Phone of British woman, 38, who was found in a suitcase in an abandoned building in Athens 'was being used after she died to make it seem as if she was alive'

By ANDREW JEHRING, CHIEF FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT and ELIANA SILVER, SENIOR FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER and ISABELLA MACHIN, REPORTER Published: 13:39, 29 July 2026 | Updated: 19:28, 29 July 2026 The phone of a British woman whose body was found inside a suitcase in an abandoned building in Athens was being used in attempts to cover her death, it is understood.  The body of Elizabeth Jane Ross, from Scotland, was found by a homeless man in the district of Kypseli in the Greek capital on Saturday, July 18. The alarm was raised around 1pm after he notified the authorities that he had spotted a suitcase and something coming out of it, which 'looked like a human limb'.  The body was later identified as 38-year-old Ms Ross, who had flown from Cyprus to Athens where she was staying with friends. She had flown from America to Europe on June 29. Ms Ross was last seen just before the alleged murder on July 15, and around the time that forensic scientists believe the crime took place. It has also emerged that the British woman's phone was being used up until the point she was identified by media.  One Greek Officer said: 'The phone was being used. Text messages were even sent obviously with a view to making people believe she was still alive.  'We are treating the building as a crime scene.'  Elizabeth Jane Ross was found dead with her body stuffed inside a suitcase in Athens, Greece Local outlets released a photo of the 38-year-old, as investigations are ongoing to determine her cause of death Your browser does not support iframes. Authorities are waiting for the result of toxicological tests saying they are likely to uncover how Ms Ross died.  The initial examination of the body showed no obvious injuries or signs of struggle, while no identification was found on the woman.  Greek authorities then took fingerprints but found no match in the national database. They then discovered they were registered in American databases. According to police, the victim was around 5ft 4in with reddish hair tied in a bun, wearing black shorts and a T-shirt.  Her shorts bore the name of a French university, prompting Interpol to be alerted. Her identity was then confirmed by the Interpol office America, which informed the Hellenic Police that the body belongs to a British woman with the initials E.P, born in February 1988.  Greek news outlets released photos of the 38-year-old woman on Wednesday. Investigators have established that the woman flew to Greece on June 29 from the United States after travelling via Cyprus. Police have requested passenger information from the airline she travelled with to determine if she was with anyone, and are checking local accommodation registries for reservations under her name.  Police estimated that her death occurred between five and seven days before the body was found. One Greek police officer told The Sun that authorities were shocked at the discovery. He said: 'To find a foreign national dead in a suitcase here in the heart of Athens is a first. In the history of Greek British relations, it is unprecedented.' Greek authorities will be working closely with the Cyprus Police on this investigation, while an autopsy is expected to be carried out to determine the cause of death.  The British Embassy in Greece and the woman's father have been notified of her death.  Police wish to speak to her father to gather information about her recent activities. An FCDO Spokesperson told the Daily Mail: 'Our thoughts are with Elizabeth's family during this difficult time. We are providing consular support and are in contact with the local authorities.' A Police Scotland spokesperson told the BBC: 'We are aware of the death of Scottish woman in Athens and are liaising with authorities in Greece. Officers are providing support to her family in Scotland.'