Ex UK Soldier Accused of Killing Kenyan Female Shows Up in Court

A suspect has shown up before a judge as extradition proceedings began in the case of Agnes Wanjiru, a woman of Kenyan origin who was murdered near a British forces camp in 2012.

Purkiss, 38 years old, who is originally from Greater Manchester, showed up in the magistrates' court in Westminster on Friday, and stated to the court he would challenge the deportation. It is understood that he was arrested on Thursday night.

An arrest warrant for Purkiss was issued by a court in Nairobi in September. The state attorneys stated before the Kenyan court that Purkiss had been accused of a one count, of murder, and that the Kenyan authorities would seek his extradition to face charges.

Purkiss was once employed as a medical attendant with the regiment of the Duke of Lancaster, the military regiment for the northwestern England, including on missions to Afghanistan.

The victim, 21, a beautician who had a baby daughter, went missing after a night out, and her remains was found two months later in the grounds of the accommodation where she had previously spotted.

Not a single person had earlier been arrested or accused in connection to her death. The arrest of Purkiss followed a recent detective probe, which was initiated after a exposé in 2021 by a Sunday newspaper, in which the media outlet approached several current and former soldiers in the military group.

The investigation has been headed by investigators from Kenya, which, under a mutual defense pact, holds legal authority in the case.