The wife of an Afghan man accused of murdering a British woman in Athens has described a premonition that the victim was dead prior to the body’s discovery. Alaina Hall told police she had met Elisabeth Ross through volunteer work and last saw her on July 12 after a Bible study meeting. A few days later, when news emerged that a woman’s body had been found stuffed inside a suitcase in a derelict building near their home, Hall said she woke in the early hours with a "terrible" feeling about Ross, whom she also referred to as Lisa.

Hall recounted to detectives that around 3 a.m. she suddenly remembered the reported discovery and feared the body could be Lisa’s. The following morning, she sent Ross messages, but the replies she received did not match Ross’s usual style—both in language proficiency and emoji use—leading Hall to grow suspicious. Attempts to call Ross went unanswered.

Hall’s suspicions deepened after she woke to find her husband, Sharif Ahmadzai, missing on the evening of July 15. Checking a shared phone location, she saw he was at Ross’s apartment. When confronted, Ahmadzai said he was out watching a football match and had stopped at Ross’s flat to use the toilet. Hall told police that combining these facts—the timing, the unusual messages, and her husband’s behavior—left her feeling uneasy.

Ahmadzai, 26, has been charged with murder, manslaughter, robbery, and illegal possession of a firearm. He has refused to enter a plea and has exercised his right to silence. Authorities released CCTV footage reportedly showing Ahmadzai leaving Ross’s apartment carrying a suitcase and later dropping it near the location where her remains were found on July 16.

During police questioning, Ahmadzai denied harming Ross. He stated that he found her unconscious on the bathroom floor and, after asking an elderly man at a bus stop for guidance, was allegedly coerced into disposing of her body and taking money from her.

Ahmadzai arrived on the Greek island of Lesvos in 2016, subsequently converted to Christianity, and married US-born Christian Alaina Hall in 2023. The couple knew Ross through their involvement in volunteer aid work in Athens.

Investigations are ongoing as authorities continue to examine the case and the circumstances surrounding the death of Elisabeth Ross.