Former British Soldier Charged of Killing Kenyan Woman Appears in Court

A suspect has appeared in court as extradition proceedings commenced in the legal matter of the victim Agnes Wanjiru, a Kenyan woman who was found dead near a British army base in 2012.

Purkiss, 38, who is hailing from the Manchester area, appeared before the magistrates' court in Westminster on the last Friday, and informed the court he intended to contest the extradition request. It is understood that he was taken into custody on Thursday evening.

A warrant for arrest for the suspect was issued by a Nairobi court in September. The state attorneys informed the Kenyan judiciary that the accused had been facing a one count, of homicide, and that the Kenyan government would seek his extradition to answer to accusations.

He previously worked as a medic with the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, the army unit for the English northwest, including on missions to Afghanistan.

Agnes Wanjiru, 21 years old, a hair stylist who had a baby daughter, went missing after a night on the town, and her body was located two months later in the area of the hotel where she had previously spotted.

Nobody had previously been detained or charged in relation to her passing. His detention followed a recent detective probe, which was initiated after a article in 2021 by the Sunday Times, in which the media outlet reached out to several active and retired troops in the military group.

The probe has been headed by detectives in Kenya, which, under a mutual defense pact, retains jurisdiction in the case.