HAMPTON, Va. — Over two weeks after four-year-old Cody Bigsby was reported missing, Hampton Police Chief Mark Talbot is encouraging community volunteers to keep searching.
People in the community are volunteering their time to keep looking for any clues that could lead to the little boy.
“I just feel I need to be out here searching for someone in my hometown,” said volunteer Jordan Walker. “It hits close because I live not 10 to 15 minutes from here.”
Talbot wants volunteers to know he’s grateful for every bit of help they get.
“I believe the number of people who have decided on their own to traipse about in the woods and dig through marshes and all of these other things,” said Talbot. “God bless them. Keep going.”
Police transitioned from a massive grid search to an investigative phase, but the goal to find Codi hasn't changed.
“We are continuing to look at all of the evidence,” Talbot said. “We are searching different areas of the city. We are exploring the forensic evidence even further. We are continuing to take this investigation wherever the facts are going to take us.”
Talbot said the evidence will guide police searches from here on out.
“We could certainly come across evidence or some facts,” Talbot said. “Or one of the members of the public who is out and about, like just occurred over the weekend, could say something or do something that causes us to go back to where we have already been or search new ground.”
Investigators said all boots on the ground are helpful, but they ask anyone who’s searching to follow a few guidelines.
Get permission before searching anyone’s property. If you find something that you think is evidence, do not touch it before police can collect it.
Over the weekend, police collected a small jacket by the Buckroe Pointe Apartment Complex. Police said that is still under investigation.
Behind the scenes, Mayor Donnie Tuck said the city is providing whatever resources the police division needs to keep moving forward. He said he believes in what the chief is doing and that the city will continue to follow his guidance.
Tuck said he is concerned that police haven’t gotten any hints to help pinpoint a concrete area to search for Codi. But, he is thankful for the community’s tireless search efforts.
“I think that as long as people believe there is that possibility they will continue,” Tuck said. “I see the monument that is building, and again I think that is because people are extremely hopeful.”
If community members come across any evidence they think is important to the investigation, Hampton police ask them to call the non-emergency line at 757-727-6111.