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Champion Boxer Charged After Scottish Volunteer Found Dead in Suitcase in Athens

Police say a 26-year-old was identified through surveillance and financial records and has been referred to prosecutors as forensic tests continue.

Overview

  • Greek police arrested and charged a 26-year-old man widely named in reporting as Sharif Ahmadzai after investigators linked CCTV, phone location and ATM transactions to the case.
  • The body of 38-year-old Elisabeth‑Jane (Lisa) Ross was discovered inside a suitcase in a derelict Kypseli building and was identified by authorities following the July 18 discovery.
  • Investigators say the suspect admitted moving the body and withdrawing money with the victim’s bank cards but denies killing her, and officers say weapons including a replica pistol and a knife were found in a home search.
  • Preliminary post‑mortem material cited in reports suggests asphyxiation, yet full toxicology and tissue analyses are still pending while the suspect is due before an Athens magistrate.
  • The case has drawn cross‑border cooperation from UK and US agencies, centers on ties between the victim and a local charity, and has prompted scrutiny of how surveillance, financial records and a witness statement from the suspect’s wife helped identify a suspect.