The Misery Machine - The Case of Codi Bigsby

Starting point is 00:00:00 Cody Josiah Bigsby was born on January 12th, 2018, to parents Dina Abdul-Kareem and Corey Jamar Bigsby of Hampton, Virginia. The couple already had another son and went on to have a total of four children in a span of three years, including a set of twin boys born after Cody. Cody was a cute little boy with curly black hair and sweet brown eyes. He had big dimples when he smiled and he liked Spider-Man. Cody's parents never married and the relationship ended in 20-19. A year later, Dina was going through some major health issues, so it was decided that Corey would take custody of their children.

Starting point is 00:00:38 According to Dina, Corey initially did not want to take Cody, calling him a mama's boy. Still, the couple agreed to meet for a handoff halfway between Corey's residence in Hampton and Washington, D.C., where Dina was now living. On November 1st, 2020, Dina gave the children to Corey, and that was the last time she saw any of her children for the next couple of years. She said that Corey refused to tell her his home address in Hampton so that she could visit our kids. On Monday, January 31st, 2022, Corey called the police at 9 a.m. to report that four-year-old Cody was missing. Two Hampton officers responded to Corey's address to Buckrow Point townhomes on Ranlet Drive. They spoke with Corey around 915, and he told them that he had awoken that morning to find Cody gone. The last time he had seen his son was around 2 a.m. when he had put the little boy to bed.

Starting point is 00:01:27 He said he searched the home first and then called 911 afterwards. Police immediately issued a press release asking the public to help in locating the little boy. He was described as being about three feet tall and was believed to be wearing a black bomber jacket, black sweatpants, and Spider-Man flip-lops. The FBI soon became involved in the investigation and 50 volunteers were enlisted to help the search for Little Cody. One volunteer said that she signed up because when she heard about the missing child, it reminded her of Noah Tomlin, another little boy who would gone missing in Hampton three years prior. Sadly, Noah was not found alive, though volunteers hope for a better outcome for Cody. We recently covered the story of Noah Tomlin, which you can find linked in the description box below. On Tuesday, February 1st, it was reported that Cody's

Starting point is 00:02:14 parents were considered persons of interest. Hampton Police Chief Mark Talbot said that evidence hadn't matched statements that they had received from Cody's father, Corey, about when Cody had been last seen, although he declined to say what specific evidence they had found. He said that investigators were containing their search the area around where the boy had gone missing, and that they believed he was still somewhere within the metropolitan Hampton area. Chief Talbot also confirmed that teams were searching the water in the area, but he did not say where. As the search continued into the second cold night, the Hampton police confirmed that they were searching the Hampton NASA steam plan as an element of comprehensive search Tuesday afternoon and evening.

Starting point is 00:02:54 The steam plant was a facility near Wythe Creek that incinerates, waste to produce energy, and it's the same facility where two-year-old Noah Tomlin's body was eventually found in 2019. Now, when we covered that story, we noted then that the Hampton police knew to automatically begin searching landfills nearby when children go missing. Apparently, that grim assumption was still in place when Cody was reported missing. The police also used social media to try to gain clues. Hampton Police tweeted a series of questions, including, Do you know Cody, his father, Corey, or his siblings? And have you seen Cody, his father, Corey, or his siblings since Christmas?

Starting point is 00:03:33 And do you live in Buckrow Point apartments and have a ring doorbell or other surveillance cameras? Anyone who responded yes to these questions was asked to contact the FBI. During a press conference, Chief Talbot said that although Cody's father and mother were both considered persons of interest, there was still no information that made police believe Cody Bigsby was abducted. If there was evidence that the little boy had been taken by someone, that would trigger an amber alert. However, he also didn't think that Cody had simply just wandered off on his own. When asked if he thought that Cody was still alive, Chief Talbot said, we will work as if he's out there waiting for us to find him. The police confirmed that Cody's father was being cooperative

Starting point is 00:04:15 and still talking to investigators. A news station spoke to his sister, Tandalea Butler. When asked about Corey's statements not adding up, she said, I know my brother loving him. his children. When it came to him chastising his children, he was a cream puff. The most he would do is raise his voice. He didn't put his hands on his children. She was adamant that there was no way that her brother would harm his children. She said, not a chance. I don't believe it for a second. They are going to have to prove it because I know my brother. I know my brother and I know it's not true. It is not true. On Wednesday, police held another press conference during which they confirmed that Cody's father had been at the police department willingly,

