Indian-Origin Nurse Found Guilty in 2018 Australian Beach Murder Case After 7-Year Investigation

The trial in the case was to begin in 2024, but was postponed.

An Indian-origin former hospital nurse has been convicted of murdering an Australian woman, seven years after her body was found on an isolated beach in Queensland.

Toyah Cordingley's body was discovered half-buried in an isolated section of sand dunes at Wangetti Beach, approximately 40km north of Cairns, on October 22, 2018. According to officials, the convicted murderer, Rajwinder Singh, had visited the beach following an argument with his wife. He was allegedly carrying fruits and a kitchen knife.

Cordingley, who worked at a pharmacy, was walking her dog at the beach. The confrontation began when Cordingley's dog started barking at Singh, leading to an argument between them. Enraged by this interaction, Singh stabbed her and buried her body in the sand. He also tied her dog to a tree.

As the Cairns Supreme Court jury delivered the guilty verdict, Cordingley's father shouted at the accused, "Rot in hell, you bas****".

Singh remained visibly composed during the outburst.

Singh had escaped Australia two days after committing the murder, abandoning his job, wife, and three children - claiming his grandfather was ill. He remained a fugitive for four years without contacting his family. Police identified Singh as a suspect within three weeks of the murder after matching his car's movements with Cordingley's mobile phone location data.

The Queensland Police offered a one million Australian dollar reward - the largest in the department's history - for information leading to Singh's capture.

In November 2022, Delhi Police's Special Cell apprehended him at a gurudwara in Delhi. He was subsequently extradited from India to Australia in 2023.

The trial, originally scheduled to begin in 2024, was delayed due to documentation issues.

During proceedings, one juror was dismissed following allegations of bias and improper conduct, but the court determined the remaining jurors were impartial and allowed the trial to continue.

The court will hear sentencing arguments on Tuesday, marking the next phase in this protracted case.