The testimony given to authorities by the wife of 28-year-old Afghan national Sharif Ahmadzai, who has been remanded in custody over the murder of 38-year-old British volunteer Elizabeth Ross, sheds new light on the case.
In her statement, she described in detail the series of events that gradually raised her suspicions and ultimately led her to contact the authorities. According to her account, her husband’s unexplained absence during the night, the unconvincing explanations he offered, the unusual text messages sent from the missing woman’s phone, and her realization that the woman’s body found inside a suitcase might belong to Ross all combined to form the basis of her suspicions.
Meeting Elizabeth Ross
The woman said she met Ross in February 2026 through volunteer work and church Bible study gatherings. She described her as “a very kind, gentle person with a good heart who genuinely believed her purpose in life was to help others.”
According to her testimony, the last time she saw Ross was on July 12, after a Bible study meeting. Ross invited her to go for a walk, but she declined because she had another appointment.
“She then asked my husband instead. I think he realized she really wanted company, so he agreed to accompany her. We all walked together for a while, and then my husband stayed alone with her,” she told investigators.
The Final Messages
Six days later, on July 18, the suspect’s wife texted Ross asking whether she wanted to participate in a food distribution event in Malakasa. She never received a reply.
When she asked her husband whether he had heard from Ross, he said their last communication had been on July 15, when Ross had asked him to accompany her to deliver a Bible.
“He told me the last time they communicated was on July 15. From what I understood, Ross wanted him to go somewhere with her that afternoon to deliver a Bible to someone. He didn’t end up going. What I saw on his phone was one missed call from Ross and a message saying, ‘Thank you for your willingness to come with me.'”
The Night That Raised Alarm
A key part of her testimony concerns the night of July 15 into July 16.
She said she woke up around midnight and realized her husband was not at home. Using his phone’s location, she discovered he was at an apartment on Rethymnou Street.
“I found it strange because there was no particular reason for him to be there at that hour,” she said.
When she called him, he claimed he had been watching a football match at a café in Victoria Square and had only stopped by the apartment to use the bathroom.
She also described the couple’s sudden decision to leave Athens on July 18. According to her, her husband appeared extremely distressed, claiming he had learned that a relative in India had died.
“He said he wanted to clear his mind and asked me to go with him to Arachova. He seemed so upset that I didn’t want to refuse.”
“I Thought the Woman in the Suitcase Was Lisa”
Perhaps the most striking part of her testimony concerns the early hours of July 29, after she had already learned that Ross was missing.
“Around 3 a.m. I woke up suddenly and had a terrible thought. I remembered the body of a woman that had been found inside a suitcase very close to our home. I became terrified that it might be Ross.”
That same morning, she sent Ross a message to see if she was safe. Shortly afterward, she received two replies, but immediately found them suspicious.
“Those messages were not written in Lisa’s style—neither the English nor the emojis matched how she normally communicated. She never used emojis.”
She repeatedly tried to call Ross but received no answer.
As she pieced together the dates, the messages, and her husband’s behavior, she became increasingly convinced that something was wrong.
“I don’t know what to tell you, but everything together made me feel that something wasn’t right. Especially when I combined the dates, the messages, and my husband’s behavior, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.”
After the Body Was Identified
After authorities confirmed that the body belonged to Elizabeth Ross, the woman said her fears intensified. According to her testimony, both she and her husband left their home and began staying in separate locations.
She also reported receiving threatening messages containing photographs of herself and her infant child, along with threats directed at her family.
Investigators believe the messages may have been sent by the 28-year-old suspect himself in an attempt to mislead the investigation and divert suspicion away from him.
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