A 26-year-old Afghan-born champion boxer has been arrested in Greece in connection with the death of Scottish aid worker Elisabeth Jane Ross, whose body was found in a suitcase in an abandoned building in Athens last month, according to the BBC.
The suspect, identified as Sharif Ahmadzai, is expected to appear in court in Athens on Wednesday. Ross, who was 38 years old and originally from Edinburgh, had been volunteering with a refugee support group based in Athens when she went missing. Her body was found in the Kypseli district of the city on July 18.
Ross arrived in Greece on June 26 and stayed in the Kertasini area of Piraeus until July 10. On July 15, she told Greek friends she was going to Kypseli to meet "American friends." The building where her body was discovered is about 20 minutes from where she had been staying.
Ahmadzai was born in Afghanistan and settled in Greece after traveling there as a teenage refugee. His father, a commander in the Afghan army, was shot dead, and his mother and siblings were killed in a suicide bombing in Kabul. He traveled to Greece via Iran and Turkey and eventually settled in a refugee camp on the island of Lesbos. He later converted to Christianity and married an American woman he met at the camp. The couple founded a charity called Love Every Nation Athens to assist other refugees.
It is thought that Ahmadzai met Ross through that charity.
Greek police said Ahmadzai had a key to the apartment where Ross had been staying. They said they verified footage that appears to show Ahmadzai carrying a suitcase believed to contain Ross's body. A location-sharing app used by Ahmadzai's wife showed he was at 9 Rethymnou Street, the location where Ross is believed to have died, in the days before the body was found. Police also said he used Ross's bank cards to withdraw money after her death.
During a search of Ahmadzai's home, officers said they recovered a replica pistol.
In Edinburgh, Pastor Peter Anderson of City on a Hill church remembered Ross as a dedicated member of the congregation for 20 years. "She had been to many places and served people. She was a very precious girl and it is a tragic loss," he said in a video posted to the church's Facebook page. He described her as having a "big passion" for missionary work and said she "cared for people all over the world."
Flowers have been laid at the site where her body was found. One message at the scene reads: "For Elisabeth, May you rest in peace and may your memory live on in the hearts of us all. With deepest sympathy and respect. You will not be forgotten."
