New details are emerging in the case of 38 year old British national Elizabeth Jane Ross, whose body was found inside a suitcase in an abandoned building in the Kypseli district of Athens, with Greek police now seriously investigating the possibility that she was killed by someone she had been trying to help.

According to reports in the British press, Ross, known to friends as Liza, had been deeply involved in charity work and had visited Greece regularly over the past seven years, working with NGOs that support homeless people and other vulnerable groups. Described by those who knew her as a devout Christian with a strong instinct to help others, she had built up years of experience working with Greece’s homeless community.

Witnesses saw her talking to homeless people before she disappeared

Local residents say that in the days before she vanished, they had seen the 38 year old talking to homeless people near a disused car park in Kypseli, an area where people sleeping rough are known to gather.

One retired local resident said she had noticed a foreign woman talking to homeless people in the area but had thought nothing of it at the time, since volunteers regularly visit to offer help. It was only later, after seeing photographs of the woman found dead inside the suitcase, that she realised it was the same person.

Police are now examining whether Ross’s contact with people in the area was linked to her disappearance and, potentially, to her murder.

Homeless man with serious criminal record under scrutiny

At the centre of the investigation is a homeless man with intense tattoos, known only by the first name Markos, who is reported to have regularly abused drugs and drunk large quantities of alcohol. He has reportedly come to police attention in the past and is said to have been living in the same abandoned building where Ross’s body was found. No charges have been brought against him so far, as police say they are continuing to gather evidence.

Forensic examinations accelerated

Greek police have made the case an absolute priority, according to British press reports, with officers from the Homicide Division working to solve it.

A post mortem examination, along with toxicology and histology tests, is under way, and investigators expect these to yield crucial evidence on the exact cause of the 38 year old’s death.

Police have also noted that whoever placed the body in the suitcase took care not to leave fingerprints or DNA traces behind, significantly complicating the investigation.

Mysterious texts sent from her phone

Particular focus is being given to a series of text messages sent from Ross’s mobile phone after she disappeared.

Her father, an Edinburgh based lawyer, told investigators he continued to receive messages from his daughter’s phone for around two weeks after her death. One message said she “needed some time to herself” and “wanted to be left alone for a while”.

Investigators believe the messages were sent by a third party in an attempt to delay the discovery of her disappearance. Analysis of the phone data helped police establish that the messages had been sent from Athens, while local media report that the device was switched off as soon as the case became public internationally.

Piecing together her final movements

A key piece of testimony comes from a homeless man who found the suitcase on 18 July. He told police that two days earlier the suitcase had not been in the abandoned building, leading investigators to conclude that the body was moved there on the night of 17 July or in the early hours of the following morning.

Police are also trying to trace people Ross is thought to have known in Kypseli, after a couple she had been staying with in Keratsini said she had mentioned plans to meet American acquaintances in the area.

The investigation continues, with police working to reconstruct the 38 year old’s final days and establish exactly what happened before her body was found inside the suitcase.