HAMPTON, Va. — Many volunteers are not giving up on finding answers about missing four-year-old Codi Bigsby. Nearly three weeks have passed since his father reported him missing from Hampton.
A small non-profit organization called W.A.T.E.R. Team Inc. has covered a lot of ground in the search for Codi.
On Friday, the organization's founder Joe Slabinski hit Williamsburg, York County and Hampton.
But as time goes on, he said the search is getting more challenging and the possibilities are expanding.
“The process needs to slow down even much much more,” said Slabinski.
It’s an important tactic for W.A.T.E.R. Team Inc., now three weeks into the search for Codi.
“Biggest challenges right now, yesterday we learned the timeline may have changed all the way back to early November,” Slabinski said.
The Hampton Police Division released an updated flyer asking the public if they’ve seen Codi in the last three months. A previous flyer asked if anyone had seen him since Christmas.
Slabinski said if Codi possibly disappeared in November, that complicates the chances of finding him.
“So now you have to look at the fact that if Codi was placed in the environment, half of this canopy if not most of this canopy was still in the trees,” Slabinski said. “Those leaves didn’t start coming down until mid-November through December.”
Slabinski said he is training his team to look longer and harder as they pass through woods, drainage ditches and more.
“If he was placed out here, he has been covered up by matter that was above him,” Slabinski said.
On Friday, Slabinski followed up on tips in Williamsburg, York County and Hampton, but didn't find signs of Codi.
“I investigated two sites up there,” Slabinski said. “There were remains but they were of animals, one deer and possum.”
The Hampton Police Division confirmed that bones they found over the weekend are animal remains. Slabinski said he turned in a bone to police this week, but they said it came from a dog.
However, he encourages people to keep reporting anything they think is suspicious.
“I am sure the cops are inundated right now with everything that is coming in but in my opinion, it is better to know than not know,” Slabinski said. “You overlook something and it may have been the piece that you needed to put this puzzle together.”
In about three weeks, Slabinski said foliage will start to grow more. He said his team will never stop looking but they might not have time every single day to search for Codi.
W.A.T.E.R. Team Inc. needs volunteers to join the mission. During the search for Codi they are also chasing other missing person reports around Hampton Roads.