Afghan boxer accused of killing Scottish charity worker found in suitcase in Athens

A 26-year-old Afghan boxer and charity worker was accused of intentional homicide on Sunday, after three days of questioning, over the death of a Scottish woman whose body was found inside a suitcase in an abandoned building in central Athens. He is due before an investigating magistrate on Wednesday to be formally charged.

Sharif Ahmadzai, a professional lightweight boxer who arrived in Greece as a child refugee, is expected to appear before an investigating magistrate on Wednesday. He denies killing Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, but has admitted placing her body in a suitcase, transporting it to the derelict building in the Kypseli district and subsequently withdrawing about €10,000 from ATMs using her credit cards.

The discovery

Ross's body was found around midday on 18 July by a homeless man inside the abandoned building, after nearby residents reported a strong odour. The body, wrapped in black fabric, was in an advanced state of decomposition. An initial post-mortem at the scene found no evident signs of injury and forensic scientists believe Ross was likely asphyxiated, but the autopsy was deemed inconclusive because of the decay. Toxicological tests and analysis of vital organs are expected to settle the cause of death, and police say the toxicology report is being fast-tracked.

Ross, a charity worker from Scotland, arrived in Athens from Edinburgh on 26 June. She initially stayed with Greek friends before moving on 10 July to a flat in the Exarchia district used by the refugee solidarity group Love Every Nation Athens, run by Ahmadzai and his American wife Alaina Hall. Her last confirmed contact was the night of 15 July.

The suspect

Ahmadzai travelled to Greece via Iran and Turkey, arriving on the island of Lesbos at the height of Europe's migration crisis a decade ago. He was orphaned at 15 after his father, an Afghan army commander, was shot dead and his mother and siblings were killed by a suicide bomber in Kabul. On Lesbos he met Hall, who was volunteering in the Moria camp where he worked as a translator. He converted to Christianity in 2017 and the couple married in 2023. They have a child together and founded Love Every Nation Athens to help other refugees. Ahmadzai also wrote a memoir titled "From Hell to Home" about his journey.

The investigation

Ross was a friend of Hall's with similar volunteering experience and religious views. Hall is widely described as having played a significant role in the investigation: after becoming suspicious of Ahmadzai's movements and of his sudden cash, the proceeds of withdrawals on Ross's cards, she contacted police, handed over money he had given her and moved into a hotel. Ahmadzai had keys to the Exarchia flat, in a block he helped manage, where their group regularly met.

Security camera footage from the night of 16 July shows a man calmly wheeling a suitcase through central Athens from Exarchia to the abandoned property in Kypseli. Thirteen minutes later he is seen leaving the building carrying only a backpack, without the suitcase.

Investigators also found that messages continued to be sent from Ross's phone after her death, telling relatives she needed time alone and wanted to be by herself. Police believe the killer sent them to mislead friends, family and authorities. The phone stopped emitting a signal once the case began receiving international attention.

What Ahmadzai told police

According to Greek police, Ahmadzai told investigators he went to the flat and found Ross already dead. He said he placed her body in the suitcase and moved it so he could continue withdrawing money from her cards without arousing suspicion. He has not admitted the homicide.

He has admitted to carrying her body to the site. Police have CCTV footage of him doing this on the night of 16 July. He has also confessed to withdrawing €10,000 from ATMs using credit cards that belonged to her. But he has denied murder which police do not believe.

George Kalliakmanis, honorary president of the police officers association in Athens, said the homicide division was now focused on establishing the motive. Two scenarios are being examined: that a confrontation occurred after Ross discovered Ahmadzai going through her belongings and stealing her credit cards, or that it was a case of sexual assault, or of Ross spurning his advances.

Next steps

Ahmadzai was accused after three days of questioning at police headquarters; the formal charge is to be put to him by the investigating magistrate. During a search of his home, officers found a fake pistol and a knife. He will appear before an investigating magistrate on Wednesday. The investigation remains open as authorities work to establish the full circumstances of the killing.