Oxford worker and professor face murder charges

AN OXFORD University employee who spent more than a week as a fugitive with an American professor has appeared in court accused of murdering a 26-year-old hairstylist.

Andrew Warren, 56, from Somerville College, and Professor Wyndham Lathem, 42, are accused of repeatedly stabbing Trenton Cornell-duranleau in the academic’s Chicago apartment.

Mr Warren confirmed he is the wanted man and declined to fight his extradition to Chicago to face a murder charge as he appeared before a court in San Francisco yesterday.

Judge Edward Torpoco said: “Based on the nature of the charge, the defendant is remanded and no bail is set.”

Mr Warren and Prof Lathem gave themselves up separately in California, more than 2,000 miles away from the crime scene. Mr Warren, of Swindon, Wiltshire, has since been suspended from his job as senior treasury assistant at the college.

He left the UK on July 24 and was reported missing to Thames Valley Police two days before Mr Cornell-duranleau’s body was found on July 27.