New details have emerged in the investigation into the killing of 38-year-old British national Elisabeth-Jane Ross, whose body was found inside a suitcase in an abandoned building in the Kypseli district of Athens.
According to a report by the Daily Mail, investigators are focusing on evidence suggesting Ross’s mobile phone and social media accounts continued to be used after her death, raising suspicions that someone attempted to conceal the crime.
Phone and Social Media Activity After Death
One of the most puzzling aspects of the case is that Ross’s phone remained active for days after her death.
A message sent on July 15 read: “I need a little time—I’m going to a Greek island.” Other messages sent to her family claimed that she “wanted to be alone for a while.”
Investigators determined that the phone remained active in Athens until approximately 24 hours before Ross was officially identified—several days after her death. According to the report, the device was “mysteriously” switched off only after the case attracted international attention.
Ross’s father, who is a lawyer, said he received messages from her phone between July 15 and July 29.
Investigators are also examining a Facebook post published on Ross’s account on July 24—six days after her body was discovered. According to the Daily Mail, Ross had not posted on Facebook for years. The post stated that she planned to travel to Turkey soon.
A friend told the newspaper the post made no sense because Ross had already been reported missing. The message reportedly imitated the religious language Ross had often used in the past and referred to charitable travel similar to humanitarian work she had previously undertaken.
A Life Dedicated to Helping Others
Known as Lisa to friends and family, Ross was described as deeply religious and committed to helping vulnerable people.
According to the report, she regularly assisted homeless people in her hometown and had traveled to several countries for humanitarian work, including Kurdistan to support Syrian refugees. Since 2019, she had visited Greece to assist abused women and migrants.
A close friend described her as “dependable” and “caring,” adding that her willingness to help others may ultimately have placed her in danger.
Greek authorities are now concentrating on reconstructing Ross’s movements during the final 72 hours before her body was discovered.
Multiple Leads Under Investigation
According to the Daily Mail, Greek police are examining two main lines of inquiry.
One concerns a homeless man known locally as “Markos,” who, according to witness accounts, had a reputation for aggressive behavior toward women. Residents said he frequently slept in the abandoned building in Kypseli where Ross’s body was found but has not been seen since the discovery of the suitcase.
Witnesses described him as approximately 40 years old, heavily built, with black hair and numerous tattoos.
A local business owner said police requested surveillance footage and information about the man, who remains missing. A police source cited by the newspaper said investigators are interested in him but are also pursuing other leads.
Among those leads are the “American friends” Ross reportedly intended to stay with before her death.
Ross arrived in Greece from Scotland on June 26 and initially stayed with Greek friends in the Athens suburb of Keratsini. On July 15, she told them she planned to stay with American friends in Kypseli.
Police have ruled out her Greek friends as suspects and are now trying to identify the Americans. One possibility under consideration is that the “American friends” may never have existed and that Ross mentioned them simply to reassure her friends.
Ongoing Investigation
Police believe Ross’s body was moved to the abandoned building on July 17.
According to the report, the homeless man who eventually discovered the suitcase and alerted authorities had been at the location on previous days but had not seen it there, leading investigators to believe it was placed there later.
Authorities suspect the perpetrator or perpetrators lived in the Kypseli area. A nearby sports center employee told the Daily Mail that police collected surveillance footage from the facility’s security cameras.
The homeless man who found the body is well known in the neighborhood and was reportedly shocked by the discovery. According to a police source cited in the report, investigators are conducting extensive interviews, particularly with homeless people and drug users, as the location where the body was found has directed attention toward individuals on the margins of society.
A forensic examination ruled out death by strangulation or fatal blows to the head. Investigators are also examining whether drugs or toxic substances played a role in Ross’s death.
A spokesperson for Police Scotland said the force remains in contact with the Greek authorities and continues to provide support to Ross’s family.
