Elisabeth-Jane Ross death: Family of Edinburgh woman found dead inside suitcase in Athens speak of ‘deep pain’
Elisabeth-Jane Ross's family said she was "kind, principled and selfless" as they paid tribute to her
The family of Edinburgh woman Elisabeth-Jane Ross whose body was found in a suitcase in Greece have said she “dedicated her life to helping others in need”.
According to the BBC, the family released a heartfelt statement which said the death of the 38-year-old, who was known as Lisa, has left them in “deep pain”.
The statement read: "Lisa will always be remembered by us as kind, principled and selfless. 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.
"The man accused of killing Ms Ross and dumping a suitcase containing her body in a derelict building in the Kypseli area of Athens on July 18 has been charged with homicide with intent – which is understood to be equivalent to a murder charge in Scotland.
Sharif Ahmadzai was initially detained on illegal weapons possession charges but is now facing the homicide charge, as well as allegations that he stole more than 10,000 euro (£8,500) from Ms Ross’s bank accounts using her bank cards.
Internal Greek reports refer to the suspect by the initials “SA”, but it has been established he is Ahmadzai, an Afghan boxer who left his home country after being orphaned as a teenager.
Ahmadzai arrived at the Court of First Instance in Athens at about 10.40am local time yesterday on Thursday, in the back of a grey Hyundai car with blacked-out windows.
Ahmadzai’s lawyer Christos Erdas confirmed his client did not speak during the hearing, and that he did not submit a plea in relation to any of the three charges he faces.
And Mr Erdas said this is because they are waiting for further medical evidence to be submitted to the court.
He said: “The reason for the silence is because we are waiting in the near future for some more documents and evidence to come to the judge.“All of them are related to medical documents from the doctor who examined Lisa’s body.”
He said the cause of Ms Ross’s death is still yet to be established, and this information is needed before his client will be in a position to submit a plea.
Greek police said last week there were no signs of injury or harm on Ms Ross’s body when it was discovered.
They said further tests are being carried out to establish how she died.Mr Erdas also said they had put in a request for Ms Ross’s own medical records to be obtained from the UK as part of the evidence in the case.
“At the same time we also asked the judge to order the communication with the authorities in Scotland and the UK, to get all the medical papers for Lisa,” he said.
The judge ordered Ahmadzai to be kept in pre-trial detention while further evidence is compiled, ahead of another hearing at a future date.
The court complex is on the city’s Evelpidon Street, near the derelict building where the charity worker’s body was found.
Floral tributes have been placed on the ground next to the structure, with one card containing the words “Elisabeth-Jane Ross. Rest in peace” written in Greek.
Police said the suspect was detained for questioning after investigators reviewed surveillance camera footage recorded nearby.