The murder of Toyah Cordingley | Ep 235

Summary

Crime and Coffee Couple Podcast – Episode 235

Case: The Murder of Toyah Cordingley
Hosts: Allison and Mike
Release Date: March 8, 2026
Episode Focus: A deep dive into the tragic, high-profile, and ultimately resolved murder of Toyah Cordingley in Queensland, Australia in 2018.

---

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode explores the heartbreaking case of Toyah Cordingley, a 24-year-old animal lover from Cairns, Australia, who was murdered while taking her dog for a walk at Wangetti Beach in broad daylight. Allison meticulously walks listeners through the chilling details of the investigation, the years-long international manhunt, and the eventual conviction of Rajwinder Singh. The duo maintains their characteristic blend of empathy, wit, and relatability as they discuss how a seemingly random and senseless act of violence forever altered a family and community.

---

Key Discussion Points & Episode Breakdown

1. Opening Banter and Personal Updates (01:03–09:27)

• Allison and Mike open with lively banter, covering:
  • Mike's business trip to San Diego and awkward social encounters.
  • Turtle encounters in Florida and fun facts about handling snapping turtles.
  • Recent family cruise to the Bahamas marked by illness, minor family tensions, and Mike's contentious flight experience.
• Lighthearted exchanges segue into their sensitivity to caffeine, IBS jokes, and general reflections on adult life.
• Memorable moment: Mike tells a story of confronting a nosy airline passenger, ending with a cheeky “If you did find me, lady... I don’t care what you do.” (08:57, Mike)

2. Introducing the Case: The Murder of Toyah Cordingley (09:27–13:16)

• Listener suggestion—“Thank you, Danielle!”
• Toyah Cordingley: Loving, outdoorsy, and deeply connected to Queensland’s beautiful landscape.
• The setting: Wangetti Beach, a picturesque yet public location between Cairns and Port Douglas, beloved by Toyah for its sentimentality (her childhood cat is buried there).
• A chilling premise: “Sadly, it was along this very stretch of sand where a stranger would attack her and leave her to die. No one saw him strike and no one saw him get away.” (10:58, Allison)

3. Timeline Leading Up to the Disappearance (13:16–20:33)

• Sunday, October 21, 2018:
  • Toyah stops at Rusty’s Market, then heads to the beach with her dog, Indy.
  • Leaves home at 1:30 pm; boyfriend Marco sees her car at the beach later but doesn’t stop.
  • That evening, Toyah doesn’t return, prompting Marco and her family to search and call police.
• Last known communications:
  • Final text at 3:17 pm to Marco (plans to pick up friend Tyson from the airport).
  • Cell service at the beach is poor, adding ambiguity to the timeline.

4. Key Individuals and Early Red Herrings (15:24–21:00)

• Introduction of Tyson Franklin (new friend, podiatrist): Relationship explored through hundreds of texts, suggesting possible secrecy or new romance.
• Marco and friend Joel have a solid alibi: Photos from hiking, traced movements, lost dog (Jersey) provides corroboration.
• Toyah’s responsible character emphasized: “She’s a highly responsible young lady.” (19:44, Allison)

5. Discovery of Toyah’s Body and Crime Scene Details (20:33–24:40)

• Family finds Indy tied too tightly to a tree; Toyah’s father Troy discovers her shallowly buried body.
• Forensic details:
  • Multiple stab wounds (at least 26), massive neck injury (windpipe severed).
  • Extensive defensive wounds show she “fought for her life.”
  • No drugs/alcohol or sexual assault found.
  • DNA (on a stick used in the burial) yields a strong unknown male profile.

6. The Investigation and Breakthrough (24:40–31:48)

• 1,400 Crime Stoppers reports, 500 witness statements, DNA samples from locals, collection of knives.

• Detailed analysis of cell phone tower data and traffic/CCTV footage narrows the search.

• Identification of a unique blue Alfa Romeo seen at the crime scene, registered to Rajwinder Singh.

• Singh, a nurse and father of three, abruptly flees Australia for India the day after Toyah’s murder, leaving family and job behind.

  “He left the large family home...with no access to money. He was the breadwinner of the family.” (27:41, Allison)

7. Rajwinder Singh: Flight, DNA Evidence, and the International Hunt (31:48–34:35)

• Singh’s alibi falls apart: “There was a gap in his phone between 1:16 pm all the way to 8:15 pm...” (30:33, Allison)
• His sudden departure described as suspicious; familial and financial ramifications detailed.
• DNA match from evidence at the scene (“3.7 billion times more likely than not to have come from him”).

8. Extradition from India and Undercover Confessions (34:35–37:43)

• $1 million reward posted, sparking a tip-off and Singh’s arrest in New Delhi (2022).
• Singh extradited to Australia and tries to deflect blame: “He claimed to have run for his life after witnessing killers with covered faces murder Toya.” (35:06, Allison)
• Undercover prison officer records Singh’s implausible stories.

9. Trial Proceedings and Defense Tactics (37:43–41:55)

• Trial begins in 2025, almost seven years after the murder.

• Prosecution outlines damning evidence: phone movement, DNA, Singh’s flight.

• Defense argues alternate suspects (boyfriend, friend Tyson) and points to lack of murder weapon/eyewitnesses.

• Personal lives, especially Toyah’s, put under a microscope—family forced to endure grueling cross-examinations and public exposure.

  “They’re sitting in the courtroom feeling like their daughter’s name is being dragged through the mud. Well, this guy’s being, like, you know, built up.” (41:11, Allison)

10. Hung Jury, Retrial, and Verdict (41:55–42:25)

• First trial ends in hung jury (March 2025).

• Retrial (Nov–Dec 2025): Jury finds Singh guilty after 7 hours of deliberation.

  Mike: “I’m gonna have to say guilty.” (42:21) Allison: “Yes. They found him guilty.” (42:23)

• Sentenced to life in prison, with parole possible after 25 years.

  “After seven long years, Toya’s family were finally able to see their daughter’s killer face justice... Rot in hell, you bastard.” (42:56, Allison quotes Toya’s father, Troy)

11. Aftermath, Official Theories, and Emotional Impact (43:26–47:03)

• The judge characterizes the motive as “an opportunistic killing.”

• Likeliest scenario: Toyah stumbled onto Singh engaged in something embarrassing or illicit; confrontation escalated to lethal rage.

• Singh is speculated to have brought a fruit and kitchen knife to the beach; the dog’s barking may have triggered the attack.

• Focus remains on the senselessness of the act and lasting trauma for Toyah’s family.

  “A permanent line was drawn in their lives that no amount of time will ever erase.” (46:50, Allison)

12. Reflections and Closing Thoughts (47:03–51:55)

• Mike and Allison grieve the randomness and horror of the crime.

• Emphasis on Toyah’s positive, “bucket-filler” nature and the deep void left by her absence.

• The duo urges listeners to cherish their loved ones and reflect on the fragility of life.

