Greek authorities have identified the remains found in a suitcase in an abandoned building in central Athens 11 days ago as those of Elizabeth Jane Ross, a 38-year-old British woman. The discovery, made on 18 July in the Kypseli district, had remained a mystery until Wednesday, when police said the victim was a British national and informed her next of kin.
How was the body found?
Police were alerted after a homeless man discovered the suitcase in a derelict building, according to the public broadcaster ERT. The building is on Evelpidon Street in Kypseli, a district in downtown Athens that is popular among foreign nationals. Detectives later cordoned off the site as they investigated the circumstances of Ross’s death.
Greek police had appealed to foreign law enforcement agencies after drawing a blank on local databases. A well-placed source said:
“The remains, we can confirm, have been identified as belonging to a British woman,”and added:
“Her next of kin have been informed.”The source also said it had been established that the victim had been born in 1988.
What do investigators know about Ross’s movements?
Greek media named the victim as Elizabeth Jane Ross late on Wednesday. She had reportedly been staying in Athens with friends, who said they last saw her on 15 July. Reports also said her mobile phone had been fully operational until news of her identification was released, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the case.
Ross had reportedly flown to the region from the US, arriving in Cyprus on 29 June. Greek homicide officers sent fingerprints to foreign authorities after failing to match them locally, and US authorities provided evidence based on DNA that police released on Wednesday.
Police spokesperson Konstantina Dimoglidou had previously said CCTV was being examined to help trace Ross’s movements before her death. She said authorities were treating the incident
“as a criminal act, given how the body was found”,when speaking to Skai TV.
What else is known about the death?
Local media, citing the results of a postmortem, said Ross had been dead for eight days before the discovery. They also reported there was “no evidence” of a struggle or signs of injury. Officials in Greece and Cyprus were scouring flight logs and hotel bookings as they tried to reconstruct Ross’s journey to Greece and determine whether she was travelling alone.
Airlines are also believed to have been approached in the investigation. Greek officials did not rule out UK investigators joining the inquiry.
How have officials responded?
A British Foreign Office 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.”Greek officials said incidents involving British tourists in Greece are not unusual, often involving drowning or road accidents, but added that cases like this are very rare.
Key Facts
- The body was found on 18 July in a derelict building in Kypseli, central Athens.
- Greek authorities identified the remains as those of Elizabeth Jane Ross, a 38-year-old British woman.
- Ross was last seen by friends on 15 July, and her mobile phone was reportedly operational until the identification was announced.
- Greek police treated the case as a criminal act and examined CCTV, flight logs and hotel bookings.
- The British Foreign Office said it was providing consular support and had contacted local authorities.
