HAMPTON, Va. — The City of Hampton told News 3 that items remaining on the fence that was used as a memorial for Codi Bigsby will be removed on Feb. 5.
Codi Bigsby was reported missing on Jan. 31, 2022, by his father, Cory Bigsby, who has since been indicted on murder charges related to his missing son.
When Codi was reported missing, the community rallied and searched for the missing toddler for months.
Part of the fence at the Hampton Soccer Complex that faced Cory's apartment became a meeting point for community members before searches, and eventually turned into a memorial full of posters, balloons, stuffed animals, and all things Spiderman; it's remained that way for almost two years.
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Everything we know about the case of Codi Bigsby
Now, a spokesperson with the City of Hampton has confirmed that all of the items on the fence will be removed.
The spokesperson said as a general matter, signs and installations are not permitted at city parks without the prior approval of the city, and that city parks are designed primarily for recreational purposes rather than memorial displays.
However, the city stated that given the strong community response to the search for Codi, they allowed the memorial to remain.
"Now that an arrest has been made and the case is in court, the City decided it is appropriate [to] enforce the rules and remove the objects," the spokesperson told News 3.
A notice was posted at the fence on Jan. 2, just a couple weeks shy from the two-year anniversary of Codi's disappearance, that the items will be removed by Feb. 5.
The city says that it will give people time to remove any items they may want to keep.
Cory Bigsby's murder trial is due back in court beginning on March 4.
Stay with News 3 for updates.
