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Body in suitcase case
Greek police said a 26-year-old man admitted transporting the body of Scottish woman Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, in a suitcase to an abandoned building in the Kypseli district of Athens, after she was found on 18 July.
“brought to police headquarters on Thursday where he "confessed to his actions"”
The BBC reported Ross, known to her family as Lisa, was found in Kypseli days after she was reported missing, and that police arrested the suspect after he was brought to police headquarters on Thursday where he "confessed to his actions".
Police said Ross arrived in Greece on 26 June and stayed in the Piraeus area until 10 July, when she left for an unknown destination in Attica.
Greek police also said the suspect transported Lisa's body to the abandoned site and subsequently used her bank cards to withdraw money, while searches at his home found a replica pistol and a knife.
The BBC said the man was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, robbery and weapons offences, but that the exact charges have yet to be finalised under the Greek legal system.
Conflicting charge framing
The BBC said the suspect was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, robbery and weapons offences, while The Guardian reported police opened a criminal file for "intentional homicide, robbery and violation of the law [regarding] weapons."
The Guardian said the suspect was expected to be charged on Monday and that police sources described "various arms – some real, some fake" discovered at his home.
Noticias Caracol said Greek police announced on Sunday, August 2, that they arrested a 26-year-old man identified in the media as Afghan and added that he had confessed to his actions.
Noticias Caracol said agents from the Directorate for the Fight Against Organized Crime resolved the homicide of a British citizen, 38 years old, whose body was found inside a suitcase in an abandoned building in the Kypseli area on July 18.
The BBC also reported that Greek police were fast-tracking toxicology reports to ascertain the cause of her death, potentially "in the coming days".
Investigation and next steps
Police said the investigation involved cooperation with authorities in the US, the UK and Scotland, and the BBC reported that First Minister John Swinney called it an "absolutely appalling case".
“First Minister John Swinney called it an "absolutely appalling case"”
The BBC quoted a Scottish government spokesperson saying: "As this remains an operational matter for Police Scotland, it would not be appropriate to comment further."
The Guardian said police sources told it that the suspect’s alleged use of credit cards that belonged to Ross contributed to identifying him, and that he was caught on camera withdrawing money with the cards from various ATMs.
The Guardian also said investigators had been unable to make headway for days citing the lack of fingerprints or DNA on the suitcase, and that police described text messages sent to her father and other family members as deliberately misleading.
STV News said the man was charged with killing a Scottish woman in Athens after her body was discovered in a suitcase in the district of Kypseli in Athens on Saturday, July 18, and that officers said he placed her body in the suitcase and transported it to the abandoned site.