  “Her life mattered and she should still be here.” (46:50, Allison)
  “Use this story. I’m sure Toya’s family would love for you to hug your family and loved ones tonight.” (50:47, Mike)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Nature of Evil:

  Mike: “If you could go to the beach on a random Sunday and be so out of control with your actions that you stab someone, let alone a perfect stranger, 26 times, you are to me forever a danger to society.” (48:02)

• Regarding Justice and Closure:

  Allison (quoting Toya’s father, Troy): “Rot in hell, you bastard... for us there can never be true justice because we live in a world without Toyas, and the world will always be poorer for it.” (42:56)

• On Victim Blaming and Dragging Personal Lives into Court:

  “They’re sitting in the courtroom feeling like their daughter’s name is being dragged through the mud. Well, this guy’s being, like, you know, built up.” (41:11, Allison)

• On Life’s Unfairness:

  Allison: “She was out living her life and enjoying the beautiful day with her beloved dog... she came upon the wrong person in the wrong place at the worst possible time.” (46:44)

• On Extradition’s Challenges and Breakthrough:

  Mike: “I still can’t believe they tracked him down. I mean, that’s a gigantic country...like you said, needle and haystack.” (37:43)

• On Parenting and Losing a Child:

  Allison: “How do you ever...not see your beautiful child buried in the sand like a piece of trash?” (50:14)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |---------|--------------------| | Opening banter & travel stories | 01:03–09:27 | | Case introduction & background | 09:27–13:16 | | Day of Toyah’s disappearance | 13:16–20:33 | | Discovery of body & forensic evidence | 20:33–24:40 | | Investigation & Singh identified | 24:40–31:48 | | Singh’s flight & DNA evidence | 31:48–34:35 | | Extradition & prison confession | 34:35–37:43 | | Trial, defense, and verdict | 37:43–42:25 | | Sentencing & emotional resonance | 42:25–47:03 | | Reflection & closing remarks | 47:03–51:55 |

---

Conclusion & Takeaway

Allison and Mike deliver a poignant, respectful, and thorough account of Toyah Cordingley’s case, highlighting both the devastating impact on her family and the incredible persistence of law enforcement that led to justice, years after the crime. Their empathetic approach, personal anecdotes, and commitment to honoring Toyah’s life make the episode engaging and memorable—even as it underscores the tragedy of a life taken too soon. The lingering message: cherish ordinary joys, be aware of life’s fragility, and always remember the victims behind the headlines.

---

Transcript

[VRBoCare Announcer]

Day or night, VRBoCare is here 247 to help make every part of your stay seamless. If anything comes up or you simply need a little guidance, support is ready whenever you reach out. From the moment you book to the moment you head home, we're here to help things run smoothly. Because a great trip starts with the right support. And, hey, a good playlist doesn't hurt either.

[Grainger Announcer]

When you manage procurement for multiple facilities, every order matters. But when it's for a hospital system, they matter even more. Grainger gets it and knows there's no time for managing multiple suppliers and no room for shipping delays. That's why Grainger offers millions of products in fast, dependable delivery. So you can keep your facility stocked, safe, and running smoothly. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.

[Allison]

Hello, everyone. Welcome back to another episode with the crime and coffee couple. My name's Allison.

[Mike]

And my name's Mike.

[Allison]

Hi, Mike.

[Mike]

Hey, darling.

[Allison]

You're fancy here. You're doing all sorts of hand gestures.

[Mike]

I'm anything but fancy. I did a lot of, like, I just got back from a business trip in San Diego, California.

[Allison]

San Diego.

[Mike]

I was doing a lot of, hey, guy. Hey, how you doing?

[Allison]

Why would you possibly do that?

[Mike]

I don't want people talking to me, so I just want that. I think that's like, they've been like, well, I don't want to go to the finger pointing guy. He's not. Doesn't look very approachable. I want to leave him alone. And that's exactly how I want it to be. I just wanted to hang out with my teammates and members and all that good stuff.

[Allison]

We like to keep our social circle very small.

[Mike]

Yeah, yeah. It's just small as possible. And we're doing a great job. We don't have any friends.

[Allison]

We're like bug repellent.

[Mike]

Yeah, exactly. That's what we're trying to do. So how's life going for you? Good.

[Allison]

We went over to Starbies today, and a typical thing in Florida when you're driving, there's just a turtle slowly making its way across the street, and it's putting itself in danger because it's doing so slow, as turtles do.

[Mike]

Right.

[Allison]

So I stopped and Mike got out to handle the turtle, and I was watching him in the rearview mirror, and it was pretty funny. The turtle just started freaking out, like, flailing its little flappers.

[Mike]

Yeah. As soon as I went to go touch him, and he was just like, usually they'll They'll. Yeah, he just like, ran right out of my hands, which. I get it. It's a gigantic person coming at you.

[Allison]

And Mike gets back in the car. He's like, oh, yeah, I had to be careful with that one because that one's a snapping turtle. And I was like, did I. Was I absent that day of school? How I could never walk up to a turtle and be like, oh, that one's a snapper.

[Mike]

You can tell by their mouth. Like, they have a really like, dangerous looking. Almost like. Like a beak kind of like, because it's made for like, cutting through stuff.

[Allison]

Yeah. I have to say that I have never handled a turtle and I think I'd be afraid to because I would just assume it was going to reach back and bite me.

[Mike]

Well, you automatically think of salmonella and all that kind of stuff. I don't know.

[Allison]

If you do not. That's not anything I would think about. My big thing would be, is it going to bite me?

[Mike]

Yeah, they're mostly pret long as you have it, like, right in the middle. Like, it's not made to be able to bite all the way around itself for the most part. I'm guessing some of them can. And then there's tortoises, too. You don't want to put those in water. You ever see those videos of people throwing a tortoise in water and then they drown? Yeah, they do.

[Allison]

Oh, my gosh, that's terrible.

[Mike]

I mean, it's not on purpose. They think they're helping the turtle, but. Yeah.

[Allison]

Yeah. I would never put a turtle in water. Let it guide its way to where it wants to go.

[Mike]

They always say to, like, put it on the side that it's going towards because that's where it's trying to go to new water or something. It's a Florida thing. I. I don't know. Yeah, just one of those things.

[Allison]

It's just funny how there's certain things people just. And I'm like, how do you know that? Like, we were talking about HBO Max and how they did that whole thing where they just became Max one day.

[Mike]

Stupid.

[Allison]

Ditch that idea and went back to HBO Max. Mike's like, yeah, you know, because HBO is Home Box Box office. Yeah. I'm like, I've never in my life heard that HBO stands for Home Box office. Do I live in a shell? Maybe. I don't know.

[Mike]

I mean, it's not like you're missing out on much. You just don't know about snapping turtles

[Allison]

and these certain things.

[Mike]

I just don't know, don't worry, you're okay. You're doing, you're doing just fine. Trying like when it comes to true crime, know every single one of them. Like you could tell me about the one we did last week and I would have no idea.

