HAMPTON, Va. (Scripps News Norfolk) — Cory Bigsby was found guilty on Tuesday of killing his 4-year-old son, Codi Bigsby.
Cory Bigsby is seen sitting at his defense table in court. (Scripps News Norfolk/Ian Teasley)
Bigsby was on trial for charges of second-degree murder and concealment of a body in connection to Codi’s death. He was convicted on both charges.
Bigsby still faces child abuse and neglect charges unrelated to Codi’s disappearance.
The jury reached its verdict on the seventh day of the trial against Bigsby.
The guilty verdict comes over two years after Codi was reported missing by Bigsby on Jan. 31, 2022. To this day, Codi’s body hasn’t been found, but law enforcement believes he’s dead. The prosecution argued that Bigsby had actually killed Codi on or around June 18, 2021 — about seven months before he called 911 to report him missing.
Bigsby did not take the stand during the trial.
The jurors heard testimony from a variety of witnesses throughout the trial, including Codi’s relatives, corrections officers who interacted with Bigsby, and people who played a role in investigating Codi’s disappearance.
The defense called Codi’s paternal aunt to the stand, who claimed to have seen Codi after the timeframe police believed Cory killed his son.
The case garnered widespread attention in the community, prompting citizens to organize search parties, and later, create a sprawling memorial in his honor.
Codi’s disappearance also marked the start of a lengthy investigation: shortly after Codi was reported missing, the FBI joined Hampton police in the search.
Days after the search for Codi began, Bigsby was arrested and charged with child neglect from incidents unrelated to Codi’s disappearance. However, it wasn’t until June of 2023 that Bigsby was indicted on a murder charge in connection to Codi’s death.
This story was originally written by Madeline Miller and Angela Bohon at Scripps News Norfolk, an E.W. Scripps Company.
