Panel of Jurors in Prominent Australian Murder Case Tours Beach Where Deceased Was Discovered

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

Members of the jury overseeing a high-profile Australian murder trial have been taken to the remote shore where the victim was located.

The 24-year-old victim was repeatedly attacked with a sharp object and buried in a shallow resting place with minimal chance of survival, the jury has heard.

The remains were found by her father the next day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch 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 Far North Queensland.

Jury Visit to Beach

The panel of 10 men and two women plus several alternates attended the location along with the presiding officer and legal counsel on the start of the week 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.

Scene Details

The jurors were led around 1.2km along the beach to observe where Ms Cordingley's body were discovered.

Upon arrival, as they traveled to the site, several red and white cones showed where the vehicle had been parked.

The trip was designed to help the panel become acquainted with important sites in the trial and no official evidence was given.

Background of the Case

Last week, the court heard that the day after Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered, Mr Singh departed from Australia to India – abandoning his wife, three children and parents.

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

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

Prosecution Argument

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

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

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

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

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

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

This will involve testimony that DNA obtained from a stick at the scene was 3.8 billion times more probable to have originated from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the public.

The jury has already heard evidence indicating that Ms Cordingley's phone left the beach after the killing – and that its travel corresponded with those of a blue Alfa Romeo belonging to the defendant.

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

Defense Stance

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

The defense is has not provided testimony, but in his initial statement, Mr Singh's barrister Greg McGuire portrayed his defendant as a "placid" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "wrong place at the wrong time."

He also foreshadowed testimony to come later in the trial that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh informed an undercover officer he had witnessed two masked men assault Ms Cordingley and then had fled 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 investigation.

Further Evidence

Ms Cordingley's partner, Marco Heidenreich, whom authorities excluded as a person of interest, was one who gave evidence last week.

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

Images depicting the witness on a walk with a companion on the date Ms Cordingley went missing have been shown to the jury, with an expert saying he was confident the photos were genuine and had not been altered in any manner.

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

Mary Hernandez
Mary Hernandez

A forward-thinking innovator and writer passionate about creativity, technology, and sharing insights to empower others.