[Allison]

Absolutely. And we had to delay our recording because we went on a four day quick trip, a cruise to the Bahamas. And our daughter was getting sick before we got on board. And the coughing and coughing and coughing. And I'm like, oh man, if we don't get sick, this is going to be unbelievable. And then it started with Mike and then we were in Nassau walking around the straw market and I was like, oh, I don't feel well. And then it, boom, kicked in and felt like hot garbage. And then Mike had to go to San Diego and oh, it was just a lot.

[Mike]

I think you were on your period too.

[Allison]

Oh yeah. That happened right on the cruise.

[Mike]

We had a little bit of a disagreement before I left. We didn't really make up until I got home, I think. So that was, that was tough. It was a tough few days while

[Allison]

being in San Diego. There was a three hour time time difference from Florida. So you were also in meetings like all day long.

[Mike]

So no time to like talk.

[Allison]

But we're good now.

[Mike]

Yeah, we're. I think so, right? I think so. Pound that out right there. There we go.

[Allison]

Don't say that.

[Mike]

Well, not, I mean, yeah, you gotta pay for that, folks. That's where our patreons come in. No.

[Allison]

So I'm drinking from Starbucks. It's the Cannonball drink, which apparently Mr. It's Mr. Beast. And I have to say it is quite delicious. And the reason why I'm drinking this instead of coffee is another thing I've learned from being an elderly person is, is that I'm now very sensitive to caffeine. And if I have more than a couple, maybe one to two lattes in a day, it just isn't good for my anxiety and it's not good for my ibs.

[Mike]

Where IBS girlies at? Where they at? They all came out of the woodwork like, me too, me too. It's like every woman have ibs. Is that just kind of a standard thing now?

[Allison]

I don't know. This has been something I've been dealing with since I was a child. My mom took me to a doctor because I was so scared of fractions in fourth grade who's not. And I was scared I was sick to my stomach every morning and so she had to take me to a doctor. She's like, you can't drop out of school in the fourth grade. But I was legitimately sick to my stomach every morning.

[Mike]

Poor baby.

[Allison]

Yeah, it's just hard.

[Mike]

It is hard being you. And that's. That's okay. You're doing a great job. You're doing the best you can. And should I tell the story about my airline dispute that I had with that lady very quickly? Okay, so real quick. When I was on the flight from San Diego back here, there's this lady next to me, and I was, like, talking to chat GPT on the phone. I sometimes ask about, like, family stuff and. And marriage stuff every once in a while. And I happened to, like, see out of the corner of my eye. She was, like, reading my screen. So I need a privacy screen first and foremost. And so she was like. Just like she was next to me, and I could see her just looking right at it.

[Allison]

Well, you said she had her whole head turned towards you, which. Come on, lady. And I asked you how old she was.

[Mike]

Our age, 40s.

[Allison]

Because we all have looked peripherally to the person to our left or right. But you do so discreetly.

[Mike]

She was like, I was the main show, and she had an active, like, movie playing in front of her. So she was, like, not even watching her movie and just reading about what I'm typing.

[Allison]

Weird.

[Mike]

So I just decided to look right at her, like, she's right here next to me, like, a foot away from my face. And then she turned and looked away from me, like, right away. So I'm like, okay, this lady's crazy.

[Allison]

NPS Mike likes making things awkward.

[Mike]

I love it so, so much. I don't know what's wrong with me. There's an excitement that I get about making things awkward, so I actively put up, like, I'm covering on a test, like, somebody's cheating off of me. So the whole rest of the flight, I basically had my phone, and I was like this. And, like, just.

[Allison]

I would have been so humiliated if I was on this plane with you.

[Mike]

You know what I'm saying? If you're listening, it's like to put

[Allison]

my hand up just like, imagine being in fifth grade and knowing the person next to you is trying to cheat off your paper.

[Mike]

Yeah. Like, looking at them like, what? You. You're not going to cheat off me. So I started doing that and whatever. And then we landed, and everything's fine. And then she lands. Okay, we land. And then she gets on FaceTime right away, which I'm fine with calling somebody, like, hey, we just Landed. We're here. Whatever.

[Allison]

Quietly.

[Mike]

She's just sitting there, and, like, it was on speakerphone, and she's like, yeah, so we're here. And the guy's like, okay, cool. What are you up to, Emma? It's like having this, like, loud conversation, right?

[Allison]

Who gets on FaceTime on a flight?

[Mike]

I don't know. So she clearly doesn't care about people around her, doesn't think them. So there was a person next to me that was, like, looking back and kind of annoyed, just like I was. And then somebody else I knew behind me. They're like, what's the deal?

[Allison]

Look. Yeah. Given the look.

[Mike]

Yeah. And I could see people in front of us also, like, what's the deal? So I was just like, yeah, I've always wanted to do this. I go into my Spotify and play, like, my dubstep stuff, and it was like. And then, like, right in the middle, like, as she's talking, and she's just like. She's, like, hung up right away. She's like, did you do that? Because I was on the phone. I was like, oh, I'm sorry. I was like, I had no idea you were on the phone. I was just being completely selfish and thinking only of myself. So, no, that wasn't. It was just me thinking of myself. I didn't think about the people around me.

[Allison]

I'm sorry, but don't you think that was rude of you to do that? Two wrongs don't make a right.

[Mike]

I think two wrongs can make a right, personally, sometimes. Like, you know, for instance, murdering somebody that murders somebody. I think that's just fine. I think that's actually better for society. So I. Whoever came up with that, the whole theory is, you know, they're a quack. But then the lady's like, well, then she said my company name, and she said my first name, which, I don't know, she had to have read it off of me, like, typing and stuff. She's like, well, Michael. I was like, oh, you're calling me Michael?

[Allison]

So that's creepy.

[Mike]

You saw something on my thing? And she said, well, that's where you work, huh? I'm like, yeah, what, are you gonna go tattle? You're gonna tell the CEO that I played loud music on a plane? Okay, you psychopath. So if. If you did find me, lady, I. I. Please, go ahead. Believe me. I don't care what you do.

[Allison]

You're.

[Mike]

You're.

[Allison]

I don't know. She sounds a little cuckoo. I don't want her to come over Here and.

[Mike]

Come on over. Come on over. We're ready for you.

[Allison]

Come on over. Crazy.

[Mike]

Crazy. Very good. So luckily I survived, so we're all good.

[Allison]

So shall we get started?

[Mike]

Let's do this.

[Allison]

All right, so this is a listener suggestion from Danielle and this is the murder of Toya. Accordingly. So on the gorgeous afternoon of Sunday, October 21, 2018, 24 year old Toya Cordingley stopped off at Rusty's Market in Cairns, Australia before heading north to take her husky Tibetan Mastiff mix. That's a. That's a mouthful. So her dog's name was Indy and she was taking Indy for a walk at Wongetti Beach. And, and this is a beach in Queensland and it is a spectacularly beautiful place.

[Mike]

Queensland, Not Queensland, Yes, I look that up, please.

[Allison]

I looked it up like three times. The other thing I had to look up was cans. And I hope I'm saying that right because any S. No, it's C, A, I, R, N, S. Oh, it looks like Carnes.

[Mike]

Cairns.

