Jury in High-Profile Down Under Murder Case Tours Shoreline Where Deceased Was Found

Wangetti Beach scene
The remains of Toyah Cordingley was discovered on a remote coastline in Far North Queensland back in 2018.

Jurors involved in a high-profile Queensland homicide case have traveled to the remote shore where the victim was discovered.

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

The remains were found 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 weekend in October 2018 in northern Australia.

Jury Inspection to Beach

The panel of 12 individuals plus three back-up jurors attended the beach along with the presiding officer and barristers on Monday morning local time.

In a acknowledgment of the hot climate and sweltering heat, the judge opted for a T-shirt, athletic wear and sneakers rather than traditional court attire.

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

Location Details

The jurors were led around 1.2km along the beach to see where Ms Cordingley's remains were uncovered.

Earlier, as they arrived by bus, four red and white cones showed where the victim's car had been left.

The visit was intended to help the panel become acquainted with important sites in the trial and no testimony was given.

Context of the Case

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

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

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

State Argument

It is alleged that Mr Singh, who was working as a nurse in the town of Innisfail, south of Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.

The pharmacy worker was discovered wearing a bikini, with all her other clothes and belongings missing.

Those objects were taken by the killer to avoid detection, the prosecution allege.

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

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

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

This will include testimony that genetic material recovered from a object at the location 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 phone departed the scene after the incident – and that its travel matched those of a blue Alfa Romeo belonging to the defendant.

Mr Singh's sudden departure from Australia also suggested his guilt, the prosecution has argued.

Defense Stance

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

The defence is has not provided testimony, but in his initial statement, Mr Singh's barrister the lawyer described his defendant as a "calm" and "compassionate" 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 informed an undercover officer he had seen assailants assault Ms Cordingley and then had run away in terror – something he said was his "biggest mistake."

Mr McGuire has also said he will testify about individuals "both known and unknown" who should come under suspicion.

Further Testimony

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, the witness, whom authorities quickly ruled out as a person of interest, was one who gave evidence last week.

The trial was informed he was an initial police suspect – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was implicated in his partner's disappearance, prior to her body were found.

Photographs depicting Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a friend on the date Ms Cordingley disappeared have been shown to the jury, with an expert saying he was confident the pictures were authentic and had not been altered in any way.

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

Regina Newman
Regina Newman

A seasoned digital marketer and blogger with over a decade of experience in content strategy and SEO optimization.