British woman found dead in suitcase inside abandoned Athens building identified

29 July 2026 , 19:13

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British woman found dead in suitcase inside abandoned Athens building identified

A british woman whose body was found stuffed in a suitcase in an abandoned building in Athens has been pictured by Greek media.

The 38-year-old woman’s remains were allegedly discovered by a homeless person in the Greek capital, with the grim find sparking an urgent Interpol probe.

She has been pictured by Greek media and named locally as Elisabeth-Jane Ross.

Her body was found at 7 Evelpidon Street in the neighbourhood of Kypseli on July 18, shortly after 1pm.

There were no visible wounds on the body or any clear signs of a struggle, police confirmed.

But cops suspect she was “lured” to the location by a “homeless person” who “left her in the state she was found,” an official told The Times.

A homeless man who reportedly first found the victim inside the building which had been deserted for at least two years.

He entered a room inside and found the suitcase on the ground.

It is estimated that the Brit, said to be born in Scotland, had been dead for around eight days before she was found.

Police rushed to the scene but initially couldn’t identify the woman as she reportedly had no identification on her.

They announced she was aged around 30, approximately 5ft 4in with reddish hair tied in a bun and wearing black shorts and a T-shirt.

Her shorts had French university insignia on them which led investigators to believe she wasn’t a local Greek resident, local media reports.

One Greek officer told The Sun: “To find a foreign national dead in a suitcase here in the heart of Athens is a first.

“In the history of Greek British relations, it is unprecedented.”

The mysterious nature of her death sparked an instant probe by Greek officials who called on Interpol and US investigators to help.

Police spokesperson Konstantina Dimoglidou previously told Skai TV authorities were treating the incident “as a criminal act, given how the body was found”.

Interpol informed the Hellenic Police on Monday that the body belonged to a British woman based on DNA testing.

Investigators say the woman travelled to Greece on on June 29 via Cyprus after coming from the US.

They are now trying to piece together her final days including speaking to anyone who may have been with her before her death.

Local hotels are also being searched to try and locate the victim’s final movements.

Interpol typically get involved in such cases when a national police force requests international cooperation for cross-border crimes.

The British embassy in Greece and the woman’s father have reportedly been informed of her death.

An autopsy is expected to be carried out in the coming days to determine how she died.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We are aware of the death of Scottish woman in Athens and are liaising with authorities in Greece.

“Officers are providing support to her family in Scotland.”

An FDCO spokesperson told The Sun: “Our thoughts are with Elisabeth’s family during this difficult time.

“We are providing consular support and are in contact with the local authorities.”

James Smith

Editor-in-Chief