Jury in Prominent Down Under Homicide Trial Tours Shoreline Where Victim Was Discovered

Jurors involved in a widely publicized Queensland murder trial have traveled to the isolated shore where the victim was discovered.

The 24-year-old victim was multiple times attacked with a sharp object and placed in a sandy resting place with little or no hope of surviving, the jury has heard.

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

The accused, 41, has pleaded not guilty to killing Ms Cordingley on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018 in northern Australia.

Court Visit to Crime Scene

The panel of 12 individuals plus several back-up jurors visited the location along with the judge and barristers on the start of the week local time.

In a acknowledgment of the tropical conditions and sweltering heat, Justice Lincoln Crowley opted for a casual top, athletic wear and sneakers rather than a wig and robes.

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

Scene Particulars

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

Earlier, as they arrived by bus, four markers indicated where the vehicle had been left.

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

Context of the Case

Last week, the court was informed that the day after Ms Cordingley's remains were discovered, Mr Singh departed from Australia to India – leaving behind his spouse, three children and relatives.

He was not heard from until he was apprehended four years later, the state said.

State Case

It is alleged that Mr Singh, who was working as a nurse in the town of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a confrontation with Ms Cordingley.

The pharmacy worker was found wearing a swimwear, with her attire and belongings missing.

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

Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had taken to the beach for a walk, was located tied up to a tree hidden 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 circumstantial – was made up of findings that pointed to Mr Singh "excluding other suspects."

This will include evidence that genetic material obtained from a stick at the scene was extremely more likely to have come from Mr Singh than a random member of the public.

The court has previously been told testimony indicating that Ms Cordingley's mobile device departed the beach after the incident – and that its travel corresponded with those of a blue Alfa Romeo owned by the defendant.

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

Defence Stance

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

The defense is yet to provided testimony, 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 unfortunate moment."

He also foreshadowed evidence to come subsequently that, after his apprehension, Mr Singh told an undercover officer he had witnessed two masked men assault Ms Cordingley and then had run away in fear – something he said was his "biggest mistake."

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

Further Testimony

Ms Cordingley's partner, Marco Heidenreich, whom authorities quickly ruled out as a possible suspect, was among those who testified previously.

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

Images showing Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a friend on the day Ms Cordingley went missing have been presented to the jury, with an expert saying he was confident the photos were genuine and had not been doctored in any way.

The trial will return to the standard environment of the courtroom on Tuesday.