HAMPTON, Va. — Cory Bigsby appeared in Hampton Circuit Court on Wednesday to discuss his ability to stand trial and to be arraigned on new murder charges related to his missing son, Codi Bigsby.
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Bigsby was recently charged with his son's death, nearly a year and a half after he disappeared, and still faces over 30 child abuse and neglect charges that are unrelated to Codi's disappearance.
Wednesday morning was Bigbsy's first court appearance since he was sent to Eastern State Hospital for mental health treatment. During court, it was decided that another competency hearing will take place after his attorneys challenged a mental evaluation that shows he is competent to stand trial.
Following the hearing for Bigsby's over 30 child neglect and abuse charges, the Hampton father was arraigned on two charges related to Codi's alleged death.
Cory Bigsby was recently indicted for the murder of his son Codi. He faces one count of murder and another for concealment of a dead body. The indictment claims that Cory Bigsby murdered his son in June of 2021, about seven months before Codi was reported missing.
However, Bigsby’s attorney Amina Matheny-Willard and the Bigsby family believe Codi is still alive. Some family members believe the now 5-year-old is being trafficked.
"Codi is alive," said Tandaleyia Butler, Cory's sister. "I'm going to continue to believe that until otherwise is shown to me."
The family added that they had seen Codi within that seven-month time frame between June and January, specifically once in September.
"He's been at my house during that time," said Butler.
Butler and fellow family members also claimed to have seen photographs of Codi from that time period, but said they could not share the photos with us.
"I'm not able to share them with anyone," said Glenn Hinnant, Cory's uncle.
Additionally, Matheny-Willard and the Bigsby family believe that the new murder charges stem from a letter Bigsby allegedly wrote inside the Hampton Roads Regional Jail in August.
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While they wouldn't share the contents of the letter, they do believe he was coerced by officers to write it.
"They did what they could to coerce a statement from him," said Matheny-Willard.
They also believe Bigsby has been mistreated inside of the jail, leading to his mental incompetency. Matheny-Willard says they plan to file a federal lawsuit.
"His current condition is a result of what they did to him in that jail," she added.
Hampton Roads Regional Jail's response on the allegations are as follows:
“The Hampton Roads Regional Jail is the element of the Criminal Justice System responsible for the detention, care, and custody of persons committed by the judicial arm of the law. We do not engage in the criminal investigation of crimes or suspected crimes of those committed to our care. Under no circumstances do we coerce, invite, ask, or suggest that persons committed to our care volunteer any information concerning their legal proceedings. However, should a person committed to our care voluntarily provide information concerning their case, or any legitimate criminal case, we, as law enforcement officers, are obligated to report the same to the Commonwealth’s Attorney for further investigation. At no time was Mr. Bigsby, mistreated or coerced into making any statement concerning his missing child while in our custody.”
Bigsby will appear back in court on Wednesday, June 21 for a bond hearing regarding his new murder charges. A date has not yet been set for the mental competency hearing.
Commonwealth's Attorney Anton Bell asked that the courts try the murder case before the child neglect case. If Bigsby is determined to be mentally competent, he will potentially undergo a murder trial in late September or early October.
