Panel of Jurors in Prominent Australian Murder Case Visits Beach At Which Deceased Was Found

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

Members of the jury involved in a high-profile Queensland murder trial have traveled to the isolated beach where the victim was discovered.

Toyah Cordingley was repeatedly attacked with a sharp object and placed in a shallow resting place with little or no hope of surviving, the court has been told.

Her body were found 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 murdering Ms Cordingley on a weekend 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 barristers on the start of the week local time.

In a acknowledgment of the tropical conditions and sweltering heat, the judge opted for a casual top, sport shorts and sneakers rather than a wig and robes.

Both the prosecuting and defense attorneys selected polo shirts, shorts and baseball caps.

Scene Details

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

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

The visit was designed to help the panel become acquainted with important sites in the case and no testimony was presented.

Context of the Case

Last week, the court heard that the following day Ms Cordingley's body were discovered, the accused flew from Australia to India – leaving behind his wife, family and relatives.

He was not heard from until he was arrested four years later, the state said.

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

State Argument

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

The victim was discovered wearing a bikini, with her attire and most of her possessions missing.

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

Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a stroll, was found tied up to a tree concealed in shrubland about 30 metres from the grave.

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

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

This will involve testimony that genetic material obtained from a object at the scene was extremely more likely to have come from Mr Singh than a random member of the public.

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

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

Defence Stance

"While authorities were finding Toyah's body, he was organizing... a rushed one way trip back to India," Mr Crane said last week as he opened his case.

The defense is yet to provided testimony, but in his opening address, the defense attorney the lawyer portrayed his defendant as a "calm" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "wrong place at the unfortunate moment."

He also foreshadowed evidence to come later in the trial that, after his arrest, 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 "biggest mistake."

Mr McGuire has also said he will testify about individuals "both known and unknown" who should come under suspicion.

Additional Evidence

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, Marco Heidenreich, whom police quickly ruled out as a person of interest, was among those who gave evidence last week.

The trial heard he was an initial person of interest – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was implicated in his partner's disappearance, prior to her body were found.

Images depicting Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a friend on the date Ms Cordingley disappeared have been shown to the court, with an specialist saying he was confident the photos were authentic and had not been doctored in any manner.

The case will resume to the more conventional setting of the courthouse on the next day.

Zachary Gray
Zachary Gray

Lena is a seasoned content creator and educator passionate about sharing knowledge to help others grow and succeed in their endeavors.