Former Nurse Found Guilty of Toyah Cordingley Murder After Fleeing to India

Rajwinder Singh Convicted in High-Profile Australian Beach Murder Case

A former nurse has been found guilty of murdering Toyah Cordingley, whose body was discovered on a popular tropical beach in Australia seven years ago.

Rajwinder Singh, 41, was convicted by a jury on Monday following a month-long trial at Cairns Supreme Court. The verdict prompted cheers and tears from members of the public gathered in the courtroom.

Victim Stabbed 26 Times on Sunday Afternoon Walk

Toyah Cordingley was stabbed at least 26 times while walking with her dog on a Sunday afternoon in October 2018. The 24-year-old health store worker and animal shelter volunteer was well known and well loved in her local community.

Her body was discovered by her father, half-buried in sand dunes on Wangetti Beach, located between the popular tourist destinations of Cairns and Port Douglas.

Suspect Fled to India Day After Body Found

Singh fled to India the day after Ms Cordingley’s body was found and spent four years on the run. He left behind his wife, three children, and parents in Australia.

Originally from the Indian state of Punjab, Singh had been living in Innisfail at the time of the killing, a town approximately two hours south of the crime scene.

Detectives quickly identified him as a suspect, but he had already left the country, the trial heard.

DNA Evidence and Phone Data Key to Conviction

The prosecution presented circumstantial evidence that pointed to Singh “and eliminated others,” the court heard.

Key evidence included:

DNA recovered from a stick at the scene was 3.8 billion times more likely to have come from Singh than a random member of the public
Movements of Ms Cordingley’s phone matched the movements of Singh’s car in the moments after the attack
Singh’s flight to India the day after the body was discovered, which prosecutors alleged indicated guilt

Second Trial After Hung Jury

This marked the second trial for Singh. A previous trial in March ended with a hung jury.

The court heard that Ms Cordingley was “repeatedly” stabbed with a sharp object and placed in a shallow sandy grave with “little or no hope of surviving.”

Community Mourns Well-Loved Volunteer

Ms Cordingley’s death caused an outpouring of grief across Queensland. The young woman was remembered as a dedicated health store worker and animal shelter volunteer who made a positive impact on her community.