Panel of Jurors in High-Profile Australian Homicide Trial Tours Shoreline Where Deceased Was Discovered

Wangetti Beach scene
The remains of Toyah Cordingley were found on a remote beach in northern Queensland back in 2018.

Members of the jury involved in a high-profile Queensland homicide case have been taken to the remote beach where the young woman was discovered.

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 her father the following day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of coastline between the tourist centres of Cairns and Port Douglas.

The accused, 41, denies murdering Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in northern Australia.

Jury Inspection to Crime Scene

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

In a nod to the hot climate and sweltering heat, Justice Lincoln Crowley wore a T-shirt, sport shorts and trainers rather than a wig and robes.

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

Scene Particulars

The court members were guided around three-quarters of a mile north up the sand to see where Ms Cordingley's remains were uncovered.

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

The visit was intended to help the jurors become acquainted with important sites in the trial and no testimony was given.

Background of the Case

Last week, the court was informed that the day after Ms Cordingley's body were discovered, Mr Singh flew from Australia to India – leaving behind his spouse, 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 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 victim was found wearing a swimwear, with all her other clothes and most of her possessions absent.

Those objects were taken by the assailant to conceal evidence, the prosecution allege.

Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a walk, was found tied up to a tree hidden in shrubland about 100 feet from the grave.

The weapon was ever recovered, and no eyewitnesses have been identified.

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

This will include testimony that DNA recovered from a stick at the scene was 3.8 billion times more likely to have originated from Mr Singh than a unrelated individual of the public.

The court has previously been told testimony suggesting that Ms Cordingley's phone left the beach after the killing – and that its travel corresponded with those of a vehicle owned by the defendant.

Mr Singh's quick exit from Australia also suggested his involvement, the prosecution has claimed.

Defense Position

"As the police were finding Toyah's body, he was arranging... a hurriedly arranged single journey back to India," Mr Crane said previously as he began arguments.

The defence is has not provided testimony, but in his opening address, 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 evidence to come later in the trial that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh told an plainclothes agent he had witnessed two masked men assault Ms Cordingley and then had fled 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 suspicion.

Further Testimony

Ms Cordingley's partner, the witness, whom authorities excluded as a person of interest, was among those who testified last week.

The court was informed he was an immediate police suspect – and that he had been interrogated from Ms Cordingley's father about whether he was implicated in his partner's disappearance, even before her remains were found.

Photographs showing Mr Heidenreich on a hike with a companion on the day Ms Cordingley disappeared have been shown to the court, with an expert saying he was confident the pictures were authentic and had not been altered in any way.

The case will resume to the standard environment of the courthouse on the next day.

Christopher Calderon
Christopher Calderon

A seasoned travel writer and casino enthusiast, sharing insights from global luxury destinations and high-roller experiences.