Starting point is 00:04:55 Monday and that he was a person of interest. At the time, the police declined to comment on whether there was a history of neglect in Cody's family. Cody's other siblings had been removed from the home and were safe. Meanwhile, WAVY TV10 News had uncovered police reports from 2018 when Cody's mother had made an assault allegation against Cody's father. In the report, Deena told police that during a fight, Corey had threatened to kill her. When she defended herself by grabbing a knife, Corey bit and choked her. The charge was ultimately gnaw-prost, meaning it would not proceed in court unless further evidence comes to light. An official source told the news that the reason for doing so is because the victim, Cody's mom, refused to cooperate or appear in court multiple times. On February

Starting point is 00:05:39 3rd, it was announced that Cody's father, Corey, had been officially taken into custody on seven counts of child neglect. The charges were related to incidents going as far back as December, but whether or not these charges were related to Cody's disappearance was not confirmed. According to the arrest report, Corey confessed to leaving the children alone for over three hours on December 13, 2021 so he could go buy a vehicle in Norfolk. The three youngest children were left home alone during this transaction. The children were left without a means or ability to communicate with emergency services. There was no indication that a babysitter was watching the children, all of whom were under the age of six. Roy also told the detective that the children were too much of a burden to take out with him when he leaves his home.

Starting point is 00:06:21 Similar incident happened on January 25th when he left. left the children alone for two hours while he visited several locations, as this was just a few days before Cody was reported missing. Corey's attorney, Jeff Ambrose, made sure to stress that these charges were not connected to the disappearance of four-year-old Cody. Attorney Ambrose also said that Corey has not been at the police department for the past four days voluntarily, and that he had been denied an attorney when he first asked for one on Monday. Chief Talbot was asked about this at a press conference and responded that Corey was a capable man who had every opportunity to asked for an attorney. He did not make such a request. If he did make that request, we would have honored it.

Starting point is 00:06:59 He went on to say, Mr. Bigsby is a 43-year-old man who's had a full career in the army. He seems to be quite intelligent. He seems to be quite capable. And part of that capability seems to be understanding his rights. At no time did he request to see an attorney. Had he made such a request, we would have honored that request. Chief Talbot did say that Corey's arrest would allow the investigation to get more intense and that the FBI provided his team with an extensive amount of forensic data. He stressed that Corey's arrest was not the conclusion in the search for Cody. However, he also said, each day, it becomes harder and harder to believe that Cody Bigsby is alive and well. On February 5th, nearly a week after Cody went missing, volunteers gathered again to continue

Starting point is 00:07:41 the search. On that cold Saturday morning, community members searched a wooded area near Cody's home. They hike through thorns and mud, some armed with machetes to help cut through the a dense brush. A couple of people used drones while others searched bodies of water in an abandoned storage unit. The volunteers also planned to search again the following morning, ahead of a candlelit vigil planned for that Sunday night. However, their searches proved to be in vain. At the vigil, dozens of people met at the soccer fields near where Cody lived. They lit candles, held balloons, sang, and prayed for Cody's safe return. On February 8th, Corey was denied by a decision that his attorney planned to appeal. Meanwhile, a huge sign was placed near the apartment

Starting point is 00:08:28 complex where Cody lived, placed there by a neighbor. In large colorful letters, it read, Cody come home. The neighbor who placed the sign said it's hard to explain to our own children what happened to Cody, so she hoped that the sign would bring a positive light to all the children who live here. On February 12th, a boy's blue jacket was found in a field behind the apartment where Cody lived. Police, along with a forensics unit, responded to the location and retrieved the jacket. Tire tracks were also found in the field next to where the jacket was found. Although the outcome for Cody did not seem hopeful, the community continued to show support and love for the missing little boy. A sparkly box decorated for Valentine's Day was placed

Starting point is 00:09:07 along a fence at a nearby soccer field and well-wishers were encouraged to leave a Valentine's card for Cody. By Valentine's Day, the fence was lined with balloons, flowers, and other remembrances for Cody. A Facebook group dedicated to Cody gained tens of thousands of members, people from all over the world who are eager to find out any news about Cody's disappearance. Cody's mother, Dina, released a statement to the news, which read, at this present time, I do not wish to take part in any telephone, television, or social media interviews. My reluctance is based on the upcoming trial and the questions asked are questions that will be addressed in court. In addition, I've been advised by legal counsel not to address

