Former UK Soldier Accused of Murdering Kenyan Female Shows Up in Courtroom

An individual has been presented in court as extradition proceedings commenced in the case of Agnes Wanjiru, a Kenyan national, a female from Kenya who was murdered near a British forces camp in 2012.

Purkiss, 38, who is hailing from the Manchester area, appeared before Westminster magistrates court on Friday, and told the court he intended to contest the extradition request. Sources suggest that he was detained on Thursday night.

A detention order for the suspect was issued by a Nairobi court in September. The prosecution informed the Kenyan judiciary that the accused had been accused of a single count, of homicide, and that the Kenyan authorities would pursue his extradition to stand trial.

Purkiss served formerly as a army medic with the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, the army unit for the north-west of England, including on tours of Afghanistan.

The victim, 21, a hair stylist who had a young daughter, went missing after a night out, and her body was located two months later in the grounds of the lodging where she had last been seen.

No one had earlier been detained or accused in connection to her death. The arrest of Purkiss was the result of a recent detective probe, which followed a article in 2021 by the Sunday Times, in which the publication approached several current and former soldiers in the military group.

This inquiry has been headed by detectives in Kenya, which, under a bilateral security treaty, maintains prosecutorial power in the legal case.