Scottish church mourns missionary found dead in suitcase

The head pastor of an Edinburgh church opened his Sunday sermon by mourning the death of a church member found dead in Greece while serving with a local refugee aid group. It’s been a hard week for the church with the tragic loss of a precious member, Elisabeth-Jane Ross, according to Pastor Peter Anderson.

Ross spent several weeks in Athens before a homeless man discovered her body inside a suitcase at a local abandoned building, according to a report by The Greek Herald. Ross had a big heart for missions and served many people across the world, Anderson said. She was a precious girl who attended City on a Hill for 20 years, he added.

What is known about the crime? Greek police reported that a 26-year-old Afghan national was arrested as a suspect in the crime last week. The suspect was under investigation for homicide, robbery and violating weapons laws, after officials found various arms at his home in central Athens, police told The Greek Herald. Ross’ official cause of death has not yet been determined.

The BBC identified the suspect as champion boxer Sharif Ahmadzai, who came to Greece as a refugee. CCTV footage also appeared to show Ahmadzai carrying a suitcase believed to be the suitcase holding Ross’ body, according to the BBC’s Tuesday report.

WORLD reached out to the Hellenic Police for more details on the crime and suspect arrest, but did not receive a response before publication. WORLD reached out to One Heart, the refugee aid group it's believed Ross worked with, for comment. This story will be updated with any responses received.