Panel of Jurors in High-Profile Down Under Murder Trial Tours Shoreline At Which Victim Was Found

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

Jurors overseeing a widely publicized Australian homicide case have traveled to the isolated shore where the young woman was discovered.

The 24-year-old victim was repeatedly attacked with a bladed weapon and placed in a shallow grave with little or no hope of surviving, the court has been told.

Her body were discovered by her father the next day on Wangetti Beach – a section of shoreline nestled between the popular destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.

The accused, 41, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Cordingley on a weekend in October 2018 in northern Australia.

Jury Visit to Beach

The jury of 12 individuals plus three alternates attended the beach along with the judge and legal counsel on Monday morning local time.

In a nod to the hot climate and temperatures above 30C, the judge opted for a T-shirt, sport shorts and sneakers rather than a wig and robes.

Both the lead prosecution and defence barristers selected casual shirts, bottoms and baseball caps.

Scene Particulars

The court members were guided around 1.2km along the beach to see where Ms Cordingley's body were uncovered.

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

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

Background of the Trial

Last week, the court was informed that the following day Ms Cordingley's body were discovered, the accused departed from Australia to India – leaving behind his wife, three children 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.

State Argument

It is alleged that the defendant, 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 missing.

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

Her dog, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a stroll, was located tied up to a post concealed in shrubland about 100 feet from the grave.

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

But the state says the evidence – though indirect – was comprised findings that pointed to Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."

This will include testimony that genetic material obtained from a stick at the location was 3.8 billion times more probable to have originated from Mr Singh than a random member of the population.

The court has previously been told evidence suggesting 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 quick exit from Australia also pointed to his involvement, the prosecution has argued.

Defense Stance

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

The defense is yet to provided testimony, but in his initial statement, Mr Singh's barrister 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 later in the trial that, after his arrest, Mr Singh informed an undercover officer he had seen two masked men attack Ms Cordingley and then had fled in terror – something he said was his "gravest error."

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

Further Evidence

Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, Marco Heidenreich, whom police excluded as a possible suspect, was among those who testified last week.

The court heard he was an initial police suspect – and that he had faced questions from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was implicated in his partner's vanishing, prior to her body were found.

Photographs depicting Mr Heidenreich on a hike with a companion on the day Ms Cordingley disappeared have been shown to the jury, with an expert saying he was certain the pictures were genuine and had not been altered in any manner.

The case will return to the standard environment of the courthouse on Tuesday.

Jason Myers
Jason Myers

A passionate storyteller and digital creator, sharing unique narratives and life experiences to inspire readers worldwide.