Body found in suitcase in Athens is that of 38-year-old British woman

Original article by Helena Smith in Athens

A body found in a suitcase in an abandoned building in central Athens has been identified as that of a 38-year-old British woman.

Eleven days after the find, police shed some light on the mystery of a body that until Wednesday had remained unidentified, after appealing to foreign law enforcement agencies.

“The remains, we can confirm, have been identified as belonging to a British woman,” one well-placed source said. “Her next of kin have been informed.” They added that it had been ascertained the victim had been born in Scotland in 1988.

Late on Wednesday, Greek media named the victim as Elizabeth Jane Ross. She had been staying in the city with friends, who reported seeing her for the last time on 15 July.

Adding to the mystery surrounding the circumstances of her death, it was revealed that her mobile phone had been fully operational until news of her identification was released.

Police were alerted after a homeless man discovered the suitcase on 18 July in a derelict building in Kypseli, a district popular among foreign nationals in downtown Athens, according to the public broadcaster ERT.

Ross had reportedly flown to the region from the US, arriving in Greece, on 29 June, from Cyprus.

Greek homicide officers sent fingerprints to Interpol after drawing a blank on local databases. US authorities had provided evidence on the basis of the DNA that police released on Wednesday.

Detectives cordoned off the building on Evelpidon Street as they investigated the circumstances of Ross’s death.

A police spokesperson, Konstantina Dimoglidou, had previously said CCTV was being examined to try to trace Ross’s movements before her death. Authorities were treating the incident “as a criminal act, given how the body was found”, she told Skai TV.

Airlines are also believed to have been approached as investigators try to reconstruct Ross’s journey to Greece and determine whether she was travelling alone. Officials in Greece and Cyprus were scouring flight logs and hotel bookings.

Local media, citing the results of a postmortem, said Ross had been dead for eight days before the discovery. There was “no evidence” of a struggle or signs of injury.

Greek officials did not rule out UK investigators joining the inquiry.

An FCDO spokesperson 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.”

Greece is no stranger to British tourists dying in what is a popular holiday destination – often by drowning or as a result of road accidents – “but incidents like this are very rare”, officials said.