Starting point is 00:09:44 the public. However, I would like to speak to the support of the community. I sincerely appreciate all the volunteers, rescue workers, police, FBI, news reporters, the community at large, family, friends, and everyone who's showing love and support for Cody. It truly warms my heart. I am praying for the safe return of my baby boy Cody. I hope the public and the community understand and respect my position during this tragic time. A non-profit search and rescue volunteer team called Water Team Inc. searched the area where Corey used to live in Norfolk, Virginia. The volunteer team had received calls from neighbors living there, pointing them to the area. Members scoured the area, but again, there were no new clues found to indicate what happened to Little Cody. Later in February,

Starting point is 00:10:31 Hampton Police Chief Talbot held a press conference where he admitted that detectives who initially interviewed Corey had mishandled the investigation. This admission came just days after Chief Talbot had insisted that Corey had not asked for an attorney. As it turns out, Corey had come to the police station after initially reporting his son missing, and at 10 p.m. that night, investigators gave him a lie detector test that went on for hours. Around 4 a.m., Corey and a police detective got into a shouting match over one of the results, and during that exchange, Corey indicated twice that he wanted legal counsel. However, the interview continued, and Corey ultimately stayed at the police station for another two and a half days without an attorney. Once Chief Talbot was made aware of the issues with the

Starting point is 00:11:16 interview, he immediately launched a full audit of nearly 100 hours of recorded interactions between police and Corey. That audit showed that investigators had read Corey the Miranda warning at least twice, first when he was initially questioned and again before a federal agency administered the polygraph test. He waived those rights until he requested an attorney for the first time around 4.13 a.m. on February 1st. Talbot said that his assessment was that Corey's desire for legal counsel should have been honored, and they weren't. However, the police declined to say specifically how Corey made his request or which exact words were used. Eventually, the lead detective was placed on administrative leave, but police have said that there were no issues with statements

Starting point is 00:11:56 that Corey made before he asked for a lawyer. Chief Talbot did not think the current charges against Corey would be affected by this error. In July, it was announced that Corey had been in on 30 counts by a grand jury. These charges included 15 charges of child neglect for leaving his children home alone. There were also four more charges of alleged CA and two additional child neglect charges in connection to those CA charges. Two misdemeanor charges were also added for failure to secure a medical attention for an injured child. Court documents from Hampton Circuit Court showed that Corey had left one or more of his young children home alone on seven different occasions. They also stated that the children were left alone long enough for it to be considered

Starting point is 00:12:40 a reckless disregard for human life. The documents also showed that he neglected to care for at least one of his four children on December 13th through the 15th, again on December 28th on January 11th and 25th, then once more on February 1st, the day after Cody was reported missing. The court also alleged that Corey committed an act against a child that was so gross, wanted, and culpable as to so a reckless disregard for human life. Charges from February 1st also included two misdemeanor charges for failure to secure medical attention for an injured or battered child. Corey had been denied Bond for the fifth time,

Starting point is 00:13:20 and his case was going to go to trial. With the new charges, he could face up to 162 years in prison. However, as before, none of these charges were directly related to the disappearance of his son Cody. In July, Cody's extended family spoke publicly for the first time, both to offer a $25,000 reward for information about Cody's whereabouts and to defend Cody's father, Corey. His uncle said the police department holding Corey during the initial interview was like kidnapping, and that the department stacked up charges to cover up for their wrongdoing.

Starting point is 00:13:54 He said, I thought it was innocent until proven guilty. But if you look at Corey's case, Corey is guilty according to Hampton, Virginia, until he proves himself innocent. I thought the law worked the other way. Corey's aunt said that her nephew had never been in any trouble saying he's a provider, he's a good dad, he's not this villain that you think. She went on to echo the sentiments of other family members, that they have no idea where Cody is, but that he isn't dead.

Starting point is 00:14:20 She said, as I prayed and asked the Lord, he told me Cody was alive. Corey's sister said that she waited outside the police department while Corey was being interviewed, and that she was told he was free to leave anytime he wanted to. She disagreed with that last statement saying, there's no way he's free to leave and doesn't want to leave. Even if he wants to help you find his son, he would want to do it from home around people that love him. She also claimed that the department denied Corey's right to counsel,

Starting point is 00:14:48 held him for four days without food or water, and attempted to get a false confession. She said, when you go to report your child missing, it's unfortunate that you have to be concerned that you're going to be prosecuted, especially as a blackmail in this country. She also said that Corey's other children were currently in the foster care system and that the family has been unable to make contact with them. She said the family members are being vetted and that the process could take months.

