HAMPTON, Va. — Cory Bigsby is accused of murdering is 4-year-old son Codi. The trial is scheduled to begin Monday, March 4, at Hampton Circuit Court.
The 4-year-old boy was reported missing in January 2022 by his father, Cory Bigsby. The child’s body has not been discovered, but police say they believe he is deceased.
Bigsby is charged with murder and concealing the body. He also faces charges of child neglect which authorities say are not related to Codi’s disappearance. The father has been out on bond since the summer of 2023.
Disappearance of Codi Bigsby
Cory Bigsby, Hampton man accused in son Codi's death, has pre-trial hearing
Curtis Brown will be the lead defense attorney and Judge James Hawks will preside.
In preparation for covering the trial, News 3 contacted an attorney who is not related to the case. Sonny Stallings of Stallings Law Group in Virginia Beach stated it is an unusual case.
“You’ve got the gamut," Stallings said. "It could be first-degree murder with life in the penitentiary, or they could say there’s not enough evidence here and find him ‘not guilty.’ It’s pretty rare in any jurisdiction or in Virginia to have a murder trial without a body."
Hampton
Documents: Confession of Cory Bigsby in death of son Codi Bigsby
Stallings also said the jury selection process could be a challenge. Finding someone unfamiliar with the case, he said, that could take a day or two.
As far as who may testify, Stallings says it's a tough call on whether Bigsby's attorneys would put him on the stand.
"If there’s strong evidence from the state, he almost has to take the stand if he wants a chance at winning - if he has a story to tell," said Stallings.
News
The case of a missing Hampton toddler: Where is Codi Bigsby?
News 3 will have a crew at the trial starting March 4.
The Virginia General Assembly recently passed a bill named after Codi Bigsby. The bill would create a “Codi Alert’ aimed at making a local, regional and statewide notification of a missing or endangered child. It would apply to any child 17 or younger who is missing under suspicious circumstances.
