British Charity Worker Found Dead In Suitcase In Athens, Afghan Man Arrested

British charity worker Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, was found dead inside a suitcase at an abandoned building in Athens after being reported missing. Greek police have arrested a 26-year-old Afghan man who they say confessed to transporting her body.

British charity worker found dead in Athens

A British charity worker who had spent years helping refugees in Greece was found dead inside a suitcase at an abandoned building in Athens, days after she was reported missing.

Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, known as Lisa to her family, was found in the Kypseli district on 18 July. Greek police have arrested a 26-year-old man, widely reported as Sharif Ahmadzai, in connection with her death. The BBC reported that the suspect is from Afghanistan.

Police said the man was taken to their headquarters on Thursday and "confessed to his actions". 

A man accused of killing 34-year-old Elisabeth-Jane Ross and disposing of her body has appeared at court in Athens. 

The suspect is widely reported to be Sharif Ahmadzai, an Afghan boxer who left his home country after being orphaned as a teenager.https://t.co/7qJm2VPVXt pic.twitter.com/rw8cTNWDmt

— Sky News (@SkyNews) August 5, 2026

𝘽𝙊𝘿𝙔 𝙁𝙊𝙐𝙉𝘿 𝙄𝙉 𝙎𝙐𝙄𝙏𝘾𝘼𝙎𝙀

Elizabeth Ross went to Greece to help illegal migrants enter Europe.

There she met an Afghan man and spent time with him.

He later murdered her, put her body in a suitcase, and used her bank cards to steal money.

𝗙𝗔𝗙𝗢 pic.twitter.com/Ud2LhRX7lD

— Kreately.in (@KreatelyMedia) August 3, 2026

However, Greek authorities have not yet finalised the exact charges against him. He was initially arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, robbery and weapons offences.

Police allege body was moved in suitcase

Investigators say the suspect was identified after officers examined CCTV footage and other evidence linked to Ross's disappearance.

According to police, the man transported Ross's body to the abandoned building inside a suitcase. They also allege that he later used her bank cards to withdraw money.

Greek media have released CCTV showing 26-year-old Afghan invader Sharif Ahmadzai pulling the suitcase containing the body of Scottish aid worker Elisabeth Jane Ross.

Ahmadzai, who was born in Afghanistan and is a champion boxer, is accused of killing the "refugee" aid worker… pic.twitter.com/NsiPt63IbQ

— Tommy Robinson 🇬🇧 (@TRobinsonNewEra) August 4, 2026

Chilling moment Afghan champion boxer rolls suitcase carrying body of Scottish woman through Greek street

26yo Sharif Ahmadzai arrested in connection with murder of Elisabeth Jane Ross

Ahmadzai met Ross through Love Every Nation, refugee charity he set up with his American wife pic.twitter.com/dyWgLWj3Cv

— RT (@RT_com) August 4, 2026

A search of the suspect's home reportedly led to the seizure of a replica pistol and a knife.

Greek police are now working to establish exactly how Ross died. Toxicology tests have been fast-tracked, with authorities expecting the results in the coming days, although forensic testing can sometimes take much longer.

Ross had arrived in Greece weeks earlier

Ross arrived in Greece on 26 June and initially stayed in the Keratsini area with Greek friends. The area is around 9.5km west of central Athens.

Police said she remained in the wider Piraeus area until 10 July, when she left for an unknown destination in Attica.

Scottish Woman Murdered By Refugee Like Those She Helped.

A tragic story of misplaced trust. 

See the shocking details surrounding the death of aid worker Elizabeth Jane Ross in Greece and the man now facing homicide charges. pic.twitter.com/y28QYaMeuN

— Don Keith (@RealDonKeith) August 4, 2026

Ross had reportedly told her friends that she planned to travel to Kypseli on 15 July, where she said her American friends or acquaintances were staying.

She was later reported missing, prompting Greek authorities to launch a major investigation

Investigation continues

The case has involved cooperation between Greek authorities and officials in the United States, the UK and Scotland. Police are also trying to trace the American friends Ross had mentioned.

Ross had spent years working with refugees in Greece, making her death particularly shocking to those who knew her and her work.

Investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding her death, while toxicology results are expected to help determine the cause.

The suspect remains at the centre of the investigation, but the final charges and the circumstances of Ross's death will depend on the ongoing police inquiry and forensic findings.

Outrage over the murder

The brutal killing of Scottish charity worker Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, has sparked strong reactions online, with many users expressing shock over the circumstances of her death. 

Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, has been arrested for allegedly killing Elisabeth-Jane Ross, a 38-year-old charity volunteer & using her bank card to withdraw thousands of euros. He also sent text messages from her phone to relatives to convince them she was alive.

He strangled her, then… pic.twitter.com/fFf52C43xh

— JARDINE (@oJARDINEo) August 5, 2026

A woman who spent her time helping refugees and homeless people in Greece was killed by a 26yo Afghan man she met through that work.

The body of 38yo Elizabeth Ross was found in a suitcase in an abandoned car park on July 18.

The murderer also withdrew money from her bank… pic.twitter.com/3W9fVtyvmb

— Chay Bowes (@BowesChay) August 3, 2026

🚨Refugee worker killed and stuffed in a suitcase by the very people she was trying to help assimilate into Europe.

Scottish volunteer Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, spent years aiding migrants in Greece, only to end up strangled, killed, packed into a suitcase, and dumped by the… pic.twitter.com/yUufQbUhts

— Brigitte Gabriel (@ACTBrigitte) August 4, 2026

Many called out the brutality against Ross, who had spent years helping refugees and homeless people in Greece but was 'killed by a 26-year-old refugee Afghan man' she had met through her work.