Greek police share new update on British woman found dead in suitcase in Athens

Authorities have revealed that they’re trying to determine whether foul play was involved after the body of a Scottish woman was found in a suitcase in an abandoned building in Athens.

Elisabeth Jane Ross, 38, who is understood to be from the Edinburgh area and has ‘connections’ to Greece, is thought to have travelled to the country last month.

She was staying with friends in the city, who reported seeing her for the last time on 15 July.

Days later, on 18 July, her body was discovered by a homeless man in a derelict building. She is believed to have died between five and seven days before she was discovered.

In a fresh update, a spokesperson for the Greek police told the BBC: "We are awaiting the results of the toxicology tests to determine the cause of death and ascertain whether foul play was involved, as this was not clarified by the initial examination of the body."

The body was found by a homeless man in an abandoned building (STV News)

It comes after it was reported that police in Greece believe Ross’ phone was used to send messages after her death, seemingly in an attempt to throw authorities off track.

As reported by The Daily Mail, one officer said: "The phone was being used. Text messages were even sent, obviously with a view to making people believe she was still alive. We are treating the building as a crime scene.”

It’s also been reported that the identity of the body could not be established at first because it did not have any signs of identification; however, Greek police uncovered who it was after Interpol examined fingerprint data.

As per ITV News, on Thursday, a spokesperson for the Hellenic Police, Konstantia Dimoglidou, said that a coroner is yet to establish a cause of death, with no visible injuries identified.

Dimoglidou explained that the conditions of the remains made it hard to determine how and when Ross died, and added that authorities were aware that her phone had been used until recently.

Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland on Thursday (30 July), The Guardian newspaper’s Athens correspondent Helena Smith echoed that Ross had been in Greece for about two weeks before her death.

Ross is believed to be from Edinburgh and was staying with a friend in Greece before she died (STV News)

She said: “She had been staying with a Greek friend here in the capital, and then she disappeared.

“It would seem that someone had control, and I use that word very deliberately, over her mobile phone after she died, and was sending messages clearly to distract from the scent, to distract the authorities and her close friends from trying to track her down.”

A spokesperson for Greek police said: “Further details have been requested regarding when she arrived in Greece, how, and with whom.

“We cannot provide further details at this stage, as the investigation is fully under way.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We are aware of the death of a Scottish woman in Athens and are liaising with authorities in Greece. Officers are providing support to her family in Scotland.”

While the Foreign and Commonwealth Office added: “Our thoughts are with Elisabeth’s family during this difficult time. We are providing consular support and are in contact with the local authorities.”