[Allison]

Yeah, Or Cairns, but it's cans. That's what I heard. So in Queensland. So it's a spectacularly beautiful beach. It's two and a half mile stretch. It's four kilometers. It's this hidden stretch of sand that's situated halfway between Cairns and Port Douglas. And it's just surrounded by everything that's gorgeous. Mountains, palm trees, sparkling waters of the Coral Sea that are situated along the Great Barrier Reef. So although many people only dream of traveling to a location such as this, this was a place that Toya called home. And she lived and worked in cans. She shared a home with her boyfriend, this is Marco Heindrich, and she worked as a pharmacy assistant at a health food store slash pharmacy. She also volunteered her time at an animal shelter in Port Douglas. So the area was just perfect for Toya because she was a lover of animals in the outdoors. She embraced the landscape and she really took advantage of what her home had to offer. She would swim among the waterfalls, she would let her beloved Indy off her leash so that she could run free along the beach. So although this picturesque beach where she was headed that Sunday, it was secluded. It wasn't isolated. Mountains covered in tropical rainforests loom above the shoreline, while at either end of the beach, traffic along the highway that's connecting Cans to Port Douglas, you can hear it. So it's not like you're out in the middle of nowhere. Many families and tourists visit this location to spend their weekends walking, searching for shells, having a bonfire, anything you would do along a beautiful beach. So since Toya had a cat that was buried at this particular beach, it was a sentimental place for her to visit. But sadly, it was along this very stretch of sand where a stranger would attack her and leave her to die. No one saw him strike and no one saw him get away. So it would be up to the investigators to put all the pieces together in order to solve this case. And it took years. So Toya was a beautiful young woman and she touched the lives of so many people, including the cats and the dogs that she cared for at the Paws and Claws Animal shelter where she volunteered her time. And she just had this calm presence, this calm demeanor that was able to quiet even the most distressed animal at the shelter. She had so much to look forward to. She was getting ready to start a new job, and her friend Megan had only just asked her to be a bridesmaid. She was very close with her tight knit family and everyone saw her as the glue that kept them all connected. So on October 3, 2018, Toya posted to Facebook about her role as a bridesmaid. And she wrote, it is more than a pleasure to share these moments and watch as our lives change with each new adventure. At 24 years old, it's like the world is just opening up to what it's gonna be for you.

[Mike]

Yeah, heavy wedding season. Lots of people getting married.

[Allison]

Totally. It's like we had all these weddings and then nothing.

[Mike]

Right.

[Allison]

Because weddings can really add up. So I'm kind of glad that they're behind us. So tragically, less than three weeks after she made this Facebook post, her life would be taken and the lives of those who loved her would be forever changed. So according to Marco, this is her boyfriend. When Toya left their cans home at 1:30pm that Sunday afternoon, she was heading to a beach to walk Indy. But she wasn't sure which beach she was going to stop off at because along this area there's a lot of choices. So he left the house about 15 to 18 minutes later, and he was driving to Port Douglas to see a friend. And when he passed Wongetti beach, he noticed that her car was parked there. So he's like, oh, okay. So that's where she picked. But he didn't stop. He kept going. So when she hadn't come home by that night and Marco was unable to reach her, he headed back to Wangetti beach and he found her unlocked Mitsubishi Lancer still parked in the parking lot. He dialed triple zero at 10:50pm and he contacted her family, who came to the beach to help look for her. So when investigators began looking into Toya's cell phone records, they learned that she last texted. So the last text she sent was at 3:17pm it was to Marco, and she was letting him know that she was planning to pick her friend Tyson up from the airport later that day. So the message included a red love heart. But Marco hadn't seen the message until later that night after he realized that she was missing. And when he finally did read the text, he was confused because he had no idea who this Tyson was that she was referring to. So the man in question was Tyson Franklin. This was Toya's new friend who worked as a podiatrist. And the two had met earlier that month when she came to his podiatry clinic for an appointment. And during her visit, they did a Harry Potter quiz together. They exchanged numbers, they saved each other's information and their contacts as Gryffindor and Slytherin.

[Mike]

Weird, right? It seems very fast.

[Allison]

It seems very fast and kind of unprofessional on Tyson's part.

[Mike]

Yeah, and I'm also, you know, she's got a boyfriend. It's like, you know, this is clearly somebody. Unless he's gay or something. I'm just like, oh, I have, like, husband or something, right? Yeah, it's like, you know, a friend.

[Allison]

A friend, yeah. But it wasn't that so soon. They were exchanging hundreds of messages a day. And in one, Toya described the timing of their meeting as pesky due to the fact that she was in a relationship with Marco. So when she hadn't arrived at the airport to pick him up as planned, Tyson called her multiple times, but he was unable to reach her, so he ended up calling an Uber and taking that home. And this was proven by CCTV footage from the airport. So later analysis of Toya's cell phone indicated that it tracked moving from Cans to Wangetti beach before a data gap. Excuse me. From 207pm until 3:49pm so what happened during this hour and 42 minutes is a mystery. Although she sent a text to Marco during this time frame, as mentioned before, he didn't see the text until later that night when he was at the beach actively looking for her.

[Mike]

And at this, when she did send that, was he already at his friend's house or wherever he was going?

[VRBoCare Announcer]

Ye.

[Mike]

Yeah. Okay.

[Allison]

Yeah. So, because cell service at this beach is notoriously poor, it's unclear if this played a role in any of the events that are surrounding this case. So when Marco left the house that afternoon, he went to pick up Joel Cuman. This is someone that he had been friends with since primary school. And CCTV footage showed him stopping off at a gas station on his way north to Port Douglas. At about 3pm, he stopped off at the Courthouse Hotel bottle shop in Port Douglas. He was there purchasing a six pack of beer. And then Marco and Joel went to a hike at nearby Spring Creek and they took Marco's dog, Jersey with them. So photos from his phone depicted them hiking, but unfortunately, while they were at this location, Marco actually lost Jersey. Jersey ran off and they couldn't find him. So he and Joel ended up searching for him for hours and hours along the area's waterfall track. They continued to search for Jersey until night fell. And at this point it was obviously getting dark. So they stopped off at two different friends houses to get flashlights. So Marco and Joel continued to search for Jersey until about 9pm that night, but they were sadly unable to find him. So after they left the Spring Creek area, Marco indicated that they brought the flashlights back to his friend's house. And while they were there, they had a drink together. So Jersey wasn't found for another three days after backpackers came upon him. And thankfully, other than having damaged paws, he was otherwise fine. So not only that night was Marco very worried for his dog's safety. I mean, I would be flipping out.

[Mike]

Yeah. I mean anything could happen to them. A bear could eat them or whatever they have out there. Especially in Australia.

[Allison]

Yeah, I don't think there's bears per se.

[Mike]

Probably some kind of a reptile or some kind of amphibian that'll kill it.

[Allison]

Or even a poisonous spider, you know, could bite the dog. Yeah, so he was only worried about his dog, but his worry was only compounded because he was concerned about Toya's well being. She hadn't come home and he was unable to reach her.

