Disturbing CCTV footage has emerged showing the man arrested in connection with the death of a Scottish woman allegedly wheeling a suitcase containing her remains through the streets of Athens, Greece. The footage, reportedly captured on July 16, shows 26-year-old Sharif Ahmadzai hauling a large black suitcase through the city centre before abandoning it in a derelict building in the Kypseli district.
Discovery of Lisa Ross's Body
Elisabeth Jane Ross, known as Lisa, a 38-year-old from Edinburgh, was found dead inside a suitcase by a homeless man in an abandoned building in Kypseli on Saturday, July 18. The discovery came two days after the CCTV footage allegedly shows Ahmadzai's movements. Ahmadzai has since been arrested and charged in connection with Lisa's death, facing charges of intentional homicide, robbery, and weapons offences, according to local media reports.
Reports from the Guardian indicate that Ahmadzai has confessed to transporting Lisa's body in the suitcase but denies murder. George Kalliakmanis, honorary president of the police officers' association in Athens, told the Guardian: "He has admitted to carrying her body in a trolley 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."
Background of the Suspect
Ahmadzai is a champion boxer from Afghanistan who ran a refugee charity in the Greek capital. He arrived in Lesvos in 2016 as a migrant and later married US-born Alaina Hall in 2023. The couple established a ministry to support refugees in Athens and are believed to have known Elisabeth through their work, according to the Daily Mail. They held a key to the flat she was staying in, which was owned by their organisation, Love Every Nation Athens.
Preliminary medical reports indicate that Elisabeth died from asphyxiation, according to The Times. An autopsy is currently under way, with Lisa's official cause of death remaining unknown until toxicology reports are released. Investigators established that Lisa arrived in Greece in late June and stayed at several locations before renting a ground-floor flat in Exarchia. The Daily Mail reports that officers said the accused had access to her apartment via a set of keys.
Investigation and Evidence
Lisa was last known to have been in contact with a friend three days before she was discovered dead. Those close to her grew alarmed when they continued receiving text messages that seemed uncharacteristic of her writing style. Ahmadzai's wife, Alaina, is understood to have provided crucial evidence to the investigation, including a location-sharing application showing her husband at Lisa's apartment during the night of 15 July and into 16 July. After Lisa's identity became public, she reportedly grew suspicious of Ahmadzai's involvement and left their home with her child.
Alaina is understood to have handed officers a mobile phone and €2,550 in cash that she believed may have belonged to the victim. During questioning, Ahmadzai allegedly claimed he discovered Lisa dead in the apartment bathroom before placing her body in a suitcase and disposing of it the following night. However, police reportedly allege he later admitted to using the victim's mobile phone to impersonate her in messages sent to family members and friends, while also withdrawing money using her bank cards.
Weapons Charges and Court Appearance
A search of the suspect's property on August 1 uncovered a replica Glock-style pistol and a military-style knife, resulting in additional weapons charges. Ahmadzai's website states his father, a military commander in Kabul, was shot dead in a Taliban ambush when he was four. His older brother was kidnapped by the Taliban five years later. The remainder of his family perished in a suicide car bomb when he was 15, the website adds. Ahmadzai travelled to Greece in a small boat and went on to claim the Greek super lightweight boxing title in March 2023.
He has been referred to the relevant prosecuting authority to face the charges and is reportedly due to appear before magistrates in Athens on Wednesday.
