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Heartbroken father returns to the beach where he found daughter's body


The father of a young Queensland woman has returned to the beach where he found her dead body last year.

Toyah Cordingley, 24, was found dead by her father Troy on Wangetti Beach, north of Cairns on October 22.

She had been reported missing while out walking her dog a day earlier.

Troy described his pain over the discovery of his daughter’s dead body in December, and on Tuesday returned to the beach for the first time where Toyah’s life ended.

Toyah Cordingley’s death has left a hole in the community, her family says Source: Facebook/Toyah Cordingley
Toyah Cordingley’s death has left a hole in the community, her family says Source: Facebook/Toyah Cordingley

“I went back to Wangetti Beach today for the first time since that horrific day,” he wrote.

“It was lovely to see people’s tributes and so hard to lay golden penda flowers where I found my little girl.

“We will never give up.”

Mr Cordingley was photographed next to a tree with a “Forever Toyah” placard attached.

Toyah Cordingley’s father Troy returns to Wangetti Beach for the first time since her death. It was the same beach where he found her dead body. Source: Facebook/ Troy Cordingley
Toyah Cordingley’s father Troy returns to Wangetti Beach for the first time since her death. It was the same beach where he found her dead body. Source: Facebook/ Troy Cordingley

Flowers and pictures sit at its base in honour of the 24-year-old.

The father was also pictured on his knees, head down, facing a bunch of flowers near the edge of the beach.

Calls for justice

Ms Cordingley’s stepfather Darren Gardiner made a call for justice in finding her killer last year.

Desperate pleas have been made by family and the wider community to find the person responsible, but so far nobody has been arrested.

“Here’s some cold hard facts, the first picture was when Toyah first got her licence and car six years ago,” Darren Gardiner wrote beside a number of images.

“Now that the police have finished with Toyah’s car it has been delivered on a tilt tray truck to our house to pretty much the same place.

Troy Cordingley described finding his daughter’s body as something no father should ever have to live through. Image: Facebook/Troy Cordingley
Troy Cordingley described finding his daughter’s body as something no father should ever have to live through. Image: Facebook/Troy Cordingley

“Normally she would pull up in the driveway and the dog would go nuts because it knew the attention it was going to receive from Toyah and having her come back and visit us was always a special time for our family.

“But that has all changed now because six weeks ago she was walking her dog mid-afternoon on Wangetti Beach without a care in the world.

“But someone took it upon themselves to brutally murder her on the beach.”

Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the online reporting page.

Whoever is responsible for Ms Cordingley’s death is yet to be found. Source: Facebook/ Toyah Cordingley
Whoever is responsible for Ms Cordingley’s death is yet to be found. Source: Facebook/ Toyah Cordingley

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