Toyah Cordingley: Will reward help find her killer?

Toyah Cordingley's death shocked Australia

A long, beautiful stretch of sand in Australia's tropical far north, Wangetti Beach, was Toyah Cordingley's favourite beach.

It is also where she died, in what has been called a "frenzied and brutal and sadistic" attack.

The 24-year-old had gone to the beach to walk her dog on 21 October 2018, as she had done countless times before, but never came home.

The next morning her father found her "messed up" body half buried in sand dunes. Her beloved dog was tied up nearby, unharmed.

Four years on, Australian authorities are appealing for the public's help in an international hunt to find the man they believe killed Toyah - Rajwinder Singh.

The nurse lived in Innisfail but is originally from Buttar Kalan, Punjab, India. He left behind his job, wife and their three children when he fled Australia hours after Toyah's body was discovered.

Media reports quote witnesses saying they saw Mr Singh acting suspiciously with scratches and bite-marks on the day of Toyah's murder.

Australian and Indian officials have agreed on an extradition order, but have been so far unable to locate the 38-year-old.

And so Queensland Police last week announced a record reward - A$1m (£563,000) or 53m Indian rupees - for anyone with information that leads to his arrest.

"We know that people know this person, they know where this person is and we're asking those people to do the right thing," Police Minister Mark Ryan told reporters on Thursday.

"This person is accused of a very heinous crime; a crime which has ripped a family apart."

'Everyone knew her'

Detectives have offered few details about how Toyah died, but it has been reported that she had "vicious" and "visible" injuries when she was found on the beach 40km north of Cairns.

Mr Singh, pictured at Sydney airport hours after Toyah's body was discovered

Police have said they believe the attack may have been sexually motivated.

Locals were shocked that such a horrific killing could happen in the idyllic, friendly neighbourhood, MP Warren Entsch told 60 Minutes.

And they were outraged that it could happen to such a well-known and beloved member of the close-knit community.

"Everyone knew who she was," local councillor Michael Kerr told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

Described as friendly and bright, Toyah was best known for her passion for animals.

"She touched so many people in a short time, she was that type of person," said Mr Kerr, who managed an animal shelter she volunteered at.

Far north Queensland is famous for beaches like Wangetti

Toyah's death came at a time of growing concern about the safety of young women in Australia amid a spate of murders.

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Many people despaired that she wasn't safe while walking on a public beach - even in broad daylight, with an enormous dog by her side.

"It's heartbreaking - as a woman I want women to be able to go out there and live their lives," Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said at the time.

"This should not happen to a young woman walking her dog on a Sunday - that is the reality."

Why Mr Singh is a suspect

In the days following Toyah's death, the community desperately tried to help catch her killer.

Mountains of tips were called in to police, and hundreds of people combed Wangetti Beach for clues.

Police started requesting DNA samples from locals, the ABC reported, and searched for evidence.

One such search in northern Cairns yielded a number of items of interest, but police would not detail what had been found.

Ms Cordingley volunteered at several animal refuges

Police searched Mr Singh's house in Innisfail - about two hours from the crime scene - but were unable to question him. He had already left the country.

Mr Singh's brother-in-law has previously told local newspaper The Courier Mail that the timing of his return to his hometown was a coincidence.

"Raj is not capable of murder," Harpreet Singh said in 2018.

"He is too quiet, too afraid. He was under a lot of tension from his work."

But the Australian government sought an extradition order in March 2021, something they can only do if investigators have a case strong enough to prosecute.

Last month Indian authorities approved the request, meaning police can arrest and return Mr Singh to Australia - if they can find him.

After four long years, Toyah's heartbroken family hopes justice may finally be around the corner.

They've had to watch as Toyah's friends grow up, marry and have kids, while knowing the person who took her life is "living free with no consequences for their horrendous crime".

"Toyah was a young woman who will never get the chance to live a full life and all that entails… this was taken away from her," her father Troy Cordingley said, when the reward was announced.

"While justice will not bring Toyah back, justice is the very least that she deserves."