Mystery remains over Toyah Cordingley's 'violent' death as anniversary approaches
Almost 12 months after a father discovered his daughter’s body on a North Queensland beach, police still haven’t solved the mystery of what happened to Toyah Cordingley.
Ms Cordingley, 24, failed to return from walking her dog along Wangetti Beach on October 21 last year.
Ms Cordingley’s naked body with “visible and violent injuries” was discovered partly buried in sand dunes by her heartbroken father, Troy Cordingley, just hours after she was reported missing.
“Toyah is my only child. Finding her body has burnt an indelible image in my mind,” he wrote in an emotional Facebook post.
As the tight-knit community near Wangetti Beach prepare to unveil a memorial to Ms Cordingley on October 19, her boyfriend, Marco Heidenreich spoke to the media briefly for the first time since her death.
As he spoke to the Cairns Post, Mr Marco thanked the media for their interest but stated that didn’t want to discuss the investigation, describing the aftermath of his girlfriend’s murder as too heartbreaking.
“I’ve been through enough personally, it’s hard enough for me to deal with it, without putting myself out there,” he said.
The Cairns Post revealed a father-of-three, Rajwinder Singh, was identified as a key person of interest by police but the information supplied to the media dried up after he fled to India following Ms Cordingley’s death.
Despite collecting DNA evidence, CCTV footage and using mobile phone signals to narrow down on a suspect, Australian police have not released any major details to the public.
Retired homicide detective, Ron Iddles, told the Cairns Post that he was approached by a member of Ms Cordingley’ family to review the investigation into her death but the request was put on hold.
“The public do not need a blow-by-blow account of the details of the investigation,’’ Mr Iddles said.
“But they do need to be reassured that police know who the suspect is, and they are working to put together a brief of evidence. It is a matter of good policing,” he added.
QLD Police Detective Inspector Sonia Smith, who heads a dedicated team of homicide officers and support personnel, told media they are still searching for answers.
“Police remain unwavering in their commitment to deliver justice for Toyah, her family, her partner, friends and the local community who have shown immense support,” Detective Smith said.
Police Minister Mark Ryan described the murder as “a tragedy that resonated with many people”.
“I, like so many others, want to see Toyah’s murderer arrested and brought before the courts and to feel the full force of the law,” he said.
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