Panel of Jurors in High-Profile Down Under Homicide Trial Tours Shoreline At Which Victim Was Found

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

Jurors overseeing a high-profile Queensland murder trial have traveled to the remote beach where the victim was discovered.

The 24-year-old victim was multiple times stabbed with a sharp object and placed in a sandy grave with minimal hope of surviving, the jury has been told.

Her body were found by her father the following day on Wangetti Beach – a section of shoreline nestled between the tourist centres of Cairns and Port Douglas.

Rajwinder Singh, 41, has pleaded not guilty to killing Ms Cordingley on a weekend in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.

Jury Inspection to Crime Scene

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

In a acknowledgment of the tropical conditions and sweltering heat, Justice Lincoln Crowley opted for a T-shirt, sport shorts and trainers rather than traditional court attire.

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

Location Details

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

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 acquainted with important sites in the trial and no testimony was given.

Context of the Case

Last week, the court heard that the following day Ms Cordingley's remains were found, Mr Singh departed from Australia to India – leaving behind his wife, three children and relatives.

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

Court officials at the beach
Justice Lincoln Crowley 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 community of Innisfail, south of Cairns, had a confrontation with Ms Cordingley.

The pharmacy worker was discovered wearing a swimwear, with her attire and belongings absent.

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

Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a stroll, was found tied up to a tree concealed in bushland about 100 feet from the grave.

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

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

This will include evidence that genetic material recovered from a stick at the location was extremely more likely to have come from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the public.

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 blue Alfa Romeo belonging to the defendant.

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

Defence Stance

"While authorities were discovering Toyah's remains, he was organizing... 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 the lawyer described his client as a "placid" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "wrong place at the wrong time."

He also foreshadowed evidence to come later in the trial that, after his arrest, Mr Singh told an plainclothes agent he had witnessed assailants assault Ms Cordingley and then had fled in terror – something he said was his "biggest mistake."

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

Further Evidence

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, Marco Heidenreich, whom police quickly ruled out as a person of interest, was among those who gave evidence previously.

The court was informed he was an immediate person of interest – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was implicated in his partner's disappearance, prior to her remains were found.

Photographs 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 certain the pictures were genuine and had not been altered in any manner.

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

Casey Schmidt
Casey Schmidt

Lena is a tech journalist and AI researcher passionate about exploring how emerging technologies shape our daily lives and future possibilities.