'My heart aches every minute': Mother of Toyah Cordingley vows to never give up searching for her daughter's killer - as her father opens up about discovering her body for the first time
- Parents of murdered woman have shared their grief as Christmas approaches
- Toyah Cordingley, 24, was found dead on Wanghetti Beach in late October
- Vanessa Gardiner, Troy Cordingley have both leaned on Facebook for support
- Mrs Gardiner says time has flown but her pain at losing Toyah is still very raw
- Mr Cordingley says his memory of finding his daughter's body is 'indelible'
Toyah Cordingley's father, Troy (pictured), has opened up about the moment he found his daughter's dead body in a heartbreaking Facebook post
The mother and father of a 24-year-old woman who was murdered as she walked her dog along a beach in far-north Queensland have shared their ongoing grief.
As each parent prepares to face their first holiday without Toyah Cordingley, a bright and bubbly pharmacy assistant who was killed on Wanghetti Beach, they have leaned on a Facebook group for help.
Mother Vanessa Gardiner said while time had flown since her daughter's body was found on October 22, she had felt the deep pain of her loss every moment.
'Time has gone so fast but I will never give up for our precious daughter Toyah,' she said.
'Justice will be done. My heart aches every single minute of every single day.'
Father Troy Cordingley, who found his daughter's body in the sand dunes the morning after her family reported her missing, made his first lengthy public statement on Monday night.
He said he had discovered Toyah's body after more than four hours of searching, and that the experience had scarred him.
'Toyah is my only child,' he said. 'Finding her body has burnt an indelible image in my mind.
'It is something a father should never have to suffer.'
Toyah, 24, (pictured) was murdered on Wanghetti Beach in late October. She was reported missing on October 21 and her body was found on October 22
Her father Troy says the memory of finding his daughter was 'indelible', but he was able to cushion the blow with memories of her blissful childhood (pictured)
He said while the trauma of his distressing discovery would never go away, he was able to cushion the blow with more than two decades of happy memories with his daughter, who he affectionately called 'Bright Eyes'.
'I feel lost and empty inside, but will always have the wonderful memories of those 24 years.
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'I have other images permanently etched in my mind,' he said. 'Toyah used to spend a week with her mother and a week with Mary and I as she grew up.
'I remember our backyard full of laughing happy kids. I remember wonderful birthday parties and Christmases.
'She always said how lucky she was to have two mums and two dads.
'Toyah grew into a beautiful, caring young woman, and we are all so proud of that.
'Toyah and I shared a love that only a father and daughter can understand.'
Mr Cordingley and Toyah's mother, Vanessa Gardiner, separated when Toyah was a child, but remained close, allowing Toyah to have a close relationship with both of her families
Mr Cordingley says while he feels 'lost and empty inside', he will always have the memories of their time together
Toyah's (pictured with her father) killer has not been found, but her local community in far north Queensland have rallied together to do everything they can to bring them to justice
Mr Cordingley told members of the Facebook group Honour Toyah he had recorded a public appeal with his friend Mary for Queensland Police, but said they had decided not to air it.
He claims the decision was in response to reports police were looking for an Indian male nurse who had fled the country soon after Toyah's death.
'The police have informed me today that due to the media undermining their investigation, they will not be using my police media release,' he said on Monday.
'This is very disappointing but I completely [understood] their reasoning once it was explained to me.'
Mrs Gardiner and Mr Cordingley have been shrouded in love by their local community, with donations pouring in to have stickers printed asking for information.
Doug 'Prong' Trimble, a family friend, has also held fundraising days and conducted walks along Wanghetti Beach with other concerned locals and police to help look for clues that might help bring the young woman's killer to justice.
Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Queensland Police for comment.
Locals conducted a walk along Wanghetti Beach (pictured), where Toyah was walking her dog at the time of her death, to help look for clues, though police said nothing of interest was found on the day
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