HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — It’s now been more than a month since four-year-old Codi Bigsby was reported missing from his Hampton home and members of the community want to make sure his name isn’t reduced to an afterthought in people’s busy lives.
Saturday evening, a small group gathered at the Hampton Soccer Fields in an effort to “light the way home” for the toddler. The fields are next to the Buckroe Pointe Apartments where Bigsby was last reported to have lived. A tribute has grown along a chain-linked fence, complete with dozens of stuffed animals, balloons and a giant poster.
It’s the location where Shana Clark of Newport News decided to invite people to gather to light a candle.
“Lighting the way home for Codi. We haven’t given up on him,” Clark said.
Codi was reported missing by his father, Cory Bigsby, in the morning on Jan. 31. However Hampton Police have since asked for anyone who had seen Codi in the past three months, which goes back to mid-November, to come forward.
Cory Bigsby, 43, is the only person of interest in Codi’s disappearance according to police. While he faces no charges in relation to his disappearance, Cory Bigsby is currently being held in jail on seven counts of felony child neglect for allegedly leaving his children at home alone multiple times as he ran errands.
Police have said a five-year-old and two-year-old twins lived in the home along with Codi.
No update on the investigation has come from police in several weeks however Chief Mark Talbot in a recent town hall doubled down on his detectives efforts.
“I’ve never put more resources into a case than I’ve put into this one in my career. This child deserves it,” Talbot said last Friday. “I could give you more direction if the people who said they love Codi Bigsby gave us more direction.”
Clark said she feels the chief’s frustrations herself. She has a 10-year-old daughter and is confused by the lack of information.
“It’s almost as this kid didn’t exist. There is no school, there is no medical, there is no friends, there is no neighbors, people who live right next door can’t tell you the last time they saw this child?” Clark said. “We’re not going to always know, everything they are doing. You have to trust and have to work together. The community has to work together.”
Clark said what is important to her is that people don’t forget about Bigsby.
“Again, if he is missing, if he is missing, you know if he’s not deceased, then he is out there and people should know,” Bigsby said.