RICHMOND, Va. -- Cory Bigsby, the Hampton man who was convicted of killing his son, Codi, was sentenced to 45 years in prison on Tuesday.
A jury found Bigsby guilty in March of second-degree murder and concealment of a body in connection with Codi's death.
On Tuesday, Bigsby was sentenced to 40 years for the murder charge and five years for the concealment of a body.
For some, Tuesday's sentencing closes a chapter in the Bigsby story; however, his body has still not been found more than two years since his disappearance.
It was a rare case for prosecutors in which a person was accused of a murder without the body of the victim. Codi was first reported missing by his father in January 2022; however, police believe he was actually killed months earlier on June 18, 2021.
The case garnered widespread attention in the Hampton community and beyond, prompting citizens to organize search parties, and later, create a sprawling memorial in his honor.
Codi’s disappearance also marked the start of a lengthy investigation: shortly after Codi was reported missing, the FBI joined Hampton police in the search.
In March, Bigsby's legal team would not officially say whether they plan to appeal, but lawyers told News 3 at the time they are waiting until after the sentencing to appeal. They will have 30 days after the sentencing is issued to file an appeal.
“The court has to actually accept the case based on a legal error,” legal analyst Eric Claville said. “So it’s not guaranteed the court would accept it."
In the aftermath of the trial, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a bill creating the CODI alert in honor of the Hampton boy. The alert is similar to an Amber alert for a missing child, but excludes the criteria of abduction.
Bigsby is also still facing charges of child neglect that Hampton Commonwealth's Attorney Anton Bell has said he expects to bring to trial.
“We want full and complete accountability,” Bell said.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
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