Panel of Jurors in High-Profile Australian Homicide Trial Tours Shoreline Where Victim Was Discovered

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

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

The 24-year-old victim was repeatedly attacked with a bladed weapon and placed in a sandy resting place with minimal chance of survival, the court has heard.

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

The accused, 41, has pleaded not guilty to killing Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in northern Australia.

Jury Inspection to Crime Scene

The jury of 10 men and two women plus several alternates attended the location along with the judge and barristers on Monday morning in Queensland.

In a nod to the tropical conditions and sweltering heat, Justice Lincoln Crowley opted for a T-shirt, sport shorts and trainers rather than a wig and robes.

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

Scene Particulars

The jurors were guided around 1.2km along the beach to observe where Ms Cordingley's remains were uncovered.

Upon arrival, as they traveled to the site, four markers showed where the victim's car had been left.

The visit was designed to help the jurors become familiar with important sites in the case and no official evidence was given.

Background of the Trial

Previously, the court was informed that the following day Ms Cordingley's remains were found, Mr Singh departed from Australia to India – abandoning his spouse, family and parents.

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

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

State Argument

It is claimed that Mr Singh, who was working as a nurse in the town of Innisfail, south of Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.

The pharmacy worker was found wearing a swimwear, with all her other clothes and most of her possessions missing.

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

Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a walk, was located secured to a tree concealed in shrubland about 30 metres from the grave.

No murder weapon was found, and no eyewitnesses have been found.

But the prosecution says the evidence – though indirect – was comprised findings that pointed to Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."

This will involve testimony that genetic material recovered from a stick at the location was extremely more likely to have originated from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the population.

The jury has previously been told evidence indicating that Ms Cordingley's mobile device departed the scene after the incident – and that its movements matched those of a blue Alfa Romeo belonging to the accused.

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

Defense Position

"As the police were discovering Toyah's remains, he was arranging... a rushed one way trip back to India," Mr Crane said previously as he opened his case.

The defense is yet to present any evidence, but in his opening address, the defense attorney Greg McGuire described his client as a "placid" and "caring" man, who was in the "wrong place at the unfortunate moment."

He also hinted at evidence to come later in the trial that, after his arrest, Mr Singh told an undercover officer he had witnessed two masked men 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 individuals "identified and unidentified" who should come under suspicion.

Additional Testimony

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, Marco Heidenreich, whom authorities quickly ruled out as a possible suspect, was one who testified previously.

The trial was informed he was an initial person of interest – and that he had been interrogated from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was involved in his girlfriend's vanishing, prior to her remains were discovered.

Images showing Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a companion on the date Ms Cordingley disappeared have been presented to the jury, with an specialist saying he was certain the photos were genuine and had not been altered in any way.

The trial will return to the standard environment of the courthouse on the next day.

Kayla Peterson
Kayla Peterson

Lena is a digital strategist with over a decade of experience in tech consulting, passionate about helping businesses adapt to new technologies.