In a landmark verdict that concludes a seven-year pursuit of justice, Rajwinder Singh, a 41-year-old former nurse, has been found guilty of the brutal 2018 murder of Toyah Cordingley. The conviction was delivered by a jury in the Cairns Supreme Court on Monday, sparking an emotional outpouring from the public gallery.
The case dates back to October 2018, when Ms. Cordingley, a 24-year-old health store worker and dedicated animal shelter volunteer, was killed during a routine Sunday afternoon walk with her dog on Wangetti Beach, a scenic coastal stretch between the tourist centers of Cairns and Port Douglas. The court heard harrowing details that she was stabbed at least 26 times with a sharp object before being partially buried in sand dunes, where she was later discovered by her father.
Singh, originally from Punjab, India, was residing in the town of Innisfail at the time, approximately two hours from the crime scene. In a move prosecutors argued demonstrated consciousness of guilt, he fled to India the day after the victim’s body was found, abandoning his wife, three children, and parents. This initiated an extensive four-year international manhunt.
The prosecution’s case, though largely circumstantial, presented compelling scientific evidence. A critical DNA sample recovered from a stick at the murder scene was statistically analyzed to be 3.8 billion times more likely to have originated from Singh than from an unrelated individual. Furthermore, digital evidence indicated that the movements of Ms. Cordingley’s mobile phone precisely matched the trajectory of Singh’s vehicle immediately following the attack.
This trial marked the second judicial proceeding against Singh, following a previous trial in March that concluded with a hung jury, unable to reach a unanimous decision. The conviction brings a measure of closure to a case that horrified and united the local community, where Ms. Cordingley was remembered as a well-loved and respected individual. Singh is scheduled to return to court for a sentencing hearing.