What we know so far as Edinburgh woman Elisabeth Jane Ross found dead inside suitcase in Greece

Elizabeth Jane Ross, 38, has been named in local media after her body was found inside the luggage item in the Kypseli district of the Greek capital Athens earlier this month.

Ms Ross is believed to have been born in Edinburgh in February 1988.

Here is everything we know so far about her death and the subsequent investigation.

Investigation launched

The body of Ms Ross was first found on Saturday, July 18, stuffed inside a suitcase.

The discovery was made by a homeless man inside an abandoned building in the Kypseli district of Athens.

Her cause of death has not yet been determined.

She was identified after Interpol, based in the US, examined fingerprint data.

According to Greek state broadcaster ERT, Ms Ross worked in the US, where it is mandatory for non-citizens to have their biometric data and fingerprint data taken and stored upon entry and exit.

Greek authorities first contacted foreign authorities after Ms Ross was noted to be wearing shorts bearing the emblem of a French university.

A spokesperson for the Greek police told the BBC: "We are awaiting the results of the toxicology tests to determine the cause of death and ascertain whether foul play was involved, as this was not clarified by the initial examination of the body."

Timeline

Local police are continuing to investigate Ms Ross’s final few days and piecing together her movements.

It is believed that she arrived in Greece around two weeks before her death. Conflicting reports suggest that she either travelled to the country via Cyprus or Edinburgh.

ERT reported that Ms Ross was being hosted by friends in Keratsini, located in the Athens Urban Area, upon her arrival into Greece.

The investigation so far has highlighted that she remained at the home until July 15, when she said informed her hosts she would be travelling to the Kypseli district and staying at the house of American friends, however left no specific information regarding an address.

Three days later Ms Ross’s body was found inside the suitcase at the abandoned building on Evelpidon Street.

Police are checking over passenger information from the airline to determine whether she travelled alone and are also checking local accommodation registries for bookings under her name.

The homeless man who discovered the suitcase told police that it had not been in the building the day prior to the discovery, leading police to believe that the body may have been moved in the early hours of July 18.

Medical examiners previously believed that Ms Ross had been dead for approximately five to seven days before being found due to the level of decomposition, but this was later found to be accelerated by warm temperatures.

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Mobile phone remained in use

There are also reports that her mobile phone remained in use and was connected to the network until after it was announced that her body had been found.

One Greek police officer told the Daily Mail: “The phone was being used. Text messages were even sent obviously with a view to making people believe she was still alive.”

ERT said that Ms Ross’s father reported to police in Scotland that a stranger had been sending him messages pretending to be his daughter as a way to avoid her family filing a missing persons report.

Helena Smith, The Guardian's correspondent in Athens, also told BBC Radio Scotland: "It would seem that someone had control over her mobile phone after she died and was sending messages to distract the authorities and close friends from trying to track her down."

Hellenic Police, the national police service of Greece, has been contacted for comment.