Starting point is 00:15:11 She said, I just believe that the Hampton Police Department is trying to cover up for them not doing their part. Corey's child neglect trial was supposed to be held in November, but it was delayed in his attorneys asked for a mental health evaluation. In January of 2023, a year after Code 10th, went missing, there were still no answers. The chain link fence with his makeshift memorial still held cardboard signs and stuffed animals. Evidence that the community had not forgotten this little boy. Hampton Police Chief Mark Talbot says he's dealt with hundreds of missing people throughout his career and that this one sticks with him. Speaking about Little Cody, Chief Talbot said,

Starting point is 00:15:51 we became intimately familiar with how he lived his life. We become intimately familiar with the trauma he experienced while he was living, the kind of deprivation he experienced in his short life. You learn those things through the course of the investigation process. It's deeply traumatic. Although the community remained hopeful, Chief Talbot was more realistic, explaining, through the investigative process, we've encountered a number of things that make us think at this point, very unlikely that Cody Bigsby is alive. But also, being alive leaves traces on the world. He isn't available. We can't see him. We have to be. We have. haven't heard from him. There's no evidence anyone has spoken to him on the phone or has seen him on

Starting point is 00:16:32 video. I haven't seen a photo of him. If he were alive, I think we would know it. If there's no evidence of a human being, especially under these circumstances if he can't care for himself, he would have to be in the care of somebody else. There's no evidence of that. There never was from the very start. Still, Chief Talbot said that they were not giving up. It gets a briefing every week about the investigation and has since the start of the case. He said, We're always doing something. We've done a lot we can't talk about, and we believe ultimately the work that we have done

Starting point is 00:17:03 and will continue to do is a leading somewhere very important. Despite the grim unlikelyhood of finding Cody alive, volunteers continued to search the area with the same determination that they had a year before. Of the searchers, Chief Talbot said, I know that we searched every location that we thought reasonably could be the spot of some evidence of something we could use to find out what happened

Starting point is 00:17:24 or evidence of Cody or his remains. We searched all those areas. I don't think they are wasting their time. I also do not think it's likely they will find anything useful. Based on a statement Corey made while locked up at the Hampton Roads Regional Jail, we searched an outdoor area in Maryland near Washington several months prior, but that didn't turn up any leads about Cody's whereabouts either. Investigators also said that the search has been hampered by the fact that Corey didn't have

Starting point is 00:17:51 a traditional cellular phone plan that allowed them to gain access to his movements in the days leading up to Cody's disappearance. Instead, he used phones that would only occasionally be hooked up to the free wireless services. An aunt told investigators she talked to Cody by phone about 13 months before he went missing on either Christmas or Thanksgiving in 2020. As far as investigators can tell, that's the last time anyone besides his father talked to Cody.

Starting point is 00:18:16 Abbers have said Cody and his three brothers hardly left the house. Children weren't going to school and didn't have any babysitters. March of 2023, Corey was transferred to Eastern State. hospital for restorative services and a mental health treatment following a psychiatric evaluation by a court-appointed doctor. This order came after three different doctors evaluated Corey and gave differing opinions on his competency to stand trial. After the hearing about this move, Corey's family and attorney said that they believed his decline in competency was due to his incarceration, the jail conditions, and the stress of his child being missing. Corey's family said

Starting point is 00:18:50 that they believe Cody is still alive but believe he had been trafficked. They said Hampton Police had not done enough to locate the missing boy. Bory's sister said, I believe in my heart. I know Cody is alive, but I believe he's being trafficked somewhere. I believe that my nephew is alive and one day he'll be returned. Licensed clinical psychologist William McKenna evaluated Corey on May 30th and determined that he was competent to stand trial. Finally, in early June of 2023,

Starting point is 00:19:18 Corey Bigsby was indicted by a grand jury on charges of homicide and concealment of a dead body. According to the indictment, Corey was being charged for the death of his son, which happened on or about June 18, 2021, about seven months before Cody was reported missing. Details were not initially released about what evidence led the investigators to this particular time of death.

