this.” Initial examination of Ross’s remains proved inconclusive, though pathologists estimated she had been dead for several days before discovery. No evident injuries or signs of struggle were found, raising questions about how she died.
Background and Movements
Ross, who had lived and worked in the US and had long-standing connections to Greece, arrived in Athens from Edinburgh on 26 June for a holiday. She stayed with the son of a Greek friend in Keratsini, a suburb near Piraeus, until 15 July, when she told him she would be spending a few days with friends from the US in Kypseli. Detectives have been unable to trace these American friends, causing frustration in the investigation.
“July 15 was the last day she had contact with any of her friends,” said Dimoglidou. “Our investigations are focused on the intervening days and whom she may have met and where she stayed. The Americans have not been identified or found.” Other friends in Athens have been interviewed and are not considered suspects.
Key Evidence and Phone Activity
Police believe the suitcase was not at the crime scene for more than 48 hours before discovery and that Ross died nearby in Kypseli. However, they have not officially declared her death a murder. “There is always the possibility that she died and then for some reason was hidden,” added Dimoglidou. “Our priority is to get to the bottom of who left the suitcase. Whoever they were was careful not to leave any fingerprints or DNA.”
Adding to the mystery, Ross’s mobile phone was in operation and used days after her death. Her father received text messages from her, believing she was alive, until her body was identified publicly on Wednesday. Messages spoke of her “need to be alone.” Authorities, who have yet to retrieve the device, believe the messages were deliberately sent to delay her being reported missing and “to buy time.” The phone’s digital footprint has been located to Athens.
One source said, “We have to presume that the person who had her phone and then sent these messages, days after pathologists believe she probably died, is connected to the crime and we cannot rule out that they knew Ms Ross.”
Investigation Efforts and Forensic Challenges
More than 60 officers from the homicide division are assigned to the case. Investigators have requested expedited laboratory tests to determine the cause of death. Grigoris Leon, head of the Hellenic Society of Forensic Medicine, explained, “At such times, when there is advanced decay because of heat or the conditions in which a body is kept, only toxicological tests and in-depth examination of [vital organ] tissues can determine, exactly, how a person died.” He expressed confidence that answers will come, but “it won’t be easy and it will take time.”
Local residents, like fashion designer Manos Andreou, who walks his dog daily on Evelpidon, expressed shock. “Whenever I pass by I think of that poor woman,” he said. “Until the area was closed off, I used to go in there and let her run around it, so it’s all been a bit of a shock. They say they’re looking at camera footage, they say they’re making progress, but can you see any cameras anywhere on this street?”
As the investigation continues, Greek and Scottish police remain in contact, and the case has drawn significant attention. Ross’s friend in Edinburgh described her as “an angel” who “did good” wherever she went, adding, “Who could possibly have done this?”
