Man arrested after Scottish woman found dead inside suitcase in Athens

A man has been arrested after the death of a Scottish woman whose body was found inside a suitcase in Athens.

The 26-year-old man, who Greek police said was a foreigner, was arrested after the death of Elisabeth-Jane Ross. The 38-year-old’s body was discovered inside a suitcase by a homeless man in a derelict building in the Kypseli area of Athens on 18 July.

She is believed to have died between five and seven days before she was found, though someone was reportedly using her mobile phone to send messages purporting to be from Ross.

The Hellenic police, Greece’s national force, were able to identify the victim using fingerprints.

Ross, who is understood to be from Edinburgh, entered Greece on 26 June and was initially staying with friends in Piraeus. She is then said to have gone to meet American friends in another part of the Greek capital but it is unclear if this ever happened.

The police said they analysed video footage to identify the suspect, who confessed on Thursday. The man is believed to have put her body into a suitcase, taking it to the abandoned site where it was found. In the following days he is said to have used her bank card to withdraw money.

A replica pistol and a knife were found at the suspect’s home and police have filed a case against him for manslaughter, robbery and violation of weapons laws.

The UK Foreign Office previously said: “Our thoughts are with Elisabeth’s family during this difficult time. We are providing consular support and are in contact with the local authorities.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson 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.”