Suitcase body case: Investigators focus on Scottish woman’s contacts in Greece

Greek homicide detectives are focusing on the final movements and contacts of a 38-year-old Scottish woman whose body was discovered inside a suitcase in an abandoned building in the Athens district of Kypseli.

The victim’s identity was confirmed after Interpol’s office in Washington notified the Hellenic Police.

According to investigators, the woman, who was born in February 1988, had travelled to Greece from Edinburgh and is believed to have been staying at the home of a friend in central Athens.

Investigators reconstruct her final days

Police are now working to reconstruct the victim’s final days in Greece.

According to Greek public broadcaster ERT, the woman’s last known contact with a friend took place on July 15, three days before her body was discovered inside a suitcase in the abandoned building on Evelpidon Street.

Investigators are trying to determine whether she travelled to Greece alone or was accompanied by someone else, as well as map her movements and identify the people she met during her stay.

The first question is expected to be answered through airline passenger records, while efforts to trace her movements in Athens remain ongoing.

Mobile phone may provide crucial clues

Investigators are also examining the victim’s mobile phone, which has become a key element of the inquiry.

According to reports, the device was still transmitting a signal on the morning authorities publicly announced the victim’s identification.

Homicide detectives are treating the information as a significant lead, hoping it will help establish the phone’s movements and identify anyone who may have been in possession of it after the woman’s death.

Clothing led to identification

A black pair of shorts worn by the victim when her body was found played a decisive role in identifying her.

The garment bore the emblem of a French university, a detail that immediately attracted investigators’ attention.

Greek authorities shared the information with foreign law enforcement agencies and Interpol, which cross-checked the available data.

The victim’s identity was ultimately confirmed through a U.S. biometric database.

She had previously worked in the United States, where her fingerprints and other biometric information had been recorded. Using that database, U.S. authorities identified the victim and officially informed the Hellenic Police.

With her identity now confirmed, investigators are concentrating on reconstructing the final 24 hours of her life and identifying everyone she came into contact with before her death.

Police believe those answers will be crucial to solving the case.