Jury in Prominent Down Under Murder Case Visits Beach Where Deceased Was Discovered

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

Members of the jury overseeing a widely publicized Queensland homicide case have traveled to the remote shore where the victim was located.

Toyah Cordingley was multiple times stabbed with a bladed weapon and buried in a shallow 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 coastline nestled between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.

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

Court Inspection to Crime Scene

The panel of 10 men and two women plus several alternates visited the location along with the judge and legal counsel on Monday morning local time.

In a nod to the tropical conditions and sweltering heat, the judge wore a casual top, athletic wear and trainers rather than a wig and robes.

Both the lead prosecution and defence barristers selected casual shirts, bottoms and baseball caps.

Scene Particulars

The court members were led around three-quarters of a mile along the beach to observe where Ms Cordingley's body were discovered.

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

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

Context of the Case

Previously, the court heard that the following day Ms Cordingley's body were discovered, Mr Singh departed from Australia to India – abandoning his spouse, family and parents.

He was out of contact until he was arrested years after, the state said.

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

State Case

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

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

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 located secured to a post hidden in shrubland about 100 feet from the burial site.

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

But the state says the evidence – though circumstantial – was comprised findings that indicated Mr Singh "and eliminated others."

This will involve testimony that DNA obtained from a stick at the location was 3.8 billion times more probable to have originated from Mr Singh than a random member of the population.

The jury has already heard evidence suggesting that Ms Cordingley's mobile device left the beach after the killing – and that its movements corresponded with those of a blue Alfa Romeo owned by the defendant.

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

Defence Position

"While authorities were finding Toyah's body, he was arranging... a hurriedly arranged single journey back to India," the prosecutor said previously as he began arguments.

The defense is yet to provided testimony, but in his initial statement, the defense attorney Greg McGuire described his defendant as a "calm" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "wrong place at the wrong time."

He also hinted at testimony to come later in the trial that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh informed an plainclothes agent he had witnessed assailants assault Ms Cordingley and then had run away in terror – 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 investigation.

Additional Testimony

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 immediate person of interest – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was implicated in his girlfriend's disappearance, prior to her body were discovered.

Images depicting the witness on a walk with a friend on the day Ms Cordingley disappeared have been presented to the jury, with an expert saying he was certain the pictures were genuine and had not been doctored in any manner.

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

Kevin White
Kevin White

A passionate gamer and guide writer with years of experience in creating detailed walkthroughs and tips for the gaming community.