Ex British Serviceman Accused of Killing Kenyan Woman Shows Up in Court

A suspect has shown up before a judge as extradition proceedings started in the case of the victim Agnes Wanjiru, a Kenyan woman who was murdered near a British army base in 2012.

The accused Robert Purkiss, thirty-eight, who is a native of Greater Manchester region, was presented at the magistrates' court in Westminster on Friday, and stated to the court he intended to contest the deportation. Reports indicate that he was detained on the evening of Thursday.

An arrest warrant for Purkiss was authorized by a Kenyan court in Nairobi in the month of September. Legal prosecutors informed the Kenyan judiciary that the individual had been charged with a sole charge, of killing, and that the government of Kenya would seek his extradition to answer to accusations.

Purkiss previously worked as a medical attendant with the Lancaster Regiment, the military regiment for the north-west of England, including on tours of Afghanistan.

Agnes Wanjiru, 21 years old, a hairdresser who had a young daughter, vanished after a night out, and her remains was found after two months in the premises of the accommodation where she had most recently observed.

No one had earlier been arrested or accused in association with her demise. His detention followed a recent detective probe, which was initiated after a article in 2021 by the Sunday Times, in which the publication reached out to several current and former soldiers in the military group.

The probe has been spearheaded by investigators from Kenya, which, under a bilateral defence agreement, holds legal authority in the case.