HAMPTON, Va. — Witness testimony continued Thursday in Hampton Circuit Court, as the murder trial of Cory Bigsby entered its fourth day.
Jury selection was finalized Wednesday morning, and opening statements were made for the trial, which is planned through Friday. However, it could extend into early next week.
Witness testimony from the prosecution also began Wednesday, which continued Thursday.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Codi's mom testifies on 3rd day of Bigsby murder trial
Codi's brother, who 13News Now is only identifying as a 7-year-old boy and second-grade student, gave an emotional testimony of his last memories with Codi, as well as incidents involving his father, Cory Bigsby.
Bigsby is accused of murdering his 4-year-old son, Codi Bigsby, then concealing his body months before filing a missing person report to Hampton Police Division in early 2022. The boy’s body has never been found.
13News Now's Angelique Arintok and Dan Kennedy will be reporting live from the trial each day this week. Stay with us for the latest updates.
6:15 p.m. — Trial could stretch into next week
By the end of the day on Thursday, the prosecution had called 10 witnesses, with more expected to take the stand on Friday. The potential witnesses of the fifth day of Bigsby's trial could include correctional officers at the Hampton Roads Regional Jail and an FBI agent.
The prosecution could rest its case on Friday, at which point it'll be the defense's turn to present its case. The trial was originally scheduled to last until Friday, but it could now run into early next week.
4:15 p.m. — Hampton police detectives, property manager take stand
A Hampton police detective took the stand, saying Cory Bigsby told police the sliding glass door in the backside of their home doesn't lock and that Bigsby allegedly reported the issue to property maintenance multiple times.
A property manager for Buckroe Pointe Apartments testified she went to the Bigsby apartment unit after it was released by police two weeks after the missing person report was filed.
The manager said in court she escorted a Child Protective Services worker, who inspected the unit as part of an investigation.
During the walk-through, the manager said in court she reached over clutter blocking the back sliding door and tested its lock and handles. The manager said it was in perfectly working condition.
The manager added she was not aware of any complaints about the locks.
During cross-examination, one of Bigsby's attorneys clarified the manager isn't the property's maintenance worker. When asked if she would know about maintenance complaints, the manager said "It depends on the situation."
Furthermore, a former Hampton police detective took the stand. He said at one point, he served as lead investigator in Codi's case and that a law enforcement task force was created to aid in the search for the missing boy.
The veteran investigator said members of the task force and Hampton police officers acted upon hundreds of tips dealing with Codi, and all came up empty — including a two-day-long search operation in Maryland.
Teams deployed there in early August 2022, the former detective testified, following one of the suspect's several jailhouse confessions from Hampton Roads Regional Jail.
13News Now previously reported about Bigsby's several differing statements about Codi's death.
One admission, the detective said, mentioned an address in Prince George's County, where authorities and canines searched through acres of land, woods and waterways to no avail.
4 p.m. — More details on testimony of Codi's brother
From another room, the 7-year-old brother of Codi said didn't like living with his father because he told lies about Codi. The second-grader said his mom Dina Abdul Kareem is taking care of him now, and has been for roughly two years.
Throughout his son's testimony, Cory Bigsby didn't appear to show emotion. He leaned back in his chair and yawned at some points.
The child's testimony lasted more than two hours from a remote location, where Judge James Hawks, one attorney from each side, a technician, a victim/witness specialist and a court reporter were present.
Afterward, the prosecution called a worker with Child Protective Services to the stand. Her testimony lined up with the boy's recollection about seeing Codi's allegedly lifeless body in the bedroom, effectively restoring some of the child's credibility.
12:30 p.m. — Brother shares last memories of Codi
Editor's note: We want to warn you that some people may find the details of the boy's testimony that we report here disturbing.
The now-7-year-old brother of Codi testified that at one point, he wasn't able to wake Codi up. He said he shook Codi, but he never responded, and that his face was red, dry and bruised.
When the child went to tell his father, the boy said Bigsby responded with "Nothing is wrong with Codi."
It wasn't clear when this happened, but the child said he was 4 years old. Based on his birthday, that would've been in either the last days of 2020 or in 2021.
The defense's line of questioning implied the boy's recollection of events as inconsistent and untruthful.
For instance, Codi's brother went back and forth on whether he remembered a certain conversation with a social worker.
Furthermore, Codi's brother testified Bigsby would spank him, too, which contradicts an earlier statement the boy made about Codi being the only one spanked by their father.
And when asked if the boy told anyone else about seeing Codi allegedly lifeless, he said no, then changed his answer to yes.
12 p.m. — Codi's 7-year-old brother gives emotional testimony
In court, the child described his missing brother Codi as his "best friend," sharing that he nicknamed Codi "Coco."
The boy testified he was four when he last saw Codi. At times, the boy rubbed his eyes