New developments have emerged in the investigation into the murder of 38-year-old British national Elizabeth Jane Ross in the Athens district of Kypseli, after security camera footage came to light showing the 26-year-old Afghan professional boxer accused of the killing dragging a large suitcase which, according to investigators, contained the woman’s body.

According to CCTV footage, Sharif Ahmadzai is seen pulling a large black suitcase through the streets of Athens while also carrying a blue backpack.

He is then seen heading toward an abandoned building in the Kypseli area, where, according to the authorities, he left the suitcase allegedly containing Ross’s body.

Approximately 13 minutes later, he is seen leaving the area without either the suitcase or the backpack.

Who is Sharif Ahmadzai?

According to the Daily Mail, until his arrest the 26-year-old was known in Athens not only for his career as a professional boxer but also for his work supporting refugees and other vulnerable groups.

The newspaper reports that he arrived in Greece in 2016 as an unaccompanied minor refugee, entering via the island of Lesbos after a difficult journey from Afghanistan.

He later settled in Athens, converted to Christianity, and in 2023 married American citizen Aleina Hall.

Together they founded the Christian organization Love Every Nation Athens, through which they provided assistance to refugees and families in need by organizing distributions of food, medicine, and other essential supplies.

At the same time, Ahmadzai offered free boxing lessons to unaccompanied minor refugees while continuing his own professional boxing career, competing in Greece in the super lightweight division.

His wife’s testimony

Investigators believe his wife played a crucial role in solving the case. According to reports, she contacted the authorities after becoming suspicious of her husband’s behavior.

She reportedly told investigators that in the early hours of July 16 she discovered that her husband was missing from their home. Using a location-sharing application, she saw that he was at the apartment where Ross was staying.

Later, after Ross’s body was discovered, she left the family home with their infant child and informed the authorities.

Investigators also note that on July 19 the victim’s mobile phone was activated in Arachova. Telecommunications data and video evidence allegedly place the suspect there at the same time, accompanied by his wife and their child.

What the suspect claims

Sharif Ahmadzai denies killing Ross. According to information released so far, he claims that he found her already dead in the apartment’s bathroom.

However, he is reported to have admitted moving her body, using her bank cards to withdraw thousands of euros, and sending messages from her mobile phone to relatives and friends while pretending to be her in an effort to delay the discovery of her death.

According to sources familiar with the investigation, after the crime—and after switching off the victim’s phone—the suspect obtained an unregistered phone number and began sending text messages to people who knew the victim, to his own wife, and even to himself, claiming to be a jihadist responsible for the murder.

In those messages, he allegedly claimed that he had killed the woman because of her religion.

The killing in Kypseli

Elizabeth Jane Ross, who was originally from Edinburgh, had been in Athens since late June, taking part in volunteer work supporting refugees and other vulnerable groups.

The last confirmed sign that she was alive was recorded on the evening of July 15. Afterwards, relatives and friends continued receiving messages from her mobile phone, but became suspicious because the writing style differed from her usual manner of communication.

Her body was eventually discovered several days later inside a suitcase in an abandoned building in Kypseli.

Greek authorities have charged Sharif Ahmadzai with intentional homicide, robbery, and violations of Greece’s weapons laws. The investigation is ongoing as authorities continue to determine the full motive behind the killing.