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Extradition Hearing Opens in London for Ex‑British Soldier Accused in 2012 Kenyan Murder

Kenya seeks his extradition under a defence pact granting it jurisdiction.

Overview

  • Robert James Purkiss, 38, was arrested by National Crime Agency officers in Tidworth, Wiltshire, and told Westminster Magistrates’ Court he will contest extradition.
  • He was remanded in custody with a further hearing scheduled for November 14.
  • Kenyan prosecutors have charged him with one count of murder over the death of Agnes Wanjiru, 21, whose body was found in a hotel septic tank near a British army base in 2012.
  • Court summaries cited witness accounts and social‑media messages, including an alleged admission of "I’ve killed her" and a claim the death was "sex that went wrong."
  • His lawyer says he vehemently denies the allegation and has Ministry of Defence‑funded representation, and the case was revived after a 2021 Sunday Times investigation.