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CAIRNS, Australia (DailyKenn.com) — Seven years before Iryna Zaruska was knifed to death on a light rail train in Charlottesville, North Carolina, another young woman lost her life in Australia.
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A former nurse was sentenced to life imprisonment Monday for the brutal stabbing death of 24-year-old Toyah Cordingley on a secluded Queensland beach seven years ago, bringing a measure of long-sought closure to her grieving family and a shocked community.
Rajwinder Singh, 41, received the mandatory life term with a 25-year non-parole period in Cairns Supreme Court. Justice Glen R. Kelly described the attack as "shocking, sickening and depraved," noting its profound impact on Cordingley's loved ones and the far north Queensland region.
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The killing occurred on Oct. 21, 2018, during what should have been a routine Sunday afternoon walk for Cordingley, a health food store worker and animal shelter volunteer known for her vibrant spirit and love of dogs. She was strolling with her German shepherd-mastiff mix, Indi, along Wangetti Beach, a stretch of pristine coastline between Cairns and Port Douglas, when Singh allegedly confronted her. Prosecutors said he stabbed her at least 26 times, slashed her throat and attempted to bury her body in the sand dunes in a frenzied assault that lasted mere minutes.
Cordingley's father, Troy, discovered her remains the next morning after she failed to return home, a discovery that has haunted the family ever since. Singh, who lived in nearby Innisfail and worked as a nurse, fled to his native India the following day, abandoning his wife and children. He remained at large for over four years, prompting a $1 million police reward and an outpouring of public tips.
Investigators built a circumstantial case linking Singh through phone records, CCTV footage and traffic camera captures showing his blue Alfa Romeo near the scene. A critical piece of evidence was DNA on a wooden stick at the site—3.8 billion times more likely to belong to Singh than a random individual. No direct witnesses to the attack emerged, but community members later recounted the eerie normalcy of the day: Local marlin fisherman Steven Parsonage recalled docking his boat that weekend, only to learn of the horror upon returning to shore, while dog charity co-founder Gabrielle Gleeson described Cordingley's beach walks as "standard operating procedure" for Cairns residents.
Singh was arrested in New Delhi in 2023 without resisting extradition. Charged with murder that year, his first trial in March ended in a hung jury after eight months of proceedings. A retrial began in late November, with jurors visiting the crime scene beach mid-trial. After four weeks of testimony and seven hours of deliberation, a unanimous guilty verdict came Dec. 8, eliciting cheers and sobs in the courtroom.
Outside court, Troy Cordingley called the outcome "a form of justice" but emphasized it could never erase the "unbearable" trauma of losing his only child. Her mother, Vanessa Gardiner, expressed gratitude to supporters who kept the case alive. In Cairns, a town of 170,000 where the slaying shattered senses of safety—especially for women and dog walkers—the verdict evoked "bitter-sweet relief." Grassroots efforts had sustained awareness: Over 250,000 sunflower-themed bumper stickers bearing Cordingley's name and the slogan "The Community Will Never Give Up" circulated, alongside beach memorials, billboards and business banners. "She's in Cairns' psyche now," Gleeson said. "No one is gonna forget that girl in this town."
The case, one of Queensland's most high-profile, underscored the challenges of cross-border pursuits and the enduring ripple effects of violence in paradise.
Seven years after Toyah Cordingley's murder her killer's sentencing brings Cairns a sense of ‘bitter sweet relief’
Toyah Cordingley Murder Case: Rajwinder Singh found guilty of killing 24-year-old in 2018 on Far North Queensland beach; here’s what we know so far
After 4 Years, Toyah Cordingley's Murderer Has Finally Been Charged
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