A British woman has been found dead in a suitcase in Athens, police have said.
The victim’s remains were reportedly discovered in an abandoned building by a homeless man in the central district of Kypseli on July 18. She was named in the Greek media on Wednesday night as Elisabeth-Jane Ross.
The 38-year-old is believed to have arrived in Greece two and a half weeks earlier from the US via a connecting flight from Cyprus.
An official told The Times: “She is Scottish, and we suspect she may have linked up with a homeless person here who lured her to the specific location [in Kypseli] and left her in the state she was found.”
Police Scotland confirmed it was liaising with the Greek authorities.
The building where the body was found was abandoned and occupied by homeless people.
However, Konstantina Dimoglidou, a local police spokesman, denied that a homeless person was a suspect. She said: “The woman was staying with a Greek couple, and they are both being questioned to obtain details about her movements.”
A Greek police officer told the Daily Mail that the woman’s phone was used in attempts to cover up her death.
They 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.”
US authorities and Interpol have identified the woman through her fingerprints, which were provided by Greek detectives.
No cause of death identified
She was allegedly found wrapped in a bag and had died eight days before she was discovered. Preliminary findings from an autopsy report have not identified the cause of death.
Investigators are working to reconstruct the woman’s final movements and whether she had travelled alone or met anyone before her death.
Police are reviewing security camera footage, witness statements and other evidence in an effort to identify people who may have interacted with her and can provide clues about the circumstances surrounding her death, according to Ekathimerini, the Greek newspaper.
The Foreign Office said: “Our thoughts are with Elisabeth’s family during this difficult time. We are providing consular support and are in contact with the local authorities.”
A Police Scotland spokesman 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.”
Sign up to Herald Premium Editor’s Picks, delivered straight to your inbox every Friday. Editor-in-Chief Murray Kirkness picks the week’s best features, interviews and investigations. Sign up for Herald Premium here.