Panel of Jurors in Prominent Australian Murder Case Visits Beach At Which Deceased Was Found

Wangetti Beach scene
The body of Toyah Cordingley were found on a secluded coastline in Far North Queensland in 2018.

Members of the jury involved in a widely publicized Queensland homicide case have been taken to the remote shore where the young woman was located.

The 24-year-old victim was multiple times stabbed with a bladed weapon and placed in a sandy resting place with minimal chance of survival, the jury has been told.

Her body were discovered by a family member the following day on Wangetti Beach – a section of coastline nestled between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.

Rajwinder Singh, 41, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in northern Australia.

Jury Visit to Crime Scene

The jury of 12 individuals plus several back-up jurors visited the location along with the judge and legal counsel on the start of the week in Queensland.

In a nod to the hot climate and sweltering heat, the judge wore a casual top, sport shorts and sneakers rather than traditional court attire.

Both the lead prosecution and defence barristers selected polo shirts, bottoms and baseball caps.

Scene Particulars

The court members were guided around 1.2km north up the sand to see where Ms Cordingley's remains were uncovered.

Upon arrival, as they traveled to the site, four red and white cones showed where the victim's car had been parked.

The trip was designed to help the jurors become acquainted with important sites in the trial and no official evidence was given.

Background of the Trial

Previously, the Cairns Supreme Court heard that the following day Ms Cordingley's body were found, the accused departed from Australia to India – leaving behind his wife, family and parents.

He was not heard from until he was arrested four years later, the state said.

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

State 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 discovered wearing a swimwear, with all her other clothes and most of her possessions absent.

Those items were taken by the assailant to conceal evidence, prosecutors contend.

Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a walk, was found tied up to a post hidden in bushland about 30 metres from the grave.

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

But the state says the crown's case – though indirect – was comprised findings that indicated Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."

This will include testimony that genetic material obtained from a object at the scene was extremely more probable to have originated from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the public.

The court has previously been told testimony suggesting that Ms Cordingley's mobile device departed the scene after the incident – and that its travel matched those of a vehicle owned by the defendant.

Mr Singh's quick exit from Australia also pointed to his involvement, the state has argued.

Defense Stance

"While authorities were finding Toyah's body, he was organizing... a rushed one way trip back to India," the prosecutor said previously as he opened his case.

The defence is has not provided testimony, but in his initial statement, the defense attorney the lawyer portrayed his client as a "calm" and "caring" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the wrong time."

He also hinted at evidence to come subsequently that, after his arrest, Mr Singh told an plainclothes agent he had witnessed two masked men attack Ms Cordingley and then had fled in terror – something he said was his "gravest error."

Mr McGuire has also said he will give evidence about other people "identified and unidentified" who should come under investigation.

Further Evidence

Ms Cordingley's partner, Marco Heidenreich, whom authorities quickly ruled out as a person of interest, was among those who gave evidence previously.

The court heard he was an immediate police suspect – and that he had been interrogated from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was implicated in his partner's vanishing, even before her body were discovered.

Images showing Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a friend on the date Ms Cordingley went missing have been presented to the court, with an specialist saying he was confident the photos were authentic and had not been doctored in any way.

The case will return to the more conventional setting of the courthouse on the next day.

Allison Smith
Allison Smith

A seasoned gaming enthusiast and writer, Elara specializes in casino gaming trends and TrackMania strategies, offering expert insights for players.