Starting point is 00:19:43 Corey's sister asserted that the timeline doesn't match up with the last time she saw Cody. She said that her brother Corey and his four children, including Cody, attended a gathering at her house in the D.C. area sometime in September or October of 2021. The gathering was to mark the day of her late mother's birthday and that the boys had been playing outside on the trampoline. She also claimed that another relative had been to Corey's house in December of 2021, that they had seen Cody very much alive at that time. Now it came as a surprise that on June 21st, Corey was granted bond and

Starting point is 00:20:19 release from jail. During the bond hearing, his defense argued that since no evidence, had yet been presented that there was a homicide and that there was no body that Corey was entitled to bond. On the other hand, Hampton Attorney Anton Bell told a judge that Corey Bigsby is a danger to the community with a history of going AWOL in the military. Attorney Bell said evidence shows Corey killed his son and that he believed Corey Bigsby will continue to hide the body if he's released. Ultimately, the judge granted Bond, the total for all charges coming to about $80,000. The judge released Corey on house arrest who was older daughter in Norfolk. There were several conditions under this release, including that he cannot have contact

Starting point is 00:20:59 with his other young children who live out of state. He also had a curfew and was not to leave the home unless it was for a doctor's appointment or court appearance. In early November of 2023, a hearing was held to determine whether to suppress key evidence during Corey's upcoming trial. The evidence? Confessional letters that Corey had allegedly written while in prison and given to a corrections officer. The first letter came on or around August 3, 2022, when Corey got a corrections officer's

Starting point is 00:21:26 attention in the early morning and asked him to write a confession letter. The officer became emotional when he read this letter aloud in court, which said, Found my son unresponsive, tried to give CPR, could not revive him, tried several times, I begged God to save him, I decided to walk outside and spoke with God. Back to the house, checked on my son to see if he was breathing, and tried a long time to realize he was not coming back. I put him in a trash bag and put him in my car, which sat for three days. The letter also stated that he then drove his son's body to Garry A. Morgan Boulevard, a road in Maryland. The officer wrote down this confession. Had Corey sign it, then went to get a supervisor.

Starting point is 00:22:07 The nighttime supervisor said that the officer was distraught and crying when he brought her the confession. She then went to Corey's cell herself, turned on her body camera, and asked Corey to write his confession down himself. In this letter, Corey wrote, I, Corey J. Bigsby, Sr. am confessing that on January 30th, 2022, I stepped outside of my apartment to get some items out of my car to wash clothes, and when I returned, I found my son, Cody Josiah Bigsby, laying at the bottom of the steps unresponsive. He must have fallen. I then tried to revive him by administering CPR several times over and over until I couldn't anymore. Then I prayed. I stepped outside for a few minutes and talked to God as I prayed. Asked God to allow my son a second chance, and I administered

Starting point is 00:22:51 CPR again but got no response, so I panicked and prayed. After that, I placed him into a trash bag, and I placed him in the back of my truck. On the 21st of January around 3.30 a.m., I took him to Garrett A. Morgan Boulevard and placed him into a receptacle bend. After I realized it was a trash can, I took him out and put him into a hole I dug beside a tree inside the tree line. He has tape around his ankles and wrist, a cowboy rug under him, beats headphones in his ears. I then ate and placed his bike and some trash after I ate at the scene. Another jail officer testified Corey handed her a piece of paper on Christmas of 2022. He said Corey buried Cody after finding him unresponsive on January 31st, 2022. Another confession was found in a notebook in Corey's cell, saying he hit Cody on the head

Starting point is 00:23:41 on the floor on June 18th, 2021, hit him with fists, put him in the bathtub, then in a fridge before burying him. The defense argued in the hearing that Corey made these statements because of the way he was being treated at the jail and the police station. Cody's lead attorney, Amina Matheny Willard, argued that the statements should have been thrown out because Cody was suffering from trauma brought on by police interrogation that began the day he reported Cody missing. Ultimately, the judge determined that these written confessions were a misdemeanor. in court for Cody's trial, which was set to begin in early March of 2024. Sadly, in February of 2024, a notice was placed on Cody's memorial fence,

Starting point is 00:24:22 notifying people that the memorial was going to be removed. mourners had asked to keep the memorial up longer, and they were told that it would remain for the two-year anniversary of Cody's disappearance, would come down now that someone had been charged with his death. Well-wishers were advised to take down any items they wanted to keep, and the rest would be placed in storage until claimed. Neighbor Nancy Strickland, who had organized many of the memorials for Cody, said, It breaks my heart that we have to take it down. They can take the fence, but they can never take your memory from me.

