Jury in Prominent Down Under Murder Case Tours Shoreline Where Victim Was Discovered

Wangetti Beach scene
The body of Toyah Cordingley was discovered on a remote beach in northern Queensland in 2018.

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

Toyah Cordingley was repeatedly stabbed with a bladed weapon and buried in a sandy resting place with little or no chance of survival, the jury has been told.

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

Rajwinder Singh, 41, has pleaded not guilty to killing Ms Cordingley on a weekend in October 2018 in northern Australia.

Jury Visit to Beach

The jury of 10 men and two women plus several alternates visited the location along with the presiding officer and barristers on Monday morning in Queensland.

In a nod to the hot climate and temperatures above 30C, the judge opted for a casual top, sport shorts and sneakers rather than traditional court attire.

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

Location Details

The jurors were led around three-quarters of a mile along the beach to see where Ms Cordingley's remains were uncovered.

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

The trip was designed to help the jurors become familiar with key locations in the case and no official evidence was presented.

Context of the Trial

Previously, the court was informed that the following day Ms Cordingley's remains were found, the accused flew from Australia to India – abandoning his spouse, family and relatives.

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

Court officials at the beach
The judge with legal representatives and other court officials at Wangetti Beach.

Prosecution Argument

It is claimed that Mr Singh, who was working as a nurse in the community of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.

The victim was found wearing a bikini, with all her other clothes and most of her possessions absent.

Those objects were taken by the assailant to conceal evidence, prosecutors allege.

Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a walk, was located tied up to a post hidden in bushland about 100 feet from the grave.

The weapon was found, and no eyewitnesses have been identified.

But the state says the crown's case – though circumstantial – was made up of proof that indicated Mr Singh "and eliminated others."

This will include evidence that DNA obtained from a stick at the scene was extremely more probable to have come from Mr Singh than a random member of the population.

The jury has already heard testimony suggesting that Ms Cordingley's mobile device left the scene after the incident – and that its movements corresponded with those of a vehicle owned by the defendant.

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

Defense Position

"While authorities were finding Toyah's body, he was arranging... a rushed single journey back to India," the prosecutor said last week as he opened his case.

The defense is yet to present any evidence, but in his opening address, Mr Singh's barrister the lawyer portrayed his client as a "placid" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "wrong place at the wrong time."

He also hinted at testimony to come subsequently that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh informed an plainclothes agent he had witnessed assailants assault Ms Cordingley and then had fled in terror – something he said was his "gravest error."

The defense attorney has also said he will testify about other people "identified and unidentified" who should come under investigation.

Additional Evidence

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, Marco Heidenreich, whom police quickly ruled out as a possible suspect, was one 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 disappearance, prior to her body were found.

Images depicting the witness 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 photos were genuine and had not been altered in any manner.

The trial will return to the more conventional setting of the courtroom on the next day.

Jacob Daniel
Jacob Daniel

Elara is a seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in the online casino industry, specializing in slot mechanics and player trends.