Panel of Jurors in Prominent Down Under Homicide Case Visits Shoreline Where Deceased Was Discovered
Jurors overseeing a widely publicized Queensland homicide case have traveled to the remote shore where the young woman was discovered.
The 24-year-old victim was multiple times attacked with a sharp object and placed in a sandy grave with little or no hope of surviving, the jury has been told.
Her body were found by a family member the next day on Wangetti Beach – a stretch of shoreline between the tourist centres 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 jury of 10 men and two women plus several back-up jurors visited the beach along with the presiding officer and barristers on the start of the week local time.
In a acknowledgment of the hot climate and sweltering heat, the judge opted for a casual top, sport shorts and sneakers rather than traditional court attire.
Both the lead prosecution and defence barristers chose polo shirts, shorts and baseball caps.
Scene Details
The jurors were guided 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 parked.
The visit was intended to help the jurors become acquainted with important sites in the case and no testimony was presented.
Context of the Case
Last week, the court was informed that the day after Ms Cordingley's body were found, Mr Singh departed from Australia to India – leaving behind his spouse, three children and parents.
He was not heard from until he was apprehended years after, the state said.
Prosecution Case
It is claimed that Mr Singh, who was employed in healthcare in the community of Innisfail, near Cairns, had a altercation with Ms Cordingley.
The pharmacy worker was discovered wearing a swimwear, with her attire and belongings absent.
Those items were removed by the assailant to conceal evidence, prosecutors allege.
Her pet, Indie, which Ms Cordingley had brought along for a stroll, was found tied up to a tree concealed in bushland about 100 feet from the grave.
No murder weapon was ever recovered, and no one have been identified.
But the state says the crown's case – though indirect – was made up of proof that pointed to Mr Singh "and eliminated others."
This will include testimony that genetic material recovered from a stick at the scene was 3.8 billion times more likely 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 scene after the incident – and that its movements matched those of a blue Alfa Romeo belonging to the defendant.
Mr Singh's sudden departure from Australia also suggested his involvement, the state has argued.
Defence Stance
"As the police were finding Toyah's remains, he was arranging... a rushed one way trip back to India," Mr Crane said previously as he began arguments.
The defense is yet to present any evidence, but in his initial statement, the defense attorney Greg McGuire portrayed his defendant as a "calm" and "caring" man, who was in the "incorrect location at the wrong time."
He also hinted at evidence to come subsequently that, after his arrest, Mr Singh informed an plainclothes agent he had witnessed two masked men attack Ms Cordingley and then had run away 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 investigation.
Additional Testimony
Ms Cordingley's boyfriend at the time, Marco Heidenreich, whom police excluded as a possible suspect, was one who testified last week.
The trial heard he was an initial police suspect – and that he had been interrogated from Ms Cordingley's parent about whether he was involved in his girlfriend's disappearance, even before her remains were found.
Images showing Mr Heidenreich on a walk with a companion on the date Ms Cordingley disappeared have been shown to the jury, with an expert saying he was certain the photos were authentic and had not been altered in any way.
The case will return to the more conventional setting of the courthouse on Tuesday.