Greek police arrest man over killing of British woman found in suitcase in Athens

Greek police announced on Sunday that they have solved the homicide of a 38-year-old British national, whose body was found in a suitcase in an abandoned building in the Kypseli area of Athens on July 18. Officers from the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime arrested a 26-year-old man, who, according to police, confessed on Thursday.

The victim has been identified in British and Greek media reports as Elisabeth-Jane Ross, a 38-year-old from Scotland. She arrived in Greece in late June and was last seen in the Athens area on July 10. She was later reported missing.

Police said the suspect, a foreign national, placed the body in a suitcase and transported it to the abandoned premises. In the days that followed, he used the victim's bank cards to withdraw money. A replica pistol and a knife were also recovered from the suspect's home.

The suspect now faces charges including intentional homicide, robbery, and firearms-related offenses. Although some reports suggest he claimed the victim was already dead when he found her, police made no mention of this in their statement.

Greek police said international cooperation, including support from Interpol authorities in the US and UK law enforcement agencies, helped identify the victim despite advanced decomposition.