Someone used Elisabeth Jane Ross’ mobile phone to send text messages after she was already dead — an apparent effort to mislead police and loved ones into believing the 38-year-old Scottish woman was still alive, Greek authorities have confirmed. The phone went silent only after news of her death became public, investigators say, as the probe deepened into one of the most baffling cases in recent Greek-British history.
Body Found in Abandoned Athens Building
Ross’ body was discovered on July 18 by a homeless man who had entered a derelict building at 7 Evelpidon Street in the Kypseli district of Athens. He alerted authorities around 1 p.m. after spotting a suitcase with something protruding from it that appeared to be a human limb. Police rushed to the scene to find Ross’ remains stuffed inside, with no identification on her person. She was described as approximately 5 feet 4 inches tall, with reddish hair tied in a bun and wearing black shorts bearing French university insignia and a T-shirt. The distinctive shorts led investigators to suspect early on that the woman was not a local Greek resident.
Because her fingerprints returned no matches in the Greek national database, DNA was sent to Interpol. US authorities ultimately helped confirm her identity through evidence linked to American databases, where her fingerprints were registered. The building itself had reportedly sat abandoned for at least two years before the discovery.
Forensic examination ruled out strangulation and fatal head injuries, and officers found no obvious wounds or clear signs of a struggle at the scene. Investigators believe Ross died between five and seven days before her body was found. Toxicology results are still pending, and Greek police have said those results will be critical in determining whether foul play was definitively involved.
A Trail From Scotland to Cyprus to Athens
Ross, who had family in Edinburgh, Scotland, had traveled from America to Europe on June 29 and flew from Edinburgh to the Greek capital on June 26. She had connections to Greece and was staying with a friend in Athens before she vanished. She had previously visited Cyprus before making her way to the Greek capital, where she was last seen alive on July 15 — three days before her body was found.
Greek police spokesperson Konstantina Dimoglidou confirmed to Skai TV that authorities were treating the incident as a criminal matter, given the circumstances in which the body was found. Local hotels are being searched in an effort to reconstruct Ross’ final movements, and surveillance footage from the area is being analyzed. Interpol and US investigators have both been brought into the probe.
Guardian Athens correspondent Helena Smith described Kypseli as a neighborhood that has transformed in recent years. Smith told BBC Radio Scotland it is “very popular with people travelling through Athens and young foreigners who have elected to make the Greek capital their home,” noting the area is full of Airbnbs and draws a heavily international crowd.
Phone Used After Death to Deceive Investigators
Perhaps the most troubling element of the investigation is what happened to Ross’ mobile phone after she died. Greek investigators say it remained active and was used to send text messages, seemingly designed to create the impression she was still alive and to steer both police and people close to her away from searching for her. The device went dark only after the case attracted significant media attention.
One Greek officer described the deception directly: “The phone was being used. Text messages were even sent obviously with a view to making people believe she was still alive.” Smith, describing what investigators believe occurred, said it appeared someone had taken control of Ross’ phone after her death and was sending messages to distract both authorities and close friends from attempting to locate her.
Police also suspect Ross may have been lured to the abandoned Kypseli building by a homeless individual. CCTV footage from the surrounding area is being reviewed as investigators work to piece together the hours leading up to her death.
Officials Express Concern, Offer Family Support
Scottish First Minister John Swinney said he was deeply troubled by the case, calling it “absolutely appalling.” Swinney pledged support for Ross’ family from both the Scottish government and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The British Embassy in Greece has been informed and is working with Greek officials. Police Scotland confirmed it is aware of the death and coordinating with Greek authorities while maintaining contact with Ross’ family in Edinburgh. The FCDO stated it is providing consular assistance and communicating with Greek authorities.
One Greek officer told the Daily Mail the discovery of a foreign national’s body inside a suitcase in central Athens was without precedent in the history of relations between Greece and Britain. As investigators await toxicology results and continue analyzing CCTV footage, the questions surrounding who controlled Ross’ phone — and why she ended up in a suitcase in an abandoned building in the heart of Athens — remain unanswered.