In a court hearing, it was revealed that the remains of a young mother, allegedly murdered by a former British soldier, were found in an advanced state of decomposition inside a septic tank.
Robert James Purkiss, a former soldier, appeared in court facing charges of killing Agnes Wanjiru, 21, during a British Army training session in Nanyuki, Kenya back in 2012. According to prosecutors, Wanjiru was last seen leaving a hotel with a soldier during a break from the training exercise, only to be later discovered decomposing in a septic tank.
During the court proceedings, Joel Smith KC stated that soldiers, including Purkiss, would often venture into town, indulge in heavy drinking, and engage with local women for paid services during their time off from the exercise. Smith accused Purkiss of Wanjiru’s murder, claiming that fellow soldiers had confessed to the crime to military authorities and even made light of it in Facebook chats.
The allegations stem from a period between February and April 2012 when British soldiers were in Kenya for training. On the night in question, Purkiss and other soldiers reportedly went out for drinks in town, coinciding with the evening Wanjiru was last seen with friends at a local hotel. Wanjiru had left her infant daughter with a friend before meeting soldiers at the hotel, where she was last spotted departing with one of them.
Tragically, Wanjiru never returned, prompting a search by her friends and a subsequent police report. Two months later, her decomposed body was discovered in a septic tank on the hotel premises. Post-mortem findings revealed significant decomposition along with a 2cm stab wound to the abdomen and a collapsed lung. Purkiss is contesting extradition to Kenya for the alleged murder, denying any involvement.
The trial is ongoing.
