Panel of Jurors in High-Profile Australian Homicide Case Visits Beach At Which Victim Was Found

Wangetti Beach scene
The body of Toyah Cordingley were found on a remote coastline in northern Queensland back in 2018.

Jurors overseeing a high-profile Queensland murder trial have traveled to the isolated beach where the victim was discovered.

Toyah Cordingley was multiple times stabbed with a bladed weapon and buried in a sandy grave with little or no chance of survival, the court has been told.

The remains were discovered by her father the next day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of coastline between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.

Rajwinder Singh, 41, denies killing Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.

Jury Inspection to Crime Scene

The panel of 12 individuals plus three back-up jurors attended the location along with the judge and barristers on the start of the week in Queensland.

In a acknowledgment of the hot climate and temperatures above 30C, the judge opted for a T-shirt, athletic wear and sneakers rather than a wig and robes.

Both the lead prosecution and defense attorneys chose polo shirts, shorts and headwear.

Scene Details

The court members were led around 1.2km north up the sand to observe where Ms Cordingley's body were discovered.

Upon arrival, as they traveled to the site, several red and white cones indicated where the vehicle had been left.

The visit was intended to help the jurors become acquainted with important sites in the case and no official evidence was given.

Background of the Case

Last week, the court heard that the day after Ms Cordingley's body were discovered, Mr Singh departed from Australia to India – leaving behind his spouse, three children and relatives.

He was out of contact until he was arrested years after, the state said.

Court officials at the beach
Justice Lincoln Crowley with barristers and other court officials at Wangetti Beach.

Prosecution Case

It is alleged that the defendant, who was working as a nurse in the town of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a confrontation with Ms Cordingley.

The pharmacy worker was found wearing a swimwear, with her attire and belongings missing.

Those items were taken by the killer to avoid detection, prosecutors allege.

Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a walk, was located secured to a tree concealed in shrubland about 100 feet from the grave.

No murder weapon was ever recovered, and no eyewitnesses have been found.

But the state says the crown's case – though indirect – was comprised proof that pointed to Mr Singh "and eliminated others."

This will include evidence that genetic material recovered from a object at the scene was 3.8 billion times more probable to have originated from Mr Singh than a random member of the public.

The court has already heard evidence indicating that Ms Cordingley's phone departed the scene after the incident – and that its movements corresponded with those of a vehicle belonging to the defendant.

Mr Singh's quick exit from Australia also suggested his guilt, the state has claimed.

Defence Stance

"As the police were discovering Toyah's remains, he was organizing... a hurriedly arranged single journey back to India," the prosecutor said previously as he began arguments.

The defense is has not provided testimony, but in his opening address, the defense attorney the lawyer described his client as a "placid" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the wrong time."

He also hinted at testimony to come later in the trial that, after his arrest, Mr Singh told an undercover officer he had seen two masked men attack Ms Cordingley and then had fled in fear – something he said was his "gravest error."

Mr McGuire has also said he will testify about other people "identified and unidentified" who should come under suspicion.

Further Testimony

Ms Cordingley's partner, Marco Heidenreich, whom police excluded as a possible suspect, was among those who testified previously.

The court was informed he was an initial person of interest – and that he had been interrogated from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was involved in his girlfriend's disappearance, prior to her remains were found.

Images showing Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a companion on the date Ms Cordingley went missing have been presented to the court, with an expert saying he was confident the pictures were authentic and had not been altered in any manner.

The trial will resume to the standard environment of the courthouse on the next day.

Jennifer Hill
Jennifer Hill

A passionate gamer and tech enthusiast with over a decade of experience in game journalism and community building.