Former British Soldier Accused Of Killing Agnes Wanjiru Arrested
The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) confirmed his arrest by specialist officers following the warrant.
Viral Tea Ke Writer 
A former British soldier has been arrested and charged in a London court as he resists extradition to Kenya, where he faces murder charges over the death of Agnes Wanjiru, whose body was discovered in a septic tank 13 years ago.
The suspect, 38-year-old Robert James Purkiss, appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on November 7 to challenge his extradition.
Purkiss is accused of murdering Wanjiru, who was 21 at the time and was last seen in March 2012, leaving a hotel bar in Nanyuki with a group of British soldiers.
A photo of former British soldier Robert James Purkiss accused of killing Agnes Wanjiru. /THE GUARDIAN
Prosecutor Joel Smith told the court that Purkiss had confessed to fellow soldiers. “When he was asked why he was crying, the defendant said, ‘I’ve killed her,’” Smith said.
Another soldier testified that Purkiss later described the killing as “sex that went wrong” and allegedly took a colleague to the septic tank where Wanjiru’s body was hidden.
A post-mortem report indicated Wanjiru had been beaten and stabbed and may have still been alive when she was dumped into the tank.
In September 2025, a Kenyan court issued a formal warrant seeking Purkiss’s extradition. The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) confirmed his arrest by specialist officers following the warrant.
Purkiss’s lawyer, David Josse, said his client, who lives in the UK with his wife and two children, “vehemently denies” the accusations.
Purkiss did not enter a plea during the hearing and reportedly shook his head as prosecutors detailed the evidence.
The court rejected his request for release, ordering that he remain in custody until a bail hearing on November 14, 2025.
Britain’s Ministry of Defence reiterated its commitment to ensuring that Wanjiru’s family finds justice.