[Mike]

I mean, what a nightmare. It's like first something horrible like your dog is lost and then you, you, your girlfriend is like gone.

[Allison]

It's like, oh my gosh, can't even imagine. So according to cell phone records, after 7pm he called her more than 10 times, but each and every call went straight to voicemail. And this suggested that her phone had been turned off. Off. So, increasingly concerned, he drove back over to Wongetti beach because he knew her car was there. Earlier in the day he passed it, he saw it, and there her car was. It was sitting there unlocked in the parking lot. And this is when he decided to call Triple zero and then notify her family. So Vanessa Gardner, who's Toya's mom, she recalls being woken up in the early morning hours now of Monday morning from a phone call from her 18 year old son Jack, who let her know, hey, Toya is missing. And that is like a nightmare of a phone call. And you're so confused, like, what do you mean she's missing? Where did she go?

[Mike]

She's not like an 8 year old, you know, it went off somewhere. And she had a dog too. Like that's the right way to do it.

[Allison]

Absolutely. She's a highly responsible young lady. So Toya's parents, Vanessa Gardner and Troy Cordingley, they separated when she was young and each went on to remarry. So that night they met Marco at wangetti beach at 3am and they spent hours searching for her as well, for Indy, because they knew that she had taken Indy that day. So they were walking along the shoreline, calling out her name repeatedly. But it was pitch dark outside, so their vision was very much limited. So they sat at a picnic bench waiting for the sun to rise so that they could properly search for Toya. And after the sun did come up, Vanessa found Indy. And she was tied to a tree in the bushland near the dense shrubbery that bordered the beach. The leash had been tied so tightly that Indy was unable to even sit down.

[Mike]

Oh my God.

[Allison]

So meanwhile, Troy continued to search for their daughter. And you can imagine when you love your pet so, so much, you are not going to tie your pet tightly to a tree and wander off.

[Mike]

No.

[Allison]

So at this point in time, they know for sure something is very, very wrong. So Troy is searching the beach and he sat down to take a, a quick break under some trees about 30 meters from where Indy was found and about 800 meters from where Toya's car had been parked. And while he was sitting there briefly for this moment, he noticed that there was this odd mound of sand. And he started, he started digging, he dropped to his knees and he scooped the sand away three times. And then he suddenly saw a foot. And my heart just breaks for this man because this, this is just something no one should ever, ever have to go through. So, shocked and horrified, he reeled back and began screaming out for help. Toya was found wearing her bikini, with no phone, no wallet, bag or towel, but her hat was located nearby. Her cell phone was not there either. Police later found two blood stained patches of sand that were near her shallow grave. So the medical examiner found a nearly 7 inch or 17 centimeter extension, extraordinarily deep neck wound that had been inflicted in at least four separate movements that completely cut her trachea or her windpipe. So Dr. Botterill found sand with blood going down into her lungs, which was evidence to suggest that Toya had still been alive when this wound had been inflicted. There were also serious stab wounds to her neck, her chest, and less serious wounds to her right breast, her lower back, as well as abrasions to her face, torso, and thighs. She had been stabbed at least 26 times. There were also extensive defensive wounds to her fingers, her hands, and her forearms that proved that she had fought for her life. But sadly, her killer, you know, they got the best of her. So there were no drugs or alcohol in her system. There was no evidence of a sexual assault. So an investigation obviously began immediately. And Crime Stoppers was inundated with tips from people who believed that they could have seen something. There were 1400 reports, and police took more than 500 witness statements. Various persons of interest had been spoken to. Their phone records were obtained, forensics were analyzed, and their movements were investigated. So officers asked locals to volunteer DNA samples and hand over their knives for forensic tests, testing. There was a stick that was found at the site where Toya had been buried, and it came back with a strong male profile that matched no one that they had tested that was connected to the case thus far. So about three weeks after Toya's murder, police made an announcement that would turn their investigation into an international manhunt. For four long years, Toya's murder captivated an entire community who were desperate for answers. No one could help but feel connected to this case, even if they didn't know Toya, because what she did on that Sunday when she was so brutally murdered was something that anyone could have been doing. It was this gorgeous, sunny Sunday, beautiful weather, where everyone's out flocking to be outside. She is going to this beach that she's very familiar with. It's not far from home. And then someone stabs her to death and gets away. You know, that's something you just can't shake. And so many people were horrified by it. So phone records revealed that not only the calls and texts that Toya made, but also which tower she connected to and when. So they suspect that while her body had been concealed in the shallow grave at the beach, her phone connected to three cell towers that afternoon in a direction heading away from the beach. So obviously, her killer took her cell phone with them.

[Mike]

There's so many things going on in my head, like this is, you know, stabbed over 20 times 26 times. And just the. That's overkill, right? Usually somebody that has some kind of connection. But you said earlier it's a stranger, so that's insane. And then the whole place is going crazy because it could happen to any of them at any time.

[Allison]

And Toya was this just kind, sweet young woman that she had no enemies, no one had a vendetta against her. So obviously they're ruling everyone close to her out. So who could it possibly be, you know? So this gave investigators a more detailed time frame and checking her cell phone and where it was moving when obviously

[Mike]

you look at Marco right away. And then you look at, of course, there's a guy, Tyson, that she's looking to pick up. And it's like, usually these types of situations, it's somebody like that, a love interest of some sort.

[Allison]

Yeah, statistically, yes, it's Morgan. More likely to be somebody that you're familiar with. Yeah. So traffic cameras were scoured, as was CCTV of the cars that traveled along the Captain Cook highway that Sunday afternoon. So in early November, they received more detailed phone data and it was called Timing Advance. So this gave them an estimated distance and direction. Toya's phone was from the towers that it connected with. So this information gave them a far more specific time frame. It basically narrowed their search down to a five minute window of, or, excuse me, at a particular intersection. So pictures of 70 cars were made public while drivers were encouraged. If this is your car, please come forward and identify yourself.

[Mike]

Yeah, and if not, then we're looking for you.

[Allison]

So about half of these people did, and many more were excluded from the investigation when police continued to track ongoing traffic cameras. And then they saw that they drove in a different direction that didn't match the movement of Toya's phone. So one that did match the direction of her phone traveled was this distinctive blue Alpha Romeo car. And it was so unique that police could only find three cars that matched the description that were registered in North Queensland.

[Mike]

Man, what a bunch of idiots. Like, if you're gonna kill somebody, go get like a white Honda Civic or something.

[Allison]

Well, it just goes to show that this was a crime of opportunity that was not planned. So while two of these cars were quickly ruled out, they eventually learned that the owner of one of them was long gone. So with this information, investigators now knew that they were looking for Rajwinder singh, a then 34 year old married, father of three young children. He had three children that were 16 and 8 years old. And he had been working at an as a Nurse at Innisfail Hospital in Queensland, where he suddenly and unexpectedly left the country that he had become a citizen of three years earlier. He had been living and working in Australia for, you know, years. And all of a sudden, right after Toya's murder, he flies the coop.

