Jury in High-Profile Australian Murder Trial Tours Shoreline Where Victim Was Discovered

Wangetti Beach scene
The body of Toyah Cordingley were found on a secluded beach in northern Queensland in 2018.

Members of the jury involved in a widely publicized Queensland homicide case have traveled to the isolated shore where the victim 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 hope of surviving, the court has heard.

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

The accused, 41, denies murdering Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in Far North Queensland.

Jury Inspection to Crime Scene

The jury of 10 men and two women plus several alternates visited the beach along with the presiding officer and legal counsel on the start of the week local time.

In a nod to 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 prosecuting and defense attorneys chose polo shirts, shorts and baseball caps.

Location Particulars

The court members were guided around three-quarters of a mile along the beach to see where Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered.

Upon arrival, as they arrived by bus, several red and white cones showed where the vehicle had been left.

The trip was designed to help the panel become familiar with important sites in the trial and no testimony was given.

Context of the Trial

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

He was out of contact until he was apprehended four years later, the prosecution said.

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

State Argument

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

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

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

Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a stroll, was found tied up to a tree hidden in bushland about 100 feet from the grave.

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

But the state says the evidence – though indirect – was comprised proof that indicated Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."

This will include evidence that DNA recovered from a object at the location was extremely more probable to have originated from Mr Singh than a random member of the public.

The court 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 blue Alfa Romeo owned by the accused.

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

Defense Stance

"While authorities were finding Toyah's body, he was organizing... a hurriedly arranged one way trip back to India," Mr Crane said previously as he began arguments.

The defense is has not provided testimony, but in his initial statement, Mr Singh's barrister Greg McGuire portrayed his client as a "placid" and "caring" man, who was in the "wrong place at the unfortunate moment."

He also foreshadowed testimony to come subsequently that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh told an undercover officer he had seen two masked men assault Ms Cordingley and then had run away in terror – something he said was his "gravest error."

The defense attorney has also said he will give evidence about other people "both known and unknown" who should come under suspicion.

Additional Evidence

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, the witness, whom authorities excluded as a possible suspect, was among those who gave evidence last week.

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

Photographs showing Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a companion on the date Ms Cordingley disappeared have been shown to the court, with an specialist saying he was certain the photos were authentic and had not been altered in any manner.

The trial will return to the more conventional setting of the courtroom on Tuesday.

Chelsea Vance
Chelsea Vance

A Dubai-based travel writer and luxury lifestyle expert with a passion for uncovering hidden gems and sharing authentic experiences.