The man arrested on suspicion of murdering a Scottish woman whose body was found in a suitcase in Athens has been revealed as a Christian aid worker and champion boxer who fled from Afghanistan after being orphaned as a child.
Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, is said to have admitted hiding the body of 38-year-old Elisabeth-Jane Ross in a suitcase before dumping it in an abandoned building where she was discovered by a homeless man on 18 July – several days after she was reported missing.
Mr Ahmadzai, an Afghan national whose family are said to have been killed by the Taliban, has been accused of intentional homicide by officials, which he is said to deny. He also allegedly used Ross’s mobile phone to send messages to friends and family for days after her death.
He will appear before an investigating magistrate to be formally charged later this week.
Mr Ahmadzai, who won a Greek super lightweight boxing title in March and ran boxing classes, is understood to have been reported to the police by his wife, a US citizen and devout Christian named as Alaina Hall, after Ms Ross was identified as the victim.
Ms Hall had noticed her husband was missing from their home on the evening of 15 July and traced his location to Ms Ross's apartment, according to reports. He is also said to have given his wife money and a new iPhone, which she handed over to police.
The suspect is believed to have arrived in Greece from the island of Lesbos, via Pakistan, Iran and Turkey, as a refugee some 10 years ago after being orphaned as a teenager. He later converted to Christianity.
In 2023, some time after meeting in Lesbos, the suspect and Ms Hall got married. They also set up a non-governmental organisation Love Every Nation Athens, which helps refugees. It is believed the pair knew Ms Ross, also a Christian volunteer, through their charity.
The couple’s website states that his father, a military commander in Kabul, was shot and killed when he was a young boy, while his mother and siblings were killed by a suicide bomber in Kabul years later.
Speaking to The Daily Mail, Ms Hall’s aunt Leanne Hall has since suggested the woman’s mother and father had “never wanted them to get married”. They have a child together.
A Greek police source told The Times: “The testimony of the wife has been crucial. Without her and CCTV evidence, we would not have been able to find this man.”
Ms Ross, who was from Edinburgh and was known to family and friends as Lisa, travelled to Greece at the end of June. She had been staying with friends in the Piraeus area of Athens before leaving some time after 10 July, apparently to meet American friends.
She was discovered in the Kypseli area of Athens eight days later, some 20 minutes from where she was said to be staying, which was an apartment linked to the charity. Her last telephone call was made from her mobile phone on the night of 15 July – three days before her body was discovered.
According to legal documents seen by The Times and The Daily Mail, the suspect is accused of using her phone to text her family and friends after her death, as well as withdrawing thousands of euros from her bank.
In a statement released on Sunday, police said: “A 26-year-old foreigner was identified in the case and arrested for violating the weapons law. Cooperation was carried out with police authorities of the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Scotland.”
Ms Ross’s aunt, Anne Bangham, posted on social media to pay tribute to her “beautiful” and “loving” niece.
“It is horrific. We just can't believe it. She was such a beautiful, loving and kind young lady,” she wrote in a post.
“I wish I could get my hands on whoever did it. She had not long arrived there to work. It will take a while to sink in.”
The Independent has approached police for further comment.
