The man charged in the death of Scottish missionary Elisabeth Jane Ross appeared before an Athens court this week, moving the case into its next legal phase nearly three weeks after her body was discovered in a suitcase.
Sharif Ahmadzai, the 26-year-old Afghan boxer previously named by JubileeCast as the suspect charged with homicide, robbery, and weapons offenses, arrived at the courthouse on Evelpidon Street on Wednesday in an unmarked police vehicle. He was assigned a court-appointed lawyer during a private hearing that lasted roughly an hour, and he is expected to face a further hearing this week as prosecutors continue building their case.
The courthouse sits just a short walk from the derelict building in the Kypseli district where Ross's body was found on July 18, wrapped in fabric inside a suitcase. Investigators have said a post-mortem examination could not determine an exact cause of death due to decomposition, but did not rule out asphyxiation. Authorities are still awaiting further tissue analysis to confirm how she died.
Ross, 38, was a certified psychotherapist and volunteer aid worker who had come to Greece to serve alongside Christian refugee ministries, including the organization Ahmadzai and his wife ran in Athens. Her home church in Edinburgh has continued to hold her in prayer as the legal process unfolds, even as the community that once welcomed her grapples with the fact that someone from within their own circle of ministry now stands accused.
Related: Who Was Missionary Elisabeth Jane Ross? Church Mourns Volunteer Found Dead in Suitcase While Serving Refugees in Greece | Elisabeth Jane Ross Case Update: Christian Convert Boxer Charged in Missionary's Death