Starting point is 00:24:57 I love you, Cody Bigsby. Corey's trial began on March 6, 2024. During the trial, Cody's mother, Dina, testified that the last time she saw her little boy alive was when she dropped him off with his father in November of 2020. At the time, Cody was just shy of three years old. Dina said she was hospitalized for part of 2020, so she and Cody's father, Corey, met her to 7-11 halfway between Hampton and Washington, D.C.,

Starting point is 00:25:21 for Dina to turn Cody and his brothers over to Corey. But after that, Corey would hardly ever let her speak with her sons. It made a co-parenting agreement in which she thought the children would spend time at both homes, but that never happened. She said that Corey never gave her his address, and that her phone calls, emails, and texts, which she typically sent several times a month, usually went unreturned. She said, for the most part, I was ghosted.

Starting point is 00:25:46 He testified that in early 2021, just a few months before Cody was allegedly killed, Corey sent her an email saying that three-year-old Cody was inappropriately touching his twin younger brothers, who at that point were a year and a half old. The email from Corey said, he's still doing the same stuff, that Cody needs to come back to you because I don't want to severely hurt him, adding that he needs to see a psychiatrist. Cody never did go back to live with his mother, but Corey sent her a picture of the boy a couple months later on June 14, 2021, the twins' birthday. Dina told the jurors that she was pretty much

Starting point is 00:26:19 only able to speak with them on their birthdays. A prosecutor showed Dina the picture of Cody taking about a week before he would have been killed. Dina grew emotional and said it didn't look like the boy she knew. She said he was a laughing, joking, loving child, no issues at all, only love. But in the picture, Dina said he looked sad and frightened. He also testified that on January 15th, 2022, the day after Cody's fourth birthday, she sent Corey an email that asked, Where are my kids, Corey? Are they alive? Two weeks later, when police called her to tell her that Cody was missing, she said she immediately got on the road and drove to Hampton. During a conversation with detectives and FBI agents investigating the case, she told them that Corey had previously threatened

Starting point is 00:27:01 to do violent harm to him. When asked why she didn't, do more to see her children during the 14 months after she turned the boys over. She said that she didn't want to drag them through her custody battle. She said that she tried continuously to talk to the boys and insisted several times that she was a good mother who loved her children. On the fourth day of the trial, Cody's brother, now seven years old, testified remotely through video. He wore a powder blue bow tie in matching suspenders. The boy testified that he found his brother unresponsive on a bed with his eyes open, saying, his face was red. It was dry and it was bruised. He said that he attempted to shake Cody awake before going downstairs and

Starting point is 00:27:40 asking his father what was wrong with Cody. Corey allegedly told him nothing was wrong. During the testimony, Cody's brother began to cry saying, I was thinking he was dead. He also testified that he believed he was four years old the last time he saw Cody alive, which would have been before December 24th, 2021. That would place Cody's death months before he was reported missing on January 31st, 2022. In the seven-year-old's conversation with a social services worker, he said he remembered seeing Cody wearing a Superman costume at Halloween, but was not absolutely certain which year he was referring to. The child was also shown pictures of himself in his father, Corey, at Bush Gardens. He said twice that those pictures were taken after the last time he saw his little brother,

Starting point is 00:28:27 A police detective said forensic data from Corey's phone shows those pictures were taken in July of 2021, a month after Corey allegedly killed Cody. The most damning evidence during the trial was, of course, the letters that Corey had written in jail. The correctional officers testified again about how Corey had first asked one of them to write down his confession, and then later he wrote a longer statement for the supervisor. Those first notes, which gave a location where Corey had allegedly left Cody's body, had prompted a team of police investigators and FBI agents to search a location in Maryland. Despite having cadaver dogs, the search turned up nothing.

Starting point is 00:29:05 Later on Christmas Day, another officer was passing Corey's cell when he passed her another handwritten note. This one said, and I quote, On 31st January 2021, I, Bigsby, Corey J attempted to perform CPR on Cody Josiah Bigsby, and it did not work, so I attempted to perform CPR again, and it did not work, so I took him to BLDG 5511 on Garrett A. Morgan Boulevard and buried him beside a tree behind the BLDG and I walked away. It should be noted that he wrote BLDG and that the court is not using this as an abbreviation. Then I drove home and prayed to Jesus to save Cody and I failed him so I am becoming tired of torture. So now I am confessing because my family and the police is conducting these crimes and I cannot take it anymore.

