British woman was seen befriending homeless people before her body was found in Athens suitcase as detectives probe whether she was killed by someone she was trying to help

By VIVEK CHAUDHARY, SENIOR REPORTER Published: 17:03, 1 August 2026 | Updated: 17:03, 1 August 2026 A British woman was seen befriending homeless people just days before her body was found in a suitcase in Athens, fuelling speculation that she was a 'good Samaritan' killed by someone she was trying to help.  Elizabeth-Jane Ross, 38, a committed Christian dedicated to helping vulnerable groups, was discovered by a vagrant stuffed into a suitcase in an abandoned car park in the Kypseli district on July 18.  She had been spotted by locals speaking with homeless people close to the derelict site where they sleep rough, drink alcohol and take drugs.  She is believed to have regularly visited Greece over the past seven years helping vulnerable social groups including abused women and migrants - and is also thought to have been moved by the plight of the homeless.  Ms Ross, from Edinburgh, known as Lisa, had travelled the world carrying out charitable works based on her strong faith, including spending time in Kurdistan helping Syrian refugees.  Maria, a pensioner in Kypseli, told the Mail on Sunday: 'I saw a foreign woman speaking with some of the homeless around here. I didn't think it was strange because you get all kinds of people coming here to help them.  'I was shocked when I saw the photographs in the newspapers of the woman found in a suitcase and realised that it was the same woman I had seen speaking with homeless people just a few days earlier.  'It breaks my heart to think that something like this happened to a person who was clearly kind and loving. I hope the police catch this person as quickly as possible so that we can know what really happened to her.' Ms Ross, 38, the daughter of a lawyer, was a committed Christian and it’s believed she may have been in an area known for homelessness for compassionate reasons linked to her faith Pictured: the district in Kypseli where the body of Ms Ross was found inside a suitcase  Ada, a refugee from Nigeria, said: 'All kinds of people come here to help homeless people and others like me who are poor.  'I didn't speak with this woman but saw her speaking to the homeless on the street and thought she was one of those who'd come here to do "God's work". May her soul rest in peace.' Police strongly believe that she was killed by someone she knew but have been unable to establish the extent of that friendship. Greek police are desperately trying to find a homeless man named 'Markos' who haunts the Kypseli district and is known to carry a knife and has a reputation for being aggressive towards women.  He is described as aged around 40, heavily tattooed with black hair and a stocky build. Markos regularly slept rough in the derelict space where the suitcase was found but has not been seen there since the discovery of Ms Ross's body - sparking a citywide manhunt.  Police have revealed that Ms Ross arrived in Athens from Edinburgh on June 26 and was staying with Greek friends in the Keratsini district, the country's main seaport close to the city. She then told the friends on July 15 she was leaving to go to Kypseli - a more central part of Athens.  Police have been questioning residents, shopkeepers and other homeless people around Kypseli in recent days The cause of death has still not been confirmed, but an initial examination of the body showed no obvious wounds or signs of struggle  She was discovered dead 72 hours later, with police now trying to piece together what took place during that crucial period. Officials are also investigating whether the killer sent messages from Ms Ross's phone and posted on her Facebook page after her death in an attempted cover-up. Ms Ross's father, a lawyer from Edinburgh, told officers he had been receiving messages from July 15 to July 29. Police believe her body was brought to the abandoned building on July 17. It is thought that due to the weight of the suitcase, the killer or killers are likely to have been staying in or around Kypseli. The suitcase was only discovered after a homeless man spotted the suitcase and then threw it in an attempt to open it, leading to a leg popping out. The cause of death has still not been confirmed, but an initial examination of the body showed no obvious wounds or signs of struggle. According to reports, an examination has ruled out strangulation and head injuries.