[Mike]

Oh, weird.

[Allison]

So investigators learned that he fled Australia to India on the morning that Troy found his daughter. So one day after Toya's murder, he left the large family home he previously shared with his wife, his three children, as well as his parents, and he left them with no access to money. He was the breadwinner of the family.

[Mike]

Did he tell them anything like, I'm leaving?

[Allison]

Very, very little.

[Mike]

You're gonna get to it.

[Allison]

Okay, Yes, I will tell you everything. So this eventually resulted in their home being repossessed. So his friend Raj Karan Singh, who took him to the airport, he didn't know anything that was going on. But he did notice that his friends seemed very stressed the day that he was traveling. When he asked him what was going on, he denied that anything was wrong. And he left his blue Alpha Romeo at Rajkaran's house, and he never returned for it. So I'm sure his friend was like, what in the heck is going on here? So he first flew to Sydney, and he stayed with his sister for the night, and then he left for India the following day. His wife reported him missing on Wednesday, October 24th. And the following day, he contacted his work supervisor to say that he needed severance pay because he would not be returning. So when investigators spoke with his wife. This is Sukdeep Kaur. She was, you know, asked about what that Sunday morning entailed, and he. She said that her husband left their home that morning. He was driving his father to his place of worship, and then he headed to Cannes Central Shopping Center. He arrived at about 11:50am in his distinctive blue Alfa Romeo. And based on CCTV footage, dash cam, and phone records, police investigators were able to then piece together his whereabouts for that day. So as he walked through this canned shopping center, he wore a striped polo shirt, gray shorts, and sandals. And this was clothing that was later seized by police from the family home. The car left the shopping center at 12:40pm traveling north along this Captain Cook highway, right around the time that Toya was leaving Rusty's Market to go to Wangetti beach with her dog. So according to his wife, Sukdeep, she met and married her husband in India in 2009. He was from the Punjab village of Batar Kalan, but they had moved to Australia the year that they were married, back in 2009. So now by early 2018, their relationship was falling to pieces. It was very strained to the point that Singh moved out of the home, but then he returned after she got upset and asked him to come back back. So data records indicate that there was a gap in his phone between 1:16pm all the way to 8:15pm so this meant that his phone was either turned off or the battery died. So his phone was next used that evening to call Innisfail Hospital where he worked. And when he saw his wife, he said that he would be leaving for a couple of days. And he left the family home in Innisfail. About an hour south of Cans is where this town is. So since it was a school holiday, she asked if they could all go with him, but he said no. And he went on to tell her that they would never hear from him again. Okay, so obviously she's like, what is going on? All right. So she didn't see him again until she gave evidence at his trial for Toya's murder. So one month after Toya's murder, detectives arrived at Singh's family home at 10 Seymour street in Innisfail Estate, and they were there to search for any forensic evidence that could tie him to the murder. Samples of DNA were able to be compared against those that were found at the crime scene, including that stick I mentioned that was found near her shallow grave or within her shallow grave. So this result was conclusive enough to build a strong case, being 3.7 billion times more likely than not to have come from him. So that DNA evidence that was found on the stick compared to what they got from his home. Really? Really. In addition to the fact that his. His movements match Toya's phone.

[Mike]

That's a DNA match.

[Allison]

Exactly. So through a Punjabi interpreter, Souk Deep revealed that she and Singh met and married in an arranged marriage. And she initially spoke no English. She worked picking bananas while Singh studied horticulture. And this was before he became a nurse. So when their eldest daughter was born in 2010, she went to India to be cared for by Singh's mother in the first two and a half years of life. And I know in the Indian culture they're very much family based, and it's like that whole idea of, like, it takes a village to raise children. Seems like in America, like we don't have that mentality.

[Mike]

Well, then also moving in together once everybody's aged and everything, you have your parents live with you and you can

[Allison]

take care of them very common. So the couple went on to have two more children. They had a daughter and a son. And then they were joined by his parents in innisfail. So by 2018, like I said, their marriage was really falling apart. And according to Souk, Deep Singh wanted a divorce. But this was something that she was very, very much against, and she had no idea what had become of him. During the four years that he disappeared to India. Singh's father, Amar, and his sister, Paul Winder Carr, they testified that they went back to their home village, excuse me, of Batar Kalan, in hopes that they could find him, but they hadn't been able to. And it's unclear how or where he spent these four years that he fled over, over to his home country. So before the Queensland government posted a one million dollar reward for information that could lead to his whereabouts In November of 2022, there seemed to be very little motivation from the Indian authorities to locate him. There was also little to no media attention in the country where he had fled, while prosecutors likened to finding him to a needle in a haystack. So because India requires an extraordinary amount of evidence to consider an extradition agreement, the Queensland police worked diligently to compile all of the necessary evidence to be sure that everything was correct. They wanted to get this right. So it turned out that posting this reward money was everything because it garnered a large amount of publicity. And exactly three weeks later, the Australian Federal Police, or the AFP at the Australian High Commission in New Delhi received a tip off. In the very next morning, AFP Superintendent Murray Taylor watched as Indian police arrested Singh at a place of worship in the city's northern district of Rana Prata, Baja. So after his November of 2022 arrest that happened in India, Singh agreed to be extradited back to Australia while claiming he did not kill that woman.

[Mike]

Right.

[Allison]

He went on to say that he wanted to reveal all the details in an Australian court. He arrived in Melbourne on March 1, 2023, where he was handed over to the Queensland police. So while he was in a cans prison. Speak. Excuse me. Singh spoke to an undercover police officer. Obviously he didn't know it was a police officer.

[Mike]

Right, Right.

[Allison]

So this conversation was recorded. And he claimed to have run for his life after witnessing killers with covered faces. Murder. Toya.

[Mike]

Oh, that poor guy.

[Allison]

He was just so traumatized that he left his family.

[Mike]

Wow.

[Allison]

And hid in India for four years. That's how traumatized.

[Mike]

Can't imagine what he was going through.

[Allison]

He's a real empath.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Allison]

So he said that he was so shocked that he went home, he booked his flight to India because he feared for his life. He's painting himself as a victim.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Allison]

So he admitted that he knew he was wanted for murder because his car had driven to the beach. It's like nobody. It has nothing to do with your car driving to the beach. It's that your car matched Toya's cell phone. That's, like, unbelievable.

[VRBoCare Announcer]

With Verbo care, help is always ready before, during, and after your stay. We've planned for the plot twists, so support is always available because a great trip starts with peace of mind.

