Panel of Jurors in High-Profile Down Under Murder Trial Tours Shoreline Where Deceased Was Discovered

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

Members of the jury overseeing a widely publicized Australian murder trial have traveled to the remote beach where the young woman was located.

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

Her body were discovered by her father the next day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of shoreline between the tourist centres of Cairns and Port Douglas.

Rajwinder Singh, 41, denies murdering Ms Cordingley on a weekend in October 2018 in northern Australia.

Jury Inspection to Beach

The panel of 12 individuals plus several back-up jurors attended the location along with the presiding officer and barristers on Monday morning in Queensland.

In a acknowledgment of the tropical conditions and temperatures above 30C, the judge wore a T-shirt, athletic wear and sneakers rather than a wig and robes.

Both the lead prosecution and defense attorneys selected polo shirts, shorts and headwear.

Scene Particulars

The court members were guided around 1.2km north up the sand to see where Ms Cordingley's remains were uncovered.

Earlier, as they arrived by bus, four red and white cones indicated where the victim's car had been left.

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

Context of the Case

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

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

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

State Case

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

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

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

Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a walk, was found tied up to a post concealed in shrubland about 100 feet from the burial site.

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

But the state says the evidence – though circumstantial – was made up of findings that pointed to Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."

This will include testimony that DNA obtained from a object at the location was extremely more likely to have originated from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the public.

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

Mr Singh's quick exit from Australia also pointed to his involvement, the prosecution has argued.

Defence Stance

"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 defense is has not provided testimony, but in his initial statement, Mr Singh's barrister the lawyer described his defendant as a "placid" and "compassionate" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the unfortunate moment."

He also foreshadowed evidence to come subsequently that, after his arrest, Mr Singh told an plainclothes agent he had witnessed assailants attack Ms Cordingley and then had fled in fear – something he said was his "biggest mistake."

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

Additional Evidence

Ms Cordingley's partner, Marco Heidenreich, whom authorities quickly ruled out as a person of interest, was among those who gave evidence previously.

The court was informed 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 girlfriend's disappearance, even before her body were discovered.

Photographs depicting Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a companion on the day Ms Cordingley went missing have been presented to the jury, with an specialist saying he was confident the photos were authentic and had not been altered in any manner.

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

Nicole Butler
Nicole Butler

A tech enthusiast and streaming expert with over a decade of experience in digital media and content creation.