Authorities in Hampton, Virginia are still searching for Codi Bigsby, the four-year-old boy whose father reported him missing more than three weeks ago, according to local police.
The Hampton Police Department told theGrio on Tuesday they don’t have any updates on Bigsby’s whereabouts. He was last seen in the home of his father, Cory Bigsby, at 2 a.m. on Jan. 31, according to a police department press release.
Cory Bigsby has since been arrested and charged with seven counts of felony child neglect, police said, after allegedly confessing to leaving his four children, including Bigsby, alone for three hours, according to WTKR.
Bigsby’s siblings are all safe, according to Hampton Police spokesman Reggie Williams. Volunteers have helped local police and the FBI search more than 900 acres of remote marsh, waterways and woodlands looking for the child since he was reported missing, authorities said.
“Each day it becomes harder to believe Codi Bigsby is alive and well,” said Hampton Police Chief Mark Talbot said during a Feb. 9 news conference, according to WTKR.
Investigators recently looked into rumors spread on social media about the alleged location of human remains. Police also received two calls earlier this month about bones being found.
“In both of those cases the bones were determined not to be human, and unrelated to this case,” Hampton Police said in a Feb. 15 press release update. “Additionally, a jacket was located by a citizen in the 100 block of Ranalet Drive. At this time, detectives are still working to determine if the jacket has any relation to the case or is of evidentiary value.”
Police said Bigsby is three feet tall and was last seen wearing all black clothing and Spider-Man flip-flops.
Police have faced criticism for not issuing an Amber alert for Bigsby, due in part to not believing the child was abducted, according to WTKR. Some have called for a new alert system to be created and named the Codi Alert in Bigsby’s honor, according to the news station.
Anyone with information about the four-year-old boy’s location should call the local Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP (1-888-562-5887).
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