[Allison]

So the trial for Rajwinder Singh began in February of 2025 in the Cannes Supreme Court. Geez, I know. So many years later. Well, no, it's not that he had. Well, because, yeah, three years he had been arrested. I don't know if it had to do with COVID I'm not sure what it had to do with. With. So at this point in time, Toya's loved ones filed into the courtroom and they had to listen to the horrific details of her murder, just basically relive all the trauma again. Eight men and four women were chosen as jury members who were taken to Wongetti Beach. The. You know, the. They wanted them to be familiar with what the area looked like, where everything happened. They were also shown drone footage of the quiet stretch of Beach. Beach. They were guided through Toya's movements from the day that she was murdered, including her cell phone's movements. Her phone, which has never been recovered, left the beach at about 5pm, which was likely after she was already dead and buried. And from the beach, her phone's movements matched exactly those of this distinctive blue Alfa Romeo that we know Singh drove that was seen on multiple CCTV cameras. Jurors also heard about the DNA that was found on the stick that was found partially buried with Toya's body. That proved that he was 3.7 billion times more likely to contribute to the DNA found on it. DNA that was found on Toya's fingernail clippings belonged to her as well as an unknown person, as Singh was excluded as a contributor. So jurors also heard about how he left Australia for New Delhi only one day after she was murdered and was not seen again until he was tracked down in November of 2022.

[Mike]

I still can't believe they tracked him down. I mean, that's a gigantic country. And you're right, like you said, needle and haystack.

[Allison]

Exactly. So he left his wife and his three Children who eventually lost their home since the mortgage wasn't pained or, excuse me, paid. And he didn't return to the hospital where he had worked as a nurse. And mind you, too, when we say finding a needle in a haystack, he also did look very different. I saw his CCTV footage of the day that he allegedly, at this point, murdered Toya. He had no beard, and then when he was captured in India, he had a long beard. So he did look very different. So when Singh went ahead and booked this flight to India, which left after 11am, one day after Toya was murdered, he told the phone operator that he needed to travel urgently because his grandfather was very sick. And we know that that was not the case. So, meanwhile, Singh's defense attorney, Angus Edwards, argued that anyone at the beach that day could have murdered Choya.

[Mike]

Yeah, except that he left his blood there and his car had her phone in it, so. Right, yeah, I guess anybody could have, But a lot of things are pointing at this guy.

[Allison]

So, no, no murder weapon was ever found, nor were there any eyewitnesses. No one witnessed him with, like, blood all over himself.

[Mike]

Yeah, that's unfortunate.

[Allison]

So when Edwards interviewed Toya's boyfriend, Marco Heiden direct, who worked as a whitewater rafting guide, he denied having anything to do with her murder. He agreed that, yes, his stepfather was a former cans police officer who was friendly with a detective investigating Toya's death. So obviously, he's alluding to the fact you have connections to this case, so they're hiding things to protect you.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Allison]

So Edwards also broached the subject of the status of Toya's relationship with Marco at the time of her murder, something he described as having problems. He referenced her new interaction with Tyson Franklin, despite the fact that she was living with Marco at the time. According to Marco, he had been completely unaware that there were any issues in the relationship. This really did blindside him to learn that she had been sharing all these messages with Tyson.

[Mike]

And maybe that was part of the problem too. You know, maybe he just kind of checked out and assumed everything was fine. And who knows?

[Allison]

Potentially, you never know the intricacies of what. What's going on in a relationship. So he indicated that he and Toya had never, ever discussed breaking up or seeing other people. As far as he was concerned, he's saying he thought their relationship was stable. So when Tyson took the stand, he admitted that he and Toya spent time together while Marco had been out of town. They had gone hiking and swimming at Crystal Cascades near Cans. And then they shared a dinner and a night together. Although their texts were sometimes sexual and intimate, he indicated that other than laying together on the night that they did spend together, they basically cuddled. He said that they had not crossed the line. They had not had sex. So she had confided in him about issues in her relationship with Marco. And the defense read text messages that she had sent to Tyson accusing Marco of being an angry person. She went on to write that he would come home and project his negative energy onto her. Text also proved that she was considering moving into her own place and continuing to see him. So Tyson admitted that initially, when everything came about with Toya's investigation, he had tried to minimize the relationship, even really try to conceal it.

[Mike]

Sure.

[Allison]

As part of the investigation. So Toya's family were obviously very distraught throughout this whole process and the fact that they had to sit there and see. Sit through torturous testimony and questioning, even though they had all been ruled out as suspects by investigators, her private life became public as the personal details of her life were revealed. And meanwhile, throughout this trial, Singh was described as this competent nurse who was well respected by co workers and did not exhibit antisocial behaviors. So they're sitting in the courtroom feeling like their daughter's name is being dragged through the mud. Well, this guy's being, like, you know, built up. Exactly. So on March 18, 2025, the trial ended in a hung jury.

[Grainger Announcer]

Wow.

[Allison]

As they were all unable to reach a unanimous verdict. Excuse me. And this followed several days of deliberation. So singh's retrial began eight months later, on November 10, 2025. So this is not long ago. This is very recent. And it lasted almost four weeks. So on December 8, 2025, after about seven hours of deliberation. Mike, what do you think the jury came back with?

[Mike]

I'm gonna have to say guilty.

[Allison]

Yes. They found him guilty.

[Mike]

Rotten hell.

[Allison]

So the following day, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years, meaning he will be 63 years old when he is first eligible for parole in 2048. So after seven long years, Toya's family were finally able to see their daughter's killer face justice. Toy Courtingly. Who. Or, excuse me, Troy. Accordingly, who was wearing purple that day in honor of his daughter's favorite color, he could be heard saying, rotten hell, you bastard.

[Mike]

Hey. Agreed.

[Allison]

And he went on to say, for us, there can never be true justice because we live in a world without Toyas, and the world will always be poorer for it. That statement just really got to me just because she sounded like this very bright light in the world. And it's just so sad to think she was taking her dog to the beach for a walk and someone rajwing Raj Winder Singh slashed her to death. Like, how does this happen?

[Mike]

It makes zero sense. Like, then obviously he's still holding on to the fact that he just saw a murder happen. So, like, we're never gonna get that angry answer. Is saying exactly what happened. And why pick her, like, randomly? Why drive to this place? Maybe you'll have more.

[Allison]

There's a little bit more information that comes to be. So Toya's family are left to only imagine what her life could have become. You know, what kind of potential. Because she had so much potential. She was an innocent young woman who was passionate about life. She had a very peaceful character in a very tremendously positive outlook. One of those people that you're around and you feel better for it.

[Mike]

I always call them, like a plus one. Like, if I always view people. Like, if you're inviting them to a party, do they bring something to the party? Or you're gonna have to, like, worry about them, or are they just kind of neutral? You know, I always like that we have plenty of friends that are plus ones.

[Allison]

Right.

[Mike]

You know, those are the people you want to surround yourself with.

[Allison]

You call them plus ones, and I call them bucket fillers.

[Mike]

Yeah, bucket filler.

[Allison]

Because when you're with someone, sometimes your energy is boosted and sometimes you walk away feeling depleted and drained. And no doubt in my mind, although I did not know Toya, she was definitely a bucket filler. So as their victim impact statements were read, Singh sat with his head down as they told him that their family would never forgive him for stealing the precious life of their daughter. So Justice Crowley also addressed Singh during sentencing. Inspect speculated that the motive of murder was something that he characterized as an opportunistic killing. Obviously, he didn't know Toya. He didn't know she was going to be at the beach that day. She didn't even know she was going to the that day, that particular beach that day. So Crowley made the assumption that Toya had stumbled upon him at the beach. While maybe he was engaged in some type of sexual or embarrassing activity. We can all picture what he might have been doing prompting some sort of confrontation. So the fact that he took her phone with him raised the possibility that maybe she recorded him or planned to report what she saw.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Allison]

So officials indicate that Singh had gone to the beach after a fight with his wife. So he was all like, amped up and angry. And he arrived allegedly carrying some fruits and a kitchen knife.

