Afghan Boxer Charged in Murder of Scottish Aid Worker Found in Suitcase
WHO:
CNN - The suspect trained as a boxer and had some success in the Greek national championships.
CNN - The suspect married his wife, a US citizen, in 2023, and the couple have one child together.
CNN - The suspect is a 26-year-old Afghan man, whose name cannot be disclosed under Greek law.
ABC News - The victim is identified as Elisabeth Jane Ross, a 38-year-old Scottish aid worker.
ABC News - Migration Minister Thanos Plevris provided information about the suspect's background.
WHAT:
CNN - The suspect has admitted to using Ross’ bank card to withdraw around 10,000 euros ($11,500).
ABC News - Authorities are awaiting tissue-analysis results to confirm whether suffocation caused Ross's death.
CNN - The suspect is accused of killing Elisabeth Ross and hiding her body in a suitcase.
ABC News - The suspect has been jailed pending trial for murder.
CNN - The suspect is charged with intentional homicide, robbery, and firearms offences.
ABC News - The suspect is also charged with premeditated homicide and allegedly stealing over 10,000 euros ($11,500) from Ross's accounts.
CNN - The suspect denies the charge of intentional homicide, claiming he found Ross dead and panicked.
WHERE:
CNN - The body was found in a suitcase at an abandoned construction site in Athens, Greece.
ABC News - The body was discovered in the downtown Kypseli district of Athens.
WHEN:
CNN - The body was found on July 18.
ABC News - The suspect appeared in court on Thursday.
ABC News - The suspect entered Greece in 2016 and was granted international protection status in 2018.
WHY:
CNN - Police are investigating whether the suspect knew Ross through their work supporting refugees in Greece.
CNN - The suspect's wife reported to police that a location sharing app showed her husband was in Ross's flat on the night of July 15 and the early hours of July 16.
HOW:
CNN - Police believe that someone continued to use Ross’ cell phone after her death, sending messages pretending to be from her until the body was discovered.
ABC News - The suspect was initially held on weapons charges before being charged with murder.
CNN - Police identified the suspect from CCTV footage showing a man wheeling a large suitcase near the site where the body was found.
ABC News - The suspect was initially detained on weapons charges before being charged with murder.
(UPDATED August 7, 2026 00:50 UTC)
Authorities are investigating a suspect who has admitted to using Ross' bank card to withdraw around 10,000 euros, which is about $11,500, while also facing murder charges after being initially held on weapons charges. The suspect, who trained as a boxer and had some success in the Greek national championships, married a US citizen in 2023, and they have one child together. Police believe that someone continued to use Ross' cell phone after her death, sending messages that pretended to be from her until the body was discovered, and they are currently awaiting tissue-analysis results to confirm whether suffocation caused her death.
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(UPDATED August 6, 2026 18:37 UTC)
A 26-year-old Afghan man, whose name is not disclosed under Greek law, has been accused of killing 38-year-old Scottish aid worker Elisabeth Jane Ross and hiding her body in a suitcase at an abandoned construction site in Athens. The suspect, who has been jailed pending trial, faces multiple charges including premeditated homicide and robbery, as well as firearms offenses, while he denies the charge of intentional homicide, claiming he found Ross dead and panicked. Authorities are investigating whether the suspect knew Ross through their work with refugees, and police identified him from CCTV footage showing a man wheeling a large suitcase near the crime scene.