CRUCIAL tests to establish the cause of death of a British woman found dead in a suitcase in Greece could still take months, authorities say.

Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, a boxer from Afghanistan has been charged with the murder of Elisabeth Ross, 38, and now faces an 18-month wait in jail before his trial.

Scottish aid worker Elisabeth Ross was found dead last month

Suspected suitcase killer Sharif Ahmadzai has been remanded in custody

The body of Elisabeth was discovered by a homeless man in a derelict building in the Kypseli area of Athens last month.

After a frantic few days of investigations, Ahmadzai was detained and accused of her murder, as well as robbery and weapons offences.

He has been to two court hearings since and is now set to spend the next 18 months in the notorious Korydallos Prison – packed with terrorists, rapists and murderers.

A police source told The Sun: “What lies ahead are gruelling conditions of pre-trial custody. Korydallos is no picnic.”

Her body was abandoned in a derelict building in central Athens

Ahmadzai continues to deny killing the Scottish aid worker but has confessed to finding her body, placing it in a suitcase and moving it across Athens.

Elisabeth’s cause of death remains unknown as prosecutors continue to try and piece together the tragic case.

Greek police previously said they were fast-tracking forensic tests but authorities now say the results could take “at least another month”.

The coroner’s report currently lists the cause of death as undetermined, as her body showed no signs of external trauma.

But following a detailed investigation, autopsy and post-mortem, “asphyxiation was listed as the probable cause of death”.

In a statement released on Thursday, Christos Erdos, Ahmadzai’s lawyer, said Ross had no injuries when she was found and there was a “complete absence” of any apparent cause of death.

He said his client wanted the forensic medical report and the “toxicological and histological examinations of the deceased” to be included in the case file.

Ahmadzai appeared in court in Athens last week over Ross’s death.

Ahmadzai has been formally charged with intentional homicide, robbery and possession of illegal weapons

He has been jailed in one of Greece’s most hellish prisons while he awaits trial

He was initially detained on a charge of possessing an illegal weapon and is facing a charge of homicide with intent, equivalent to murder under Scottish law.

He has also been charged with stealing almost €10,000 from Ross’s bank accounts using her bank cards.

The police union in Greece said Ahmadzai’s wife told officers she suspected her husband was involved in the killing after waking up to find he was not in their apartment.

She then tracked his phone to where Ross was staying.

US-born Alaina Hall is said to be “revolted” by Ahmadzai and firmly believes he killed her friend Ross in Athens last month.

She became suspicious of Ahmadzai’s big spending in the fortnight between Lisa’s death – believed to have happened on July 15 – and her discovery.

The alleged killer attempted to gift her a new iPhone and €2,550 (around £2,200) in cash.

Alaina refused the items and later handed them over to police.

She also claimed the Afghan underwent a sudden change in behaviour following the birth of his child.

Ross arrived in Greece on June 26 and stayed in the Keratsini area of Piraeus until July 10.

She is believed to have died several days before her body was discovered.

Her family described her as “kind, principled and selfless”.

“Her integrity was absolute, and she dedicated her life to helping others in need,” they said in a statement.

Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/16816644/suitcase-victim-cause-death-killer-greek-jail/