Starting point is 00:29:51 sincerely Corey Bigsby. The jail's medical staff determined that Corey should be placed on a safety watch and move to a new cell. During this move, the same officer found a black and white composition notebook, which contained a more detailed confession. Both pages of the handwritten confession had big black exes drawn across them, but were still clearly legible. The officer was asked to read aloud this letter in court. It said. 5th November 22. On June 18, 2021, I, Corey Bigsby, walked in the room and grabbed Cody and dragged him into the kitchen and thumped his head on the floor and beat him with my fist and he went into cardiac arrest and I tried to perform CPR.

Starting point is 00:30:32 Then he did not respond. Then I went upstairs with Cody and put him into the tub. Then I wet him up to see if he would respond. He did not, so I held him and prayed to God that he bring my baby back. Then I took him in the room and laid him in the bed. Then I went to the car and got a flashlight and charged it. I then went to the gas station and got gas. Then I went to the store and got snacks.

Starting point is 00:30:54 Then I went to the restroom and pooped and wiped it off. Cody and I went to the empty car wash and put Cody in a bag. Then I drove back home and put Cody in the fridge. Then I put Cody in the car again and drove him to building 5511 and dug a hole by the tree and buried him. Then went home and prayed for forgiveness. Then went to King's Dominion the next day. and I went to the hospital, and I dumped my clothes from the crime and the trash and burned them. Then the next day, I went back to burn Cody and cover up scars from the beatings.

Starting point is 00:31:26 Then I went home and took a bath with DJ. Please accept my confessions. Sincerely, Corey Bigsby. Corey Bigsby. Week two of the murder trial began with the prosecution playing the 911 call that Corey placed to report his son missing. In the call, Corey said, I think my son is missing. We are moving today. I looked upstairs in his room.

Starting point is 00:31:45 I looked everywhere. Last night, he asked to go outside. Sometimes he creeps outside at night. During the initial call, Corey did not know how tall his son was. And when asked what his child was wearing, he said his Spider-Man flip-flops were also missing, so he must be wearing them. The defense called several people to the stand, including Corey's sister and a man who claimed to see Cody just two days before Corey reported him missing in January of 2022. During closing arguments, prosecuting attorney Anton Bell said to the jury, he beat that child with his fist and dumped the child like he was trash. You have the ability to bring to Cody what no one else can bring, and that's accountability.

Starting point is 00:32:20 Defense attorney Curtis Brown said to the jurors that he believed there was a lack of forensics, DNA, or fingerprints to prove Corey killed his son and hit his body, saying, not one soul saw my client do anything. Prosecutor Bell was able to counter this by saying Cody's eyes were open when his brother found him, so the last image he saw was his dad beating him. The trial wrapped up on March 12, 2024. The jurors took over two hours to reach a verdict. Corey was found guilty on both counts, second-degree homicide and concealing a body. Ampton Police Chief Jimmy Wideman, who took over when Chief Mark Talbot left the position for another job in 2023, said that even with the guilty verdict, the search for Cody's body

Starting point is 00:32:58 will continue. He said, our work isn't done. We still have to look for and recover Cody. Our efforts won't cease until that is accomplished. After the trial, Corey was interviewed at the Western Tidewater Regional Jail in Suffolk, where he maintained his innocence. He said, I don't know what happened. All I know is, of course, he had to wander away, but did someone take him? I wouldn't know.

Starting point is 00:33:19 He claimed that the written confessions were coerced out of him by jail guards who denied him showers, food, his commissary money, and internet time. Tonight, Biggsby maintains his innocence. Angelique Aeron Talk is in the studio after speaking with him exclusively at the Western Tidewater Regional Jail. Corey Bigsby and I spoke for around half an hour. He says he's choosing to interview now because of what he describes as an unfurbed. fair trial and following Bigsby's conviction yesterday, people in the community, especially those

Starting point is 00:33:49 who spent so much time searching for Cody, still have unanswered questions. Keep doing what you're doing. I appreciate what you doing. I need that because as soon as we find Cody, I guarantee we'll find out that this is. No, I don't know what Cody is. I never knew what Cody is. And that's unfair too. How are you going to say that I confess to something? If I confess to it, then I'm telling you, this is where my son is. You should have been able to go get them then and it should have been over. You should have been able to prove hard facts that I killed my son. Shortly after Corey Bigsby reported his four-year-old son, Cody, missing to Hampton Police in January of 2022. Detectives arrested him on separate child neglect charges. He stayed in Hampton Roads regional jail for months. Bigsby

