Toyah Cordingley was either dead or certain to die when she was buried in sand at a remote beach after having her throat cut, a jury has heard.
The Supreme Court of Queensland on Tuesday started hearing the case in Cairns, about 40km south of the alleged crime scene in the state's far north.
Rajwinder Singh formally entered a plea of not guilty to the murder of Ms Cordingley, more than six years after the young woman's body was found at Wangetti Beach on October 21, 2018.
Crown prosecutor Nathan Crane began his opening address to the jury on Tuesday after a long empanelment process involving hundreds of potential jurors.
Mr Crane said Ms Cordingley, 24, had injuries that could only have been made with the intent of taking her life.
"She was buried either shortly before or shortly after her death. She was left with injuries with no hope of survival," Mr Crane said.
"The most significant wound, of all the wounds the pathologist found, was a significant incision along and into her neck, from one side to the other."
Mr Crane said Ms Cordingly suffered a cut windpipe that caused death from blood loss.
She also suffered a wound through her bikini to the left breast at her heart and "defensive wounds" to her hands as if she had tried to stop a person with a sharp object, he said.
Singh appeared in court with a beard, blue suit and white turban, occasionally taking notes.
The jury was told the prosecution would not specify the weapon used to kill Ms Cordingley, because the killer had taken it with them, but evidence pointed to it being sharp and potentially small enough to conceal.
Ms Cordingley drove to Wangetti Beach for a Sunday afternoon walk with her dog on the day Mr Crane said she was murdered.
Her family raised the alarm later that evening when she didn't return.
Her dog Indie was found unharmed and tied to a tree.
Mr Crane said the dog was tied so tight it could not sit down.
"Toyah was buried. She was concealed so that she would not be immediately detected. Indie the dog, who might be noticed by searchers, was 30 metres into a bush setting from the beach," he said.
"These are features the Crown will say is an attempt by the killer to put distance between themselves and the commission of this murder."
Mr Crane said prosecutors would not offer a motive for the alleged murder of a young woman who was alone at the beach.
The jury was told Ms Cordingley was found wearing a bikini and her clothes, phone, wallet and towel were never recovered.
"Toyah never left the beach. Toyah's phone left the beach. The phone is able to be traced. The killer took the phone," Mr Crane said.
The jury was told it would hear telecommunications evidence of how Toyah's phone made contact with multiple phone towers while moving away from Wangetti Beach and towards a town after the time she likely died.
Mr Crane was due to continue his address on Wednesday, with defence barrister Angus Edwards having the option of delivering his opening for Singh.
Justice James Henry earlier told jurors the prosecution would present a case based on circumstantial evidence because there was no direct witness to the alleged crime.
"For circumstantial evidence to prove Mr Singh is the killer, it is necessary it is in combination strong enough to exclude the competing inference that someone else might have killed Ms Cordingley," Justice Henry said.
The trial over the next four weeks is due to hear from more than 460 witnesses including nearly 100 police witnesses, 12 DNA experts and eight telecommunications experts from major phone service providers.
