‘Suitcase killer’ makes ‘unbelievable’ court appearance as cops hunt potential accomplices ‘who helped hide Brit’s body’

THE Afghan boxer accused of killing a Brit woman in Athens was “confident to the point of disbelief” during his second court hearing. Officials were reportedly in shock at the demeanour of murder suspect Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, with cops said to be still on the hunt for potential accomplices. Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, covered part of his face with his jumper as he was marched to court in handcuffs by armed and masked officer Credit: FlashGR/X/@JohnKemmos The suspect kept his head down as he was bundled into a car Credit: FlashGR/X/@JohnKemmos Christian aid worker Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, was discovered by a homeless man in a derelict building in Athens on July 18 Credit: UGC/UNPIXS Chilling CCTV footage shows a man matching the Afghan’s description wheeling a black suitcase through the streets of Athens Credit: iefimerida.gr Ahmadzai is accused of killing Christian aid worker Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, after she was discovered inside a suitcase in a derelict building in Athens on July 18. The suspect was charged with homicide with intent as he appeared in court today. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Ahmadzai covered part of his face with his jumper this morning as he was hauled into the session by armed and masked officers at about 10:40am. His lawyer Christos Erdas confirmed Ahmadzai did not speak during the hearing or submit a plea for any of the three charges he faces. Read more in suitcase murder He was first arrested on charges of illegal weapons possession – but has now been accused by authorities of homicide with intent and stealing more than €10,000 (£8,500) from Elisabeth’s bank cards. The suspect has been locked up in a holding cell for a week now after Greek police detained him thanks to his own wife’s brave testimony. He is yet to have any visits behind bars, including from his wife and mother to his child Alaina, a well-placed source told the Sun. A judge ordered Ahmadzai to be kept in pre-trial detention on Thursday until the his hearing. Most read in The Sun Boxer Sharif Ahmadzai with his wife Alaina whose testimony helped lead to his arrest Credit: Instagram Additionally, Erdas insisted a formal plea could not be entered for his client until key medical reports confirm exactly how Ms Ross died. The suspect’s lawyer has now demanded her full UK medical records as part of the case. Ahmadzai denies murdering Elisabeth but magistrates handling the case unanimously agreed today he should be charged on intentional homicide, robbery and illegal possession of a weapon. Police sources say they are “100 per cent” certain Ahmadzai is involved in her death after he confessed to hiding her body in a suitcase last week. But investigators are still looking for potential accomplices, The Sun has learned. It comes after Ahmadzai alleged he was told to hide Elisabeth’s body by an “elderly man” he met outside the apartment where she was likely killed. The mystery person is yet to be identified and may not even be real, prosecutors have argued. Ahmadzai was seen entering the Court of First Instance in Athens at around 10.40am local time today, in the back of a grey Honda i3. Elisabeth had reportedly met Ahmadzai while she was volunteering for a refugee charity in Greece Credit: Facebook In 2017, the suspect met his wife Alaina Hall, from Georgia in the US, and they married in 2023 Credit: Facebook It marked his second hearing after he was taken to court on Wednesday morning wearing the same outfit. He gave testimony in front of a judge and his newly appointed lawyer. A source said he walked in and said almost straight away that he wasn’t going to speak “because the case file was incomplete”, a source said. They added that his lawyer then requested a history of Elisabeth’s health, and whether she had suffered any medical issues in the past. Ahmadzai will likely be sent to prison while he awaits trial in the next 24 hours. During his first hearing on Wednesday, the Afghan national told cops he started to “panic” when he found Elisabeth dead at her apartment on July 15. The suspect said he then went back to the apartment the next day and placed Elisabeth’s body in a suitcase and drove it through Athens. He claims to have met the old, mystery man and then told cops: “He told me to leave the suitcase with him and he would take care of it.” The Red Cross removed a film about Ahmadzai’s struggles during the journey from Afghanistan to Europe as a 15-year-old boy Credit: Instagram An unmarked police car carrying Ahmadzai as he enters the court complex in Athens Credit: Athena Ahmadzai has also confessed to withdrawing €10,000 (£8,500) from ATMs in Greece using stolen credit cards that belonged to the victim. Elisabeth and Ahmadzai first met alongside the suspect’s wife Alaina while volunteering for a refugee charity in Athens in February 2026. Alaina’s whole testimony has now been revealed as she described Elisabeth as “a very pleasant and sweet person, kind-hearted, with a good soul”. Alaina claimed she woke up and found her husband had left their home without any warning on July 15 – the suspected night of the murder. She said: “I checked his location on my cell phone. I saw that he was inside the apartment on Rethymno Street. “I was surprised because there was no particular reason for him to be there at that time.” She phoned him up as he said he was out watching a football match at a cafe and had headed inside the apartment to just use the toilet. Ahmadzai has admitted to going to Elisabeth’s flat on July 15 which is where Alaina’s phone records show he was. At the time, Alaina said she believed his football story as one of his family members had died on the same day. Across the next two weeks, Ahmadzai appeared to be back to his happy self and even bought Alaina a flashy new phone, his wife said. During this time, news broke that a woman had been found dead inside a suitcase close to where the couple lived. The victim’s identity was yet to be revealed but Alaina says she woke up in the middle of the night on July 29 and thought it could be Elisabeth. The pair hadn’t spoken for weeks now so Alaina quickly messaged the Brit and received two concerning replies. Alaina said: “These messages were not in Lisa’s style both in terms of her level of English and the use of emojis that she never used.” After failing to reach her on a call, Alaina said she started to think about the possibility that Elisabeth could be the woman in the suitcase. She later told police: “All of the above made me feel strange. Especially combining the dates, the messages and my husband’s behavior. “I have various thoughts that make me feel uncomfortable.” Ahmadzai fled Afghanistan in 2016 after his family were wiped out by the Taliban and reportedly paid smugglers to bring him to Britain before eventually settling in Greece. It comes as the Red Cross announced they would be removing a film about Ahmadzai’s struggles during the journey from Afghanistan to Europe as a 15-year-old boy. 1 comment1