Starting point is 00:34:37 alleges mistreatment from the correctional officers. They kept telling me, write a confession letter then. And I kept telling them, I'm not confessing to anything because there's nothing to confess to. So I said, okay, I'll write a letter because they were telling me what to write through the intercoms. They were telling me what to write down on the paper. And I was telling him I wasn't going to write it. It went from that to them telling me specifically to write certain things that I wrote in the one letter that was Xed out. In that Xed out letter, Bigsby wrote about beating Cody to death on June 18th, 2021. But Bigsby tells me he never hurt any of his children.

Starting point is 00:35:13 his sons testified against him during trial last week. The now seven-year-old said in court, Cody looked dead on the bed in an upstairs bedroom. And all of a sudden, my son come and say some stuff that was coerced, knowing my son never seen his brother land anywhere, lifeless, none of that. On June 18, 2024, the three-year anniversary of Cody's death, Corey was sentenced to 45 years in prison for the homicide of his son. As appalling as it is, 40 years is the maximum sentence that was allowed for second-degree homicide in Virginia, plus five years for concealing a body. He is still facing a possibility of 162 years for the other pending charges of child neglect. In the courtroom, Cody's mother, Dina, spoke about the impact her son's death has had on her

Starting point is 00:36:02 and her other children, she said, I have to live with the fact that I put my kids in the hands of a sociopath disguised as a father. She asked the judge for the maximum sentence, saying Corey doesn't deserve to see the light of day again. She said, I pray Cody haunts him for eternity. In January of 2024, two years after Cody was first reported missing, a bill was introduced in Virginia to enact a new alert for when a child goes missing. The intent was for this alert to fill the gaps

Starting point is 00:36:32 when a case doesn't meet the criteria for an Amber Alert. If you've watched this channel for a while, you probably know that the Amber Alert has strict criteria, including reasonable belief that the child has been abducted, is an imminent danger of bodily harm and that there's enough descriptive information about the victim and the abductor. Cody's case didn't meet these criteria, as there was no evidence that Cody had been abducted. A new proposed alert called the Cody Alert would broaden the parameters to include pretty much any case where a child is missing, abducted or not. The new alert, law enforcement could trigger the alert right away, popping up on phones within a 10-mile radius. They could also resend the alert every 10 minutes and widen the radius as needed.

Starting point is 00:37:11 The new bill was officially signed into law by the governor in May of 2024. Officials were given a deadline of summer 2025 to set up the new Cody alert. However, Virginia State Police were able to begin implementing the new alert months ahead of schedule in September of 2024. As of October 16th, three Virginia children had received Cody alerts and all three were found safe. During the Norfolk Police Department, the Cody Alert helped bring a 12-year-old girl home safe earlier this. October. Delegate A.C. Cordosa, who helped author the bill for the new Cody alert, said he helped search for the missing four-year-old boy who inspired the new alert. He said, I'm glad that we're remembering Cody every time we do one of his alerts. It means the world to me. We want

Starting point is 00:37:51 to say, I want everyone to remember what happened here in Hampton and the young man who is lost. What we're doing is making sure that doesn't happen again. We'll be awaiting the verdict for Corey's child neglect trial, which will hopefully end with more jail time than the meager 45 years that he was sentenced for Cody's death. He is currently being held at the Notaway Correctional Center in Berkville, Virginia. As of the time of this recording, Cody has not revealed the whereabouts of his son's body. It seems likely that Cody is buried in a shallow, unmarked grave, somewhere cold and alone. He has not had a proper burial, no headstone, and now there isn't even a chain link fence memorial to remember Cody. His memory will have to live on in the heart

Starting point is 00:38:36 of those who knew the little boy with his dimpled smile. We do know that at least his name will live on through the Cody Alert, which is already helping other missing children in just the first couple of months. Maybe his memory will be able to help save the life of some other missing childs, even when there was no one there to save him. If you want to know more about the case that rocked this same community just a couple years prior, please click here to listen to our coverage of Noah Tomlin.

The Misery Machine - The Case of Codi Bigsby

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