Pictured: Afghan small boat migrant accused of being Athens ‘suitcase killer’ of British woman, six years after he arrived in Europe and married a US Christian refugee volunteer
An Afghan man who arrived in Greece as a teenage migrant on a small boat has been arrested in Athens on suspicion of murdering British woman Elisabeth-Jane Ross, whose body was found stuffed in a suitcase in a derelict building. Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, a professional boxer who converted to Christianity and married an American Christian volunteer, is accused of killing the 38-year-old, who was also a Christian volunteer known to the couple through their refugee ministry work. The case has drawn attention partly because of Ahmadzai's remarkable personal story, having survived Taliban violence in Afghanistan before reaching Europe, and because he and his wife ran a charity that had access to the flat where the victim was staying.
Police say CCTV allegedly shows Ahmadzai leaving Ms Ross's apartment carrying a suitcase and dumping it at the site where her remains were discovered on 16 July. Investigators began focusing on him after his wife, Alaina Hall, reported his suspicious behaviour on 30 July, having tracked his phone location to the victim's flat on the night she disappeared. Ahmadzai reportedly told police he found Ms Ross already dead, but admitted using her bank cards and phone to impersonate her to family and friends. His wife later refused money and a new phone he offered her, handing them to police, while a raid on the couple's home uncovered a replica pistol and a military-style knife.
In short
- Afghan migrant Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, arrested over Athens "suitcase murder" of Briton Elisabeth-Jane Ross
- CCTV allegedly shows him dumping her body; he claims he found her dead
- His American wife's suspicions and phone-tracking led police to him
Explained simply
Afghan man seeking asylum after arriving via small boat, six years ago, married a US Christian volunteer who had worked with refugees. He now faces accusation over the death of a British woman in Athens, whose body was reportedly found inside a suitcase, a case that has drawn attention partly because of his migration and marriage history.
The details of the woman's death, and the exact stage of any police investigation or legal case against him, have not been confirmed in the reporting seen so far. What is established is that he has been publicly named and pictured in connection with the case.
The story touches on wider debates around small boat migration into Europe, refugee resettlement schemes, and how such cases are reported and discussed publicly, though the facts of this specific case remain to be established through any formal investigation or court process.