Panel of Jurors in Prominent Australian Homicide Trial Tours Beach Where Victim Was Found

Wangetti Beach scene
The body of Toyah Cordingley were found on a secluded beach in northern Queensland in 2018.

Jurors overseeing a widely publicized Queensland murder trial have traveled to the isolated beach where the young woman was discovered.

Toyah Cordingley was multiple times stabbed with a sharp object and placed in a shallow grave with minimal hope of surviving, the jury has heard.

The remains were found by a family member the following day on Wangetti Beach – a section of shoreline nestled between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.

The accused, 41, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Cordingley on a weekend in October 2018 in northern Australia.

Jury Inspection to Crime Scene

The panel of 12 individuals plus several back-up jurors attended the beach along with the presiding officer and legal counsel on Monday morning in Queensland.

In a acknowledgment of the tropical conditions and temperatures above 30C, Justice Lincoln Crowley opted for a casual top, sport shorts and sneakers rather than traditional court attire.

Both the prosecuting and defense attorneys chose polo shirts, shorts and baseball caps.

Location Particulars

The jurors 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, four markers showed where the victim's car had been parked.

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

Context of the Trial

Last week, the court was informed that the day after Ms Cordingley's body were discovered, the accused flew from Australia to India – leaving behind his spouse, three children and parents.

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

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

Prosecution Case

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

The pharmacy worker was found wearing a bikini, with her attire and belongings absent.

Those objects were removed 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 30 metres from the grave.

The weapon was ever recovered, and no one have been identified.

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

This will involve evidence that genetic material obtained from a stick at the location was 3.8 billion times more likely to have originated from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the population.

The jury has already heard evidence indicating that Ms Cordingley's phone departed the beach after the killing – and that its movements matched those of a vehicle owned by the defendant.

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

Defense Stance

"As the police were discovering Toyah's body, he was organizing... a rushed one way trip back to India," Mr Crane said last week as he began arguments.

The defense is has not provided testimony, but in his opening address, the defense attorney Greg McGuire described his defendant as a "calm" and "caring" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the unfortunate moment."

He also hinted at testimony to come subsequently that, after his arrest, Mr Singh informed an undercover officer he had witnessed two masked men attack Ms Cordingley and then had run away in fear – something he said was his "biggest mistake."

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

Additional Testimony

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, Marco Heidenreich, whom authorities quickly ruled out as a possible suspect, was among those who testified previously.

The court was informed he was an immediate police suspect – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was involved in his partner's disappearance, even before her remains were discovered.

Images depicting the witness on a walk with a friend on the day Ms Cordingley went missing have been presented to the jury, with an specialist saying he was confident the pictures were genuine and had not been doctored in any way.

The trial will resume to the more conventional setting of the courthouse on Tuesday.

Linda Williams
Linda Williams

A wellness coach and writer passionate about holistic health and personal development, sharing evidence-based strategies for a fulfilling life.