Indian nurse sought over Toyah Cordingly beach murder case
Probe into the beach murder of Toyah Cordingley goes international, with claims male nurse fled overseas after attack.
The investigation into the murder of Toyah Cordingley on a beach in far north Queensland has gone international, with police identifying as a person of interest a male Indian nurse who is said to have been seen with scratch marks and who fled overseas after the attack.
The Queensland Health-registered nurse reportedly worked at Innisfail hospital, south of Cairns, but booked a flight to India on the night of the murder and then left the next day.
The 24-year-old pharmacy worker was brutally attacked while walking her dog in broad daylight on Wangetti Beach, 40km north of Cairns, on Sunday, October 21.
Her body was found in sand dunes by her father the next morning, prompting an outpouring of grief and anger by the public and a mounting campaign by local residents to help find her killer.
The Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service confirmed the nurse left work shortly after Toyah’s murder and was no longer an employee.
“As it is under police investigation we are not making comment at this time,” a health service spokesman said on Sunday.
Staff at the hospital have been questioned by police about the nurse’s behaviour, movements and work history, The Sunday Mail reports.
He was first linked to the investigation when police triangulated Toyah’s mobile phone and identified his car in CCTV and dash camera footage, and his car was seen driving erratically in the Cairns area on the night of the murder, Seven News reports.
Police last month released CCTV footage of 68 vehicles they wanted to identify as part of the probe.
Queensland police and the Australian Federal Police are working with Interpol and authorities in India. Australia has an extradition agreement with India.
A police spokesman today said: “The Queensland Police Service will not be providing anything further other than the investigation is continuing.
“Speculation surrounding elements of the investigation are not helpful and have the potential to jeopardise it.”
Toyah’s family has been briefed on the developments in the investigation.
Tens of thousands of bumper stickers declaring that “the community will never give up” have been distributed around the Cairns region after being produced for free by local printers.
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