‘Adoptive mum and dad’ of Afghan who ‘killed Brit & stuffed her in suitcase’ break their silence: ‘It doesn’t feel real’

THE “adoptive” parents of an Afghan boxer accused of killing a Brit woman and stuffing her body in a suitcase have broken their silence. When the American couple took in the then 16-year-old Sharif Ahmadzai, never did they think he could be accused of such a heinous crime. Ahmadzai, now 26, has been charged over the murder of Elisabeth Jane Ross, 38, a Scottish Christian missionary who was living in Athens volunteering for a charity. Her body was found stuffed in a suitcase in an abandoned building on July 18 – just three days after she first went missing. The US nationals told the Daily Mail they are heartbroken to learn of Ahmadzai’s alleged crimes and say they are struggling to reconcile the sick charges levied against the teenager who had lived with them for almost two years. The couple took in the Afghan boxer while undertaking humanitarian aid work at the Moria refugee camp in 2016 and the trio became so close Ahmadzai called the couple mom and dad. read more world news He lived with the couple for two years until they returned to their home in Atlanta, Georgia, and they last saw him in 2019. Ahmadzai’s adoptive mother reportedly sobbed upon hearing the charges saying it doesn’t feel real. She said: “When I heard the news, I couldn’t imagine it to be true. Not in a million years. “I keep thinking I’m gonna wake up and it was a nightmare, and it’s over. Most read in The Sun “It’s a heartbreak that you can’t understand. It’s like I have the heart of a mother for that now adult-sized boy.” The American couple say the accused murderer never showed any signs that he was capable of such brutal violence however did admit he had issues. The adoptive father said the teen could be trying at times, but it was usually more rebellion against authority or just him feeling sorry for himself. He said the Sharif he knew is not the Sharif of today. His wife mentioned that he would “act out” – though no more than a typical teenager – and noted that, like many refugees, Ahmadzai was facing the effects of trauma. Ahmadzai’s life story was previously told in an autobiographical animated video – and soon in an upcoming memoir – From Hell to Home: How Loss, Exile, and Hope Built the Man I Became. He shared how his entire family were wiped out in Afghanistan. He fled Kabul in 2016, embarking on a 45-day trek through Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey. He survived two failed boat crossings before finally reaching Lesvos, Greece, and entering Moria Camp where he met the American couple. Ahmadzai met his future wife American Christian missionary Alaina Hall, 28, who was volunteering with a relief charity in the camp. The couple married in 2023 and set up a refugee charity together – where they are believed to have met another fellow Christian, Elisabeth Ross. Ahmadzai’s wife allegedly reported her husband to cops after she became suspicious he was involved in Elisabeth’s death. The brave wife gave a testimony after she became concerned about her husbands actions. Alaina last saw Scottish charity worker Elisabeth on July 12, leaving her alone with her husband, Ahmadzai. Elisabeth was killed three days later, on July 15. That night, Alaina woke up to find Ahmadzai gone. Tracking his phone, she located him at Elisabeth’s apartment building. He claimed he was just using her bathroom while he was out watching football. When news broke of a body found in a nearby suitcase, Alaina suspected the victim was Elisabeth and her husband was the killer. Alaina remembers Elisabeth as “a very pleasant and sweet person, kind-hearted, with a good soul”. Ahmadzai denies murdering Elisabeth. He exercised his right to silence at a Greek court on Thursday and did not respond to the charges, awaiting other evidence, his lawyer said. The court ordered him to be held in jail pending trial. The suspect has already admitted to putting Elisabeth’s body into a suitcase and taking her to the abandoned site.