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Greek police are searching for a 20-year-old man from Guinea suspected of killing a 24-year-old woman from Burkina Faso, whose body was found inside a suitcase in central Athens on Nov. 8. The suspect is believed to have fled to France, while investigators are examining CCTV footage, forensic evidence and witness testimony to establish the circumstances of her death.

The victim, identified in local media reports as Aramata, was ferried to the eastern Aegean island of Lesbos in 2024 by migrant smugglers. She subsequently applied for temporary asylum and reportedly worked seasonally as a cleaner at a hotel on the Cyclades island of Folegandros.

She returned to Athens on Oct. 28, after completing her work on the island.

Her body was discovered inside a suitcase abandoned on a pavement in the inner-city Agios Panteleimonas neighborhood. A passer-by alerted police after noticing a strong odor coming from the suitcase. The woman’s identity was established through fingerprint analysis.

The initial forensic examination found no visible injuries, while the estimated time of death was five to seven days before the discovery. The precise cause of death has yet to be established.

Police have focused on the period between Oct. 28, when Aramata returned to Athens, and Nov. 8, when her body was discovered. She had temporarily stayed at her partner’s apartment in the Kypseli district, but left the property a few days later, taking only a few clothes with her. Her partner subsequently reported her missing on Nov. 4.

The victim, identified in local media reports as Aramata.

Investigators initially examined the woman’s partner, a man from Cameroon, but reportedly ruled out his involvement. Their attention subsequently turned to a small circle of foreign nationals known to the victim, including the 20-year-old suspect.

A key development in the investigation was the testimony of one of the suspect’s roommates, who reportedly told police that the 20-year-old returned to the apartment after abandoning the suitcase and admitted that he had killed the woman before disappearing.

CCTV footage also reportedly helped investigators reconstruct the suspect’s movements, showing a single individual carrying the suitcase out of the apartment and abandoning it near a garbage container in Agios Panteleimonas. Police believe the suspect subsequently returned to the apartment in Kolonos, cleaned the premises and collected some of his belongings before fleeing.

Authorities are continuing their efforts to locate the 20-year-old, who is believed to have travelled initially to Italy before heading to France. French authorities have reportedly issued an arrest warrant, paving the way for his detention and possible extradition to Greece.

The case has also drawn comparisons with the discovery last summer of the body of 38-year-old Scottish woman Elisabeth Jane Ross inside a suitcase at an abandoned building in Kypseli. A 26-year-old Afghan national was subsequently arrested and charged with her murder, robbery and weapons offenses.