Jury in Prominent Down Under Homicide Case Visits Shoreline At Which Victim Was Found

Wangetti Beach scene
The body of Toyah Cordingley were found on a remote beach in Far North Queensland in 2018.

Jurors involved in a high-profile Queensland homicide case have traveled to the isolated shore where the young woman was located.

The 24-year-old victim was multiple times attacked with a bladed weapon and placed in a shallow grave with little or no chance of survival, the jury has heard.

The remains were found by a family member the following day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of coastline between the tourist centres 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.

Court Inspection to Crime Scene

The panel of 10 men and two women plus several alternates attended the beach along with the presiding officer and barristers on the start of the week in Queensland.

In a nod to the hot climate and temperatures above 30C, the judge wore a T-shirt, sport shorts and sneakers rather than a wig and robes.

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

Scene Details

The court members were led around 1.2km along the beach to observe where Ms Cordingley's remains were uncovered.

Earlier, as they arrived by bus, several markers showed where the vehicle had been parked.

The visit was designed to help the jurors become acquainted with key locations in the case and no official evidence was presented.

Context of the Case

Last week, the court heard that the day after Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered, the accused departed from Australia to India – leaving behind his wife, family and parents.

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

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

Prosecution Argument

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

The victim was discovered wearing a bikini, with her attire and belongings missing.

Those objects were taken by the killer to conceal evidence, the prosecution allege.

Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a stroll, was found secured to a post concealed in shrubland about 100 feet from the grave.

The weapon was found, and no one have been identified.

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

This will include testimony that DNA recovered from a stick at the scene was extremely more probable to have come from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the population.

The jury has already heard evidence indicating that Ms Cordingley's mobile device departed the beach after the incident – and that its travel corresponded with those of a vehicle belonging to the accused.

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

Defense Position

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

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

He also foreshadowed evidence to come later in the trial that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh informed an undercover officer he had seen two masked men assault Ms Cordingley and then had run away in fear – something he said was his "gravest error."

The defense attorney has also said he will testify about individuals "identified and unidentified" who should come under suspicion.

Additional Testimony

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, Marco Heidenreich, whom police excluded as a person of interest, was among those who testified last week.

The trial was informed he was an initial police suspect – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's father about whether he was involved in his partner's vanishing, prior to her body were discovered.

Photographs showing Mr Heidenreich 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 certain the photos were genuine and had not been doctored in any way.

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

Sophia Gonzalez
Sophia Gonzalez

Lena is a seasoned sports analyst and betting strategist with over a decade of experience in the industry.