Panel of Jurors in Prominent Down Under Murder Case Visits Beach At Which Victim Was Discovered

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

Jurors overseeing a widely publicized Australian murder trial have been taken to the isolated shore where the victim was discovered.

Toyah Cordingley was repeatedly attacked with a sharp object and placed in a sandy grave with minimal hope of surviving, the jury has heard.

Her body were discovered by her father the next day on Wangetti Beach – a section of coastline between the tourist centres of Cairns and Port Douglas.

Rajwinder Singh, 41, denies killing Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in northern Australia.

Court Inspection to Beach

The jury of 10 men and two women plus several alternates attended the beach along with the presiding officer and legal counsel on the start of the week in Queensland.

In a nod to the tropical conditions and temperatures above 30C, the judge opted for a T-shirt, athletic wear and trainers rather than traditional court attire.

Both the lead prosecution and defence barristers chose polo shirts, shorts and headwear.

Location Particulars

The court members were guided around three-quarters of a mile north up the sand to see where Ms Cordingley's body were uncovered.

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

The visit was intended to help the panel become acquainted with important sites in the trial and no official evidence was presented.

Context of the Case

Last week, the court heard that the day after Ms Cordingley's remains were found, the accused flew from Australia to India – leaving behind his spouse, three children and relatives.

He was not heard from 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 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 victim was found wearing a bikini, with her attire and belongings missing.

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

Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a walk, was found tied up to a tree concealed in shrubland about 100 feet from the burial site.

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

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

This will involve testimony that DNA recovered from a object at the location was 3.8 billion times 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 departed the scene after the killing – and that its movements matched those of a blue Alfa Romeo owned by the defendant.

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

Defense Stance

"As the police were finding Toyah's body, he was arranging... a hurriedly arranged single journey back to India," Mr Crane said last week as he began arguments.

The defence is has not provided testimony, but in his initial statement, the defense attorney Greg McGuire portrayed his client as a "placid" and "caring" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the unfortunate moment."

He also foreshadowed evidence to come subsequently that, after his arrest, Mr Singh told an plainclothes agent he had seen assailants 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 testify about other people "both known and unknown" who should come under investigation.

Additional Evidence

Ms Cordingley's partner, the witness, whom authorities quickly ruled out as a person of interest, was one who gave evidence 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 implicated in his partner's disappearance, even before her remains were discovered.

Photographs depicting Mr Heidenreich on a hike with a friend on the date Ms Cordingley disappeared have been presented to the jury, with an expert saying he was certain the pictures were genuine and had not been doctored in any manner.

The trial will return to the standard environment of the courtroom on Tuesday.

Maria Davis
Maria Davis

A seasoned casino enthusiast with over a decade of experience in online gaming and strategy development.