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Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, was found dead on July 18 in a suitcase dumped in a derelict building in Athens - Greek police believe text messages sent to her family on July 15 were sent by a person using her phone

Police in Greece have revealed the harrowing last text messages sent from the phone of a Scottish woman who was found dead in a suitcase dumped in a derelict building in downtown Athens.

Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, was discovered by a homeless man on Evelpidon Street in the neighbourhood of Kypseli at around 1pm on July 18. Ms Ross, who is understood to have been born in Scotland in February 1988, is believed to have died between five and seven days before she was found.

Greek detectives suspect that text messages sent to Ms Ross' family on July 15 were sent by a person using her phone, according to Greek media. The texts reportedly claimed that she "needed some time to herself" and "wanted to be alone for a while".

A Greek officer told the Daily Mail: "The phone was being used. Text messages were even sent obviously with a view to making people believe she was still alive. We are treating the building as a crime scene."

Ms Ross is thought to have travelled to Greece from Cyprus last month, Greek state broadcaster ERT reports. It is understood that she had been staying with a friend in Athens before she disappeared.

News outlet Proto Thema reported that Ms Ross was identified by Interpol using her fingerprints after her DNA did not match any records on Greek databases. An initial forensic examination found no obvious injuries or signs of a struggle, according to the outlet.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "We are aware of the death of Scottish woman in Athens and are liaising with authorities in Greece. Officers are providing support to her family in Scotland."

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "Our thoughts are with Elisabeth's family during this difficult time. We are providing consular support and are in contact with the local authorities."

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