Cory Bigsby found guilty in murder of son, Codi

HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — After about two hours of deliberation, jurors found Cory Bigsby, the man accused of killing his 3-year-old son, Codi, guilty Tuesday of second-degree murder and hiding the body of his son, whose body has never been recovered.

The jury reached its verdict around 1:45 p.m. and 10 On Your Side’s Chris Horne was in the courtroom. He said Cory was “as stoic as he was throughout the entire seven days” when the decision was reached.

Inside the courtroom, there was no visible reaction as the verdict was read, but as people streamed out of the courthouse, there were smiles on the faces of some, and also a sense of relief, with some saying there’s finally some accountability for what happened to Codi.

“I cried. I am ecstatic. I am so happy,” Amanda Randall, Team Codi and co-founder of 6 Women N A Notebook, said.

One woman told 10 On Your Side’s Lauryn Moss that her prayer was answered with the guilty verdict.

“We did it. Oh my god, we got justice for Codi. He answered our prayers. He answered our prayers,” Nancy Strickland, We Are Codi’s Voice, said.

Cory Bigsby’s family showed some frustration with the verdict, as his sister defended her testimony.

Outside the courthouse, advocates for Codi were heard chanting “Justice for Codi” as Cory’s sister, Tandeleyia Butler, walked away. Butler could be heard saying, “I never lied from the beginning, and I don’t lie now,” while leaving the courthouse.

Curtis Brown, Cory Bigsby’s attorney, was asked if the defense will attempt to appeal the decision.

“You all presented the case the way that you all wanted, as if he was already guilty,” Brown said.

When asked if he thought Codi was still alive, Brown said that “I don’t want to say something that I’ll regret.”

Hampton Commonwealth’s Attorney Anton Bell said in a press conference Tuesday afternoon that it was a a long road that led to resolution in the case, but it’s not closure because “we may never know where Codi is.”

The Hampton Police Division said, however, that they continue to be committed in their efforts to find Codi.

Bell was asked about Brown’s repetitive, combative style in the courtroom. Bell conceded that Brown was zealous in the courtroom, but “would I have done those things? Absolutely no. I will not fall from dignity in order to lower myself to those standards. So that’s his choice.”

Bigsby and his team of three attorneys chose not to have him testify. Bell said he was prepared had Bigsby taken the stand.

“I was going to have no mercy with him,” Bell said, referring to Bigsby’s confession, in which he described beating Codi to death on the kitchen floor of their home on Ranalet Drive in June 2021. “If he took that stand, you would’ve seen another beat down in the courtroom. It would’ve been a legal beat down. It would’ve been no mercy.”

The defense was unable to provide any proof that Codi was alive after that timeframe, which Bell said was “extremely important because it helped with the timeline, to establish it, to prove it. Also the fact that photos of other children were located in his [phones and tablets], but none of Codi.”

It will not be until June 18 until Cory Bigsby’s sentencing, which turns out to be the third anniversary of Codi’s death.

Bigsby faces from five to 40 years for the second-degree murder conviction, up to five for concealing his son’s body. Bell says he will recommend the max, 45 years total, and would not give Bigsby any consideration for lighter sentencing even if he would finally reveal what happened with Codi’s body.

Closing Arguments

Jury instruction started at 9 a.m., followed by closing arguments. Deliberation started at 11:25 a.m. Fourteen jurors were presented the evidence, but only 12 — eight women and four men — deliberated.

During closing arguments, Bell asked the jurors to think about a protective and nurturing parent, saying, “this case is not about that. It’s about a predator.”

Bell went on to tell the jurors to use their common sense.

“He beat that child with his fists and dumped the child like he was trash,” Bell said. “You have the ability to bring to Codi what no one else can bring, and that’s accountability.”

Defense Attorney Curtis Brown took longer on closing arguments and was seen flipping through large white pages on a stand to support his case.

“Reasonable doubt means not guilty,” Brown repeatedly said to the jury.

Brown said to the jurors he believed there was a lack of forensics, DNA or fingerprints to prove Cory killed his son and hid his body, saying “not one soul saw my client do anything.”

Brown concluded his argument saying, “This is not a case about sympathy, but what the facts say. You got no body; you got no death.”

Bell was able to offer a rebuttal against this statement, saying “Codi’s eyes were open when his brother found him, so the last image he saw was his dad beating him.”

Testimony wrapped up Monday afternoon after more than a week of jurors hearing from family members and those involved in the investigation.

The defense called several people to the stand Monday, including Cory’s sister, Tandeleyia Butler, and a man who claimed to see Codi just two days before Cory reported him missing in January 2022.

10 On Your Side’s KaMaria Braye spoke with Nancy Strickland, a member of “We are Codi’s Voice” ahead of the anticipated last moments of the trial.

“I believe the verdict will come down today,” Strickland said. “I think it’s going to take no more than an hour. The only thing we can do right now is to leave it in God’s hands, in the jurors’ hands, to come out with the right verdict.”

Note: In previous coverage, WAVY.com has referred to Codi Bigsby as a 4-year-old boy. However, we are now saying from this point forward that Codi was 3 years old. That is the age that corresponds to the date that he was killed, as Cory Bigsby has now been convicted of second-degree murder in the death of his son.