Jury in Prominent Down Under Murder Trial Tours Shoreline At Which Victim Was Found

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

Jurors involved in a widely publicized Queensland homicide case have traveled to the isolated beach where the victim was located.

The 24-year-old victim was multiple times attacked with a bladed weapon and buried in a sandy resting place with little or no hope of surviving, the court has heard.

The remains were found by a family member the next day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of shoreline nestled between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.

Rajwinder Singh, 41, denies murdering Ms Cordingley on a weekend in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.

Jury Visit to Crime Scene

The panel of 10 men and two women plus several back-up jurors attended the beach along with the presiding officer and legal counsel on the start of the week in Queensland.

In a acknowledgment of the hot climate and temperatures above 30C, the judge wore a T-shirt, athletic wear and trainers rather than traditional court attire.

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

Scene Particulars

The jurors were led around three-quarters of a mile north up the sand to observe where Ms Cordingley's body were uncovered.

Upon arrival, as they traveled to the site, several red and white cones showed where the victim's car had been parked.

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

Context of the Case

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

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

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

Prosecution Case

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

The victim was found wearing a swimwear, with her attire and most of her possessions missing.

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

Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a walk, was found tied up to a tree hidden in shrubland about 30 metres from the burial site.

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

But the prosecution says the crown's case – though circumstantial – was comprised proof that indicated Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."

This will include testimony that genetic material recovered from a object 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 testimony indicating that Ms Cordingley's phone departed the beach after the killing – and that its movements corresponded with those of a vehicle belonging to the defendant.

Mr Singh's sudden departure from Australia also pointed to his involvement, the state has claimed.

Defense Position

"While authorities were discovering Toyah's body, he was organizing... a hurriedly arranged single journey back to India," Mr Crane said last week as he began arguments.

The defence is has not present any evidence, but in his initial statement, the defense attorney the lawyer portrayed his defendant as a "placid" and "caring" man, who was in the "wrong place at the wrong time."

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

The defense attorney has also said he will give evidence about other people "identified and unidentified" who should come under investigation.

Additional Testimony

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, the witness, whom authorities excluded as a possible suspect, was among those who testified previously.

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 involved 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 jury, with an expert saying he was confident the photos were authentic and had not been altered in any way.

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

Tommy Aguirre
Tommy Aguirre

Lena Weber is a seasoned journalist and blogger based in Berlin, focusing on German politics and social trends with a passion for storytelling.