Panel of Jurors in High-Profile Down Under Homicide Case Visits Shoreline At Which Victim Was Discovered

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

Jurors overseeing a high-profile Queensland homicide case have been taken to the remote shore where the young woman was discovered.

Toyah Cordingley was repeatedly stabbed with a bladed weapon and buried in a sandy grave with minimal hope of surviving, the court has heard.

The remains were found by her father the following day on Wangetti Beach – a section of shoreline between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.

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

Jury Inspection to Beach

The jury of 12 individuals plus three alternates visited the beach along with the presiding officer and legal counsel on Monday morning in Queensland.

In a nod to the tropical conditions and temperatures above 30C, the judge opted for a casual top, sport shorts and sneakers rather than a wig and robes.

Both the prosecuting and defence barristers chose polo shirts, bottoms and headwear.

Location Particulars

The jurors were guided around three-quarters of a mile along the beach to observe where Ms Cordingley's body were uncovered.

Earlier, as they traveled to the site, four red and white cones indicated where the vehicle had been parked.

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

Background of the Case

Previously, the court was informed that the following day Ms Cordingley's body were found, the accused flew from Australia to India – leaving behind his spouse, family and parents.

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.

State Argument

It is alleged that Mr Singh, who was employed in healthcare in the town of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a confrontation with Ms Cordingley.

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

Those items were removed by the killer to avoid detection, the prosecution contend.

Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a stroll, was found tied up to a post hidden in bushland about 30 metres from the burial site.

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

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

This will include testimony that DNA obtained from a object at the location was extremely more likely to have come from Mr Singh than a random member of the public.

The jury has previously been told evidence indicating that Ms Cordingley's mobile device left the beach after the incident – and that its movements matched those of a vehicle belonging to the accused.

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

Defence Stance

"As the police were discovering Toyah's body, he was arranging... a rushed single journey back to India," the prosecutor said last week as he opened his case.

The defense is has not present any evidence, but in his initial statement, Mr Singh's barrister Greg McGuire portrayed his client as a "placid" and "caring" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the wrong time."

He also hinted at evidence to come subsequently that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh informed an plainclothes agent he had seen assailants attack Ms Cordingley and then had fled in fear – something he said was his "gravest error."

Mr McGuire has also said he will give evidence about other people "identified and unidentified" who should come under suspicion.

Further Evidence

Ms Cordingley's partner, the witness, whom authorities quickly ruled out as a person of interest, was among those who gave evidence last week.

The court heard he was an immediate police suspect – and that he had been interrogated from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was involved in his girlfriend's disappearance, prior to her body were found.

Photographs depicting Mr Heidenreich on a hike with a companion on the day Ms Cordingley disappeared have been shown to the jury, with an specialist saying he was certain the photos were genuine and had not been doctored in any manner.

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

Ashley Blevins
Ashley Blevins

Interior design enthusiast with a passion for sustainable home styling and years of experience in transforming spaces.