Greek police say a man has admitted transporting the body of a Scottish woman in a suitcase to an abandoned building.
Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, was found in the Kypseli district of Athens on 18 July, days after she was reported missing.
Local officers launched an investigation with cooperation from authorities in the US, the UK and Scotland, and now say they have arrested a 26-year-old man – the BBC understands he is from Afghanistan.
The force said he was brought to police headquarters on Thursday where he “confessed to his actions”. He was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, robbery and weapons offences, but the exact charges have yet to be finalised under the Greek legal system.
Lisa’s body was found in an abandoned building in the Kypseli district of Athens [Reuters]
Police said Ross, known to her family as Lisa, arrived in Greece on 26 June and stayed in the Piraeus area until 10 July, when she left for an unknown destination in Attica.
After carrying out investigations and analysing video footage, police said they identified a 26-year-old man was connected to the case.
They claim he transported Lisa’s body to the abandoned site in a suitcase and subsequently used her bank cards to withdraw money.
During searches carried out at his home, police said a replica pistol and a knife were found and seized.
The exterior of building in Kypseli where Lisa’s body was found [Reuters]
Lisa had initially stayed in the area of Keratsini, 5.9 miles (9.5km) west of central Athens, with Greek friends.
She had told them that on 15 July she would go to Kypseli, where her “American friends” or acquaintances were.
On Saturday Greek police said they were fast-tracking toxicology reports in order to ascertain the cause of her death, potentially “in the coming days”.
Test results can take anywhere from several weeks to a few months depending on the complexity of the case and the workload of forensic laboratories.
They were also looking to trace Lisa’s American friends, who they said were also staying in Kypseli.
First Minister John Swinney called it an “absolutely appalling case”.
A Scottish government spokesperson said: “This is an extremely distressing time for the family of Elisabeth-Jane Ross and it is important that their privacy is respected while enquiries continue.
“Scottish government officials are in communication with the family and with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to ensure they receive appropriate support.
“As this remains an operational matter for Police Scotland, it would not be appropriate to comment further.”
This article originally stated that Greek police had said the suspect had admitted killing Elisabeth-Jane Ross. This was changed after further information emerged.
