Harrowing surveillance footage has captured the moment when the man taken into custody in connection with the death of a British woman in Greece was seen wheeling a suitcase containing her remains through the streets of Athens.
The disturbing video shows Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, hauling the large black case through the city center on July 16. Dressed in a black T-shirt and shorts with a blue rucksack, Ahmadzai can be seen slowly making his way towards an abandoned building in Kypseli.
Allegedly, in the quiet neighborhood of central Athens, Ahmadzai disposed of the body of 38-year-old Elisabeth Jane Ross and the suitcase in an abandoned building before fleeing. Elisabeth, also known as Lisa, was discovered on July 18 by a homeless man who notified the authorities.
Following his arrest, Ahmadzai has been charged with Lisa’s death, facing accusations of intentional homicide, robbery, and weapons offenses. Despite admitting to transporting Lisa’s body in the suitcase, he denies the murder allegations.
According to George Kalliakmanis, the honorary president of the police officers’ association in Athens, Ahmadzai confessed to moving the body and using Lisa’s credit cards but denies the murder charges, which the police doubt.
An Afghan champion boxer, Ahmadzai, ran a refugee charity in Athens and arrived in Lesvos in 2016 as a migrant. He later married Alaina Hall in 2023, and together they established a ministry to aid refugees in Athens. The couple reportedly knew Elisabeth through their charitable work.
Initial reports indicate that Elisabeth likely died from asphyxiation, with an ongoing autopsy awaiting toxicology results to determine the official cause of death. Investigations reveal that Lisa had been in Greece since late June, residing in various places before renting an apartment in Exarchia.
Alaina provided crucial evidence, including location data placing her husband at Lisa’s apartment on the night of July 15. Upon Lisa’s identity becoming public, Alaina suspected Ahmadzai’s involvement and left their home with their child.
Alaina handed over a mobile phone and cash believed to belong to the victim. Ahmadzai claimed he found Lisa dead in the apartment and disposed of her body in a suitcase, but further evidence suggests he impersonated Lisa in messages and used her bank cards.
Ahmadzai’s tragic family history includes his father being killed in a Taliban ambush when he was four, and the rest of his family dying in a suicide car bomb when he was 15. Despite these hardships, he managed to reach Greece in a small boat and became the Greek super lightweight boxing champion in 2023.
He has been referred for prosecution to face the charges and is expected to appear before magistrates in Athens soon.
