Family of British woman found dead in a suitcase break their silence as man is charged with homicide with intent
The heartbroken family of a British woman who was found dead in a suitcase in Greece have spoken out about their 'deep pain’ after a man appeared in court charged with homicide with intent.
Thirty-year-old Elisabeth-Jane Ross, known as Lisa, was found dead inside a suitcase on 18 July in an abandoned building in the Kypseli district of Athens.
She had last been seen three days earlier when she had reportedly been staying with friends in the city.
She is then said to have moved on to meet up with some other friends in another part of the city, but it’s unclear if this ever happened.
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Cops revealed that in the days following her death her mobile phone had remained active and had sent messages telling her loved ones she 'needed some time to herself' and that she 'wanted to be alone for a while'.
Earlier this week, chilling CCTV footage was shared which allegedly showed the suspect wheeling the suitcase to an abandoned building to hide her remains.
Police later confirmed a 26-year-old man had been arrested by the police and taken into custody, with investigators claiming he had confessed to moving the woman's body.
Yesterday (6 August) the man appeared at the Court of First Instance in Athens where he was charged with homicide with intent, as well as allegations that he stole more than 10,000 euro (£8,500) from Ross’s bank accounts using her bank cards.
The suspect's lawyer Christos Erdas confirmed his client did not speak during Thursday’s hearing, and that he did not submit a plea in relation to any of the three charges he faces.
Erdas said further medical evidence is needed before his client will be in a position to tender a plea, including official confirmation of how Ross died.
He also said the defence put in a request for Ross’s medical records to be obtained from the UK as part of the case.
He has since been held in pre-trial detention, ahead of another hearing at a future date.
Until now, Ross’ heartbroken family had remained silent on the tragedy but following yesterday’s court appearance they shared a statement.
“Lisa will always be remembered by us as kind, principled and selfless,” they said.
“Her integrity was absolute and she dedicated her life to helping others in need.
“We are in deep pain and we ask for time and privacy as we come to terms with our loss.”
As yet, a cause of death hasn’t been confirmed with authorities awaiting the results of tissue analysis to determine whether she died from suffocation, as suggested by a preliminary assessment by the medical examiner.
In a statement, the Foreign and Commonwealth 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 spokesperson previously 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.”
Claire Reid