CCTV shows woman, 24, just hours before she was found dead on beach

Queensland Police have released CCTV footage of Toyah Cordingley just hours before her body was found in dunes at Wangetti Beach.

The 24-year-old can be seen crossing the intersection of Sheridan Street at about 12.40pm on Sunday October 21 near Rusty’s Markets in Cairns.

Ms Cordingley’s body was discovered in dunes at the beach, north of Cairns, on Monday, October 22, less than a day after she’d failed to return from walking a dog.

Authorities said the CCTV was being released in an attempt to jog the memory of any members of the public who may have seen Toyah at the markets on the Sunday, but have not yet spoken to police.

“Toyah was wearing light coloured crocheted singlet top and carrying a large striped colourful bag when she was at Rusty’s Markets and she was there for just over half an hour,” Detective Inspector Sonia Smith said.

“It is possible that Toyah changed clothes after leaving the markets.”

Police also released images of the blue, Mitsubishi Lancer sedan driven by Toyah.

It had been parked at Wangetti Beach, in the southern car park, on Sunday afternoon. And authorities are asking anyone who saw the car on Sunday between midday and 7pm to contact them.

A family that interacted with a couple in the carpark of the north Queensland beach are also being sought by police, AAP reports.

Police say a family consisting of a man, a woman and two children was seen leaving the beach’s southern carpark on Sunday, October 21 about 2.30pm.

Detective Inspector Sonia Smith said the family briefly interacted with a couple and their sausage dog before leaving the carpark.

An initial appeal has failed to locate the family, with whom police are desperate to speak.

“We’re keen to speak to that family to see what they saw, what cars they saw in that area,” Det Insp Smith told reporters on Monday.

Locals are also being told to report any instance they can remember where someone they know has unexplained injuries, cannot account for their whereabouts on the afternoon of October 21 or may have damaged or lost clothes around that date.

Crime Stoppers stalls set up at Wangetti Beach and in the Rusty’s Markets in Cairns over the weekend provided several new leads for investigators, Ms Smith said.

Over 500 separate Crime Stoppers files have been generated in the investigation.

Police are also pouring over dashcam footage provided to them and are appealing for any other avenues of recording such as GoPros or helmet cams from the area to be handed in.

Scenic photographs looking back over Wangetti Beach taken from Rex Lookout on the day of Ms Cordingley’s disappearance are also being sought.

Ms Smith said police were keeping an “open mind” when asked if the search for Ms Cordingley’s killer was stretching beyond local boundaries to wider areas.

“We will leave no stone unturned until we find out who is responsible for Toyah’s death,” she said.

“I can’t confirm that we are working with specific agencies … needless to say it is an open investigation, we are working with an open mind.”

– with AAP