Jury in High-Profile Australian Murder Case Tours Shoreline At Which Victim Was Found

Wangetti Beach scene
The remains of Toyah Cordingley were found on a secluded beach in Far North Queensland back in 2018.

Jurors involved in a widely publicized Queensland murder trial have been taken to the isolated beach where the victim was discovered.

Toyah Cordingley was multiple times stabbed with a sharp object and placed in a sandy resting place with minimal hope of surviving, the court has been told.

Her body were discovered by a family member the following day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of shoreline between the tourist centres of Cairns and Port Douglas.

The accused, 41, denies killing Ms Cordingley on a weekend in October 2018 in northern Australia.

Court Visit to Crime Scene

The panel of 10 men and two women plus three back-up jurors attended the location along with the judge and legal counsel on Monday morning in Queensland.

In a nod to the hot climate and sweltering heat, the judge opted for a casual top, sport shorts and trainers rather than a wig and robes.

Both the lead prosecution and defense attorneys chose casual shirts, bottoms and headwear.

Location Particulars

The court members were guided around 1.2km north up the sand to observe where Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered.

Upon arrival, as they arrived by bus, four red and white cones showed where the vehicle had been left.

The trip was intended to help the jurors become familiar with important sites in the trial and no testimony was given.

Context of the Case

Previously, the court was informed that the day after Ms Cordingley's body were discovered, Mr Singh flew from Australia to India – abandoning his wife, family and relatives.

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

Court officials at the beach
Justice Lincoln Crowley with barristers and other personnel at Wangetti Beach.

State Case

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

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

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

Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a stroll, was located secured to a post hidden in shrubland about 100 feet from the burial site.

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

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

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

The jury has already heard testimony suggesting that Ms Cordingley's mobile device departed the beach after the incident – and that its travel corresponded with those of a blue Alfa Romeo belonging to the accused.

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

Defense Stance

"While authorities were discovering Toyah's body, he was arranging... a hurriedly arranged one way trip back to India," the prosecutor said last week as he opened his case.

The defence is yet to present any evidence, but in his initial statement, the defense attorney the lawyer described his client as a "placid" and "caring" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the unfortunate moment."

He also hinted at testimony to come later in the trial that, after his arrest, Mr Singh informed an undercover officer he had seen two masked men attack Ms Cordingley and then had fled in terror – something he said was his "biggest mistake."

Mr McGuire has also said he will give evidence about individuals "identified and unidentified" who should come under investigation.

Further Testimony

Ms Cordingley's partner, the witness, whom authorities excluded as a possible suspect, was among those who testified last week.

The court was informed he was an initial police suspect – and that he had been interrogated from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was implicated in his partner's disappearance, even before her remains were found.

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

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

William Orozco
William Orozco

A passionate roulette enthusiast with over a decade of experience in casino gaming and strategy development.