[Mike]

Okay.

[Allison]

So when Indy began barking at him, Sing and Toya began to argue, and angered by this, he started to stab her to death. In a fit of rage, he buried her body in the sand and he tied Indy to a nearby tree. So the fact that Toya had been out doing something so innocent and simple on that Sunday afternoon in broad daylight when her life so quickly and was brutally taken by this absolute stranger just made this case one that was so unsettling and so hard to forget. She was out living her life and enjoying the beautiful day with her beloved dog. Because when you're a dog owner or a pet owner and you love your pet so much, seeing them happy makes you so happy. Like, we don't have a lot of pet friendly beaches in Florida and a lot of them you have to have leashes on. So when we go to the other coast in St. Augustine, they do have a lot more pet friendly beaches. So we'll go for a sunrise walk and we'll let our dog Poppy off her leash. And when we see her running and having fun, we are filled with joy. And that's what she was out doing that day.

[Mike]

It's like watching our dogs or kids or whatever, just having a great time. It's the best feeling, right?

[Allison]

She was out with her beloved dog when she came upon the wrong person in the wrong place at the worst possible time for her family. When Toya was found, life immediately split into a before and an after. A permanent line was drawn in their lives that no amount of time will ever erase. She deserved many more decades of life that included more walks with Indy, more plans, more ordinary days. Her life mattered and she should still be here. And that is a sad and tragic murder of Toya.

[Mike]

Accordingly, so sad it just. Toya did nothing wrong.

[Allison]

Nothing.

[Mike]

Just going out and enjoying life and just some random. Like you said, you can only imagine what this sick scumbag was doing at the beach. Just probably exposing himself and doing other

[Allison]

things and who knows?

[Mike]

Grossness. Like, what a hope he never sees the light of day again.

[Allison]

And because he is lying and saying that he was innocent, you know, we'll never know the full truth of what happened.

[Mike]

Such a coward.

[Allison]

But you know, the, the scary part is, is that this guy could be paroled when he's in his 60s, his early 60s, and he's.

[Mike]

I mean, it wasn't a sexually motivated thing, but he's a deviant. I mean, he's capable of just stabbing somebody he doesn't even know 30 times, that's like some madness.

[Allison]

If you could go to the beach on a random Sunday and be so out of control with your actions that you. You stab someone, let alone a perfect stranger, 26 times. You are to me forever danger to society.

[Mike]

Like, I could see you stabbing me a bunch of times if I got you really mad because you're very passionate about things or, like, you know, there's those things where you have a relationship. Right. I'm not saying it's ever.

[Allison]

I would never stab you.

[Mike]

She would. I just had.

[Allison]

I might poison you.

[Mike]

I had to tell our daughter if I'm. I'm not gonna off myself. If I ever end up dead, it's going to be because you're my mother. Okay? And.

[Allison]

And then you asked her, what would you do? Would you turn mom in? And I was like, I. Then you'd be without any parents. Where would you go? She's like, oh, let me think about this.

[Mike]

She's like, I think I probably would just be fine, you know, as long as I get Internet and whatever. So. Thanks, sweetheart. She's not watching this, but. Yeah, it's. What a terribly sad story. It's just a random. Just. I can't get over the fact. Just a random stranger, just.

[Allison]

Yeah.

[Mike]

30 times crazy.

[Allison]

Somebody that she had never met in her life before. And p. S. Who goes to the beach with a knife and fruit, fruits.

[Mike]

Raj. Crazy, man.

[Allison]

Like, do you ever sit at the beach cutting a melon?

[Mike]

I mean, that's a nice picnic, but, I mean, you need a knife to cut your melons.

[Allison]

Yeah, I just. The. The case is just so heartbreaking. I'm just so glad that they found this guy and he is serving time behind bars. And I hope that he is never paroled from prison because to me, he will forever be a danger to society.

[Mike]

Tremendous job by the Indian authorities to find this scumbag, by the way. Creighton, congrats.

[Allison]

But especially, like I said, because he did look so different.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Allison]

I don't know if he changed his name while he was in India. There was no details about that. But the fact that it took about three weeks once they posted that. That money. The reward money.

[Mike]

Yeah, a lot of money, too. A million dollars. I mean, that's pretty awesome, I hear. And what. Even for Savannah Guthrie's mom's case, I don't know if it's up to a million yet.

[Allison]

Yeah, I don't know.

[Mike]

But we'll be coming out with this later. So who knows if she's been found? Hopefully. But anyways, yeah, so sorry to Toya's family. Like, she sounded like a tremendous individual and you got broken up. It's like you raise your daughter and she's doing great and she's doing all the things you ever thought like, you know, all we want is the best for our kids and to become a decent human being and a good member of society. And she sounded like she absolutely was in this scumbag to take her off the earth.

[Allison]

And the fact that it was her father who found her remains, like, how do you ever recover from that? How do you ever not see your beautiful child buried in the sand like a piece of trash? And that's the part that I can't wrap my head around. When we have our children and you raise them to be these, like, people and you give them so much love, and to think that this person saw her life as such a throwaway, that they did such a thing, that's the part that I just can't get over. And it just, it's really, it's. It hurts my heart. Yeah.

[Mike]

Use a story. I'm sure Toya's family would love you if you to hug your family and loved ones tonight.

[Allison]

Yeah. And just think of Toya, remember her as this beautiful light in this world that was taken away far too soon by this monster who just had anger inside of him who worked as a nurse.

[Mike]

Crazy. Well, thank you so much for listening. We appreciate it. And, you know, leave some good reviews for us. Leave a comment down below, whatever it is, all that stuff helps us out. We really appreciate it.

[Allison]

Thank you guys so much for being here, for supporting us. We really do appreciate all of you so very much. Every time there's a nice comment, the interactions, we just really, really. I. I will never be forever grateful.

[Mike]

Never ever, never, never be, never grateful.

[Allison]

I will never, I will always not be grateful.

[Mike]

I don't know, whatever that was.

[Allison]

Words are very hard for me.

[Mike]

And it's. It's a good thing that it's not your profession.

[Allison]

Yeah, that's, you know, because I would hate to be a true crime podcaster who has to use words for a

[Mike]

living or the people that have to listen of that constantly.

[Allison]

All right, let me restay that I will be forever grateful for all of you.

[Mike]

Too many double negatives make a bad, bad gal.

[Allison]

But we hope that you're all having a wonderful weekend, that you have a great week. Please stay safe. Hug the ones that you love. Tell them that you love them.

[Mike]

I'm going to hug you right after this.

[Allison]

Until next time. Bye.