Eight years after the Napa murder of a Kenya native, a former Napa woman was in court on Tuesday afternoon after being arrested on a warrant for felony accessory to the cold case homicide.

Julie Weeks, 43, who now lives in southern Oregon, is accused of withholding information about the suspected killer of Edwin Njuguna. Njuguna was stabbed to death Sept. 12, 1997, in a street brawl in a residential neighborhood behind Napa High School.

Weeks was extradited from Oregon to Napa County on Monday. Her arraignment was continued until this morning.

Njuguna, 24, was stabbed three times, including a fatal wound to his heart. The melee started in front of a residence at 2523 Marin St., where a party was being hosted by Weeks and family members for a friend who was leaving for the military.

Njuguna, along with Ryan Perez, 19, and Samir Abdalla, 20, both of Napa, were driving on Marin Street after a high school dance. They stopped in front of the house, and according to more than 20 partygoers, Njuguna, Perez and Abdalla were told it was a private party and they were not welcome. A free-for-all fight erupted. Perez, who suffered a broken wrist, and Abdalla, who was also stabbed, told investigators the partygoers yelled racial slurs at Njuguna, prompting the fight.

The incident raised questions about whether it should be considered a hate crime because Njuguna was black. Shortly after Njuguna's death, the Kenya consul and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People met with the victim's family and law enforcement officers. There was even talk of Kenya President Daniel arap Moi bringing up the case with then-President Bill Clinton.

However, Napa police have maintained from the day of the murder that there has been no evidence to support the theory that Njuguna's death was a hate crime, Napa Police Cmdr. Jeff Troendly said on Tuesday.

Police interviewed numerous witnesses to the murder and processed extensive evidence, but were not able to make an arrest.

"We have been working this case since day one. At first we had a lot of leads, but that's all it was," Troendly said. "We never had enough solid evidence to make an arrest or finger a suspect."

Since Njuguna's death, several witnesses have come forward providing information leading to a possible murder suspect. No one has been arrested yet on the murder charge, Troendly said, but he added "We are moving closer to that."

Weeks was one of the witnesses interviewed by detectives. "She has always denied any knowledge of who committed the homicide," Troendly said. "When she was contacted in Oregon, she once again denied any knowledge and said the male (murder) suspect was in the house when Njuguna was killed."

Police are not releasing the name of the suspect until an arrest is made.

Other key witnesses have implicated this male suspect as well, Troendly said.

Earlier this month, one of the witnesses under the direction of the Napa police placed a recorded telephone call to Weeks at her Oregon home. In that call, Weeks made incriminating statements about her knowledge of the involvement of the male suspect, Troendly said. She was arrested at her Oregon home on March 12.

Njuguna was the first of his three siblings to leave Nairobi and come to America, landing in New York. He came to Napa from New York in 1988. He attended Napa High School, graduating in 1993. At the time of his death, Njuguna was a bus driver for the VINE. He left behind an infant daughter. He had a sister who currently lives in the Bay Area.

Troendly said detectives recently talked to Njuguna's sister. "I know the family has been very frustrated wanting someone to held accountable for Edwin's death," he said. "It's been tough for them and us as well."

This is the second cold-case murder arrest by Napa police within a year.

Last May, Napa dentist Michael Posey, 52, was arrested for the April 19, 1996, murder of his estranged wife Elizabeth Posey, 27. Dr. Posey told police the pair was struggling over a handgun in the doctor's kitchen and it went off, killing Elizabeth instantly. In September the Napa County grand jury indicted Posey on a murder charge. His trial is set for May 30.