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🇬🇧 United Kingdom /Crime & Justice

Mystery surrounds death of British woman found in suitcase in Athens

From The Guardian · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Police are investigating the death of Elisabeth-Jane Ross, a 38-year-old British woman found dead in a suitcase in Athens.
  • Ross, who had connections to Greece through charitable work, arrived in Athens for a holiday nearly three weeks before her body was discovered.
  • Investigators are reviewing CCTV footage and struggling to trace American friends Ross planned to meet, as no suspects have been identified.

The body of Elisabeth-Jane Ross, a 38-year-old British woman with charitable ties to Greece, was discovered in a suitcase in a derelict lot in central Athens last month. Ross, described as an "angel" by a friend, had arrived in the Greek capital for a holiday nearly three weeks prior to the discovery.

She was an angel. Wherever she went, she did good. Who could possibly have done this?

— A friendDescribing Elisabeth-Jane Ross and her charitable work.

The grim find was made by a homeless man in an abandoned lot in the Kypseli neighborhood. Police have mobilized their homicide division and are collaborating with international forces to solve the case. "We're going to solve this," stated police spokesperson Konstantina Dimoglidou.

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.

— Konstantina DimoglidouPolice spokesperson on the ongoing investigation.

Despite initial fingerprint matches with US biometric data, the case remains shrouded in mystery. Pathologists determined Ross had likely been dead for several days, with no apparent injuries or signs of struggle on her body. DNA analysis of the suitcase has also yielded no suspect leads, leaving investigators frustrated in their attempts to reconstruct her final movements and trace American friends she intended to meet.

Whenever I pass by I think of that poor woman. 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?

— Manos AndreouA local resident expressing shock and skepticism about the investigation's progress.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Guardian in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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