An former British soldier has been arrested in Tidworth over the alleged murder of a woman in Kenya back in 2012.
The body of Agnes Wanjiru was found in a septic tank in Nanyuki. She had been stabbed to death near a British army base, with authorities launching a homicide probe.
38-year-old Robert James Purkiss, from the Salisbury area, was previously identified as a suspect – and an arrest warrant was issued.
Specialist officers from the National Crime Agency tracked him down in Tidworth on Thursday (6 November), where he was arrested.
He was remanded in custody and put before Westminster Magistrates’ Court today (7 November) for extradition proceedings to begin.
In a statement, an NCA spokesperson said: “A former British soldier wanted by Kenyan authorities in connection to an alleged murder in 2012 has been arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA).
“He was apprehended in Tidworth, Wiltshire, on 6 November by specialist officers from the NCA’s National Extradition Unit after a warrant was issued in September.
“Robert James Purkiss, 38, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today (7 November) for extradition proceedings to begin.
“He was remanded into custody until his next appearance at the same court on 14 November.”
