Greek authorities have identified the man accused of murdering Scottish humanitarian volunteer Elisabeth Jane Ross as 26-year-old Sharif Ahmadzai, an Afghan-born refugee and former boxing champion.
The 38-year-old Edinburgh native, affectionately known as Lisa by relatives and friends, was discovered dead inside a suitcase abandoned in a building in Athens’ Kypseli neighbourhood on 18 July, days after she had been reported missing.
Ahmadzai is scheduled to appear before an Athens court on Wednesday.
According to information obtained by the BBC, Ahmadzai fled Afghanistan as a teenager after losing his immediate family in separate attacks.
His father, an Afghan military commander, was killed by gunmen, while his mother and siblings died in a suicide bombing in Kabul.
He reportedly travelled through Iran and Turkey before reaching Greece, where he initially lived in a refugee camp on the island of Lesbos.
A video previously released by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies documented his journey and resettlement.
While in Greece, Ahmadzai is believed to have embraced Christianity after meeting his American wife.
Together, they established Love Every Nation Athens, an organisation dedicated to assisting displaced people.
Investigators believe Ross became acquainted with him through the charity’s activities.
Police said Ross entered Greece on 26 June and stayed in Piraeus until 10 July while volunteering with an organisation supporting refugees.
On 15 July, she reportedly informed friends she intended to meet several Americans in Kypseli before she disappeared.
Investigators disclosed that Ahmadzai allegedly possessed a key to the apartment where Ross had been staying.
Surveillance footage is said to capture him transporting a suitcase believed to have contained her body.
Authorities also revealed that location data from an application linked to Ahmadzai’s wife placed the suspect at the apartment on Rethymnou Street, where detectives believe Ross was killed, in the days leading up to the discovery.
Police further alleged that Ross’s bank cards were used to withdraw cash after her death.
The abandoned building where her remains were recovered is located roughly 20 minutes from the apartment.
Floral tributes have since been placed outside the building, with one message honouring Ross’s memory and expressing sympathy for her family.
Back in Scotland, Pastor Peter Anderson of City on a Hill Church in Edinburgh remembered Ross as a devoted member of the congregation for two decades.
He praised her lifelong commitment to missionary work and humanitarian service, describing her death as a heartbreaking loss.
A search of Ahmadzai’s residence reportedly led officers to recover a replica handgun and a knife, both of which have been seized as part of the investigation.
Meanwhile, forensic experts are expediting toxicology examinations to establish the exact cause of Ross’s death, while detectives continue efforts to identify and locate the American individuals she had planned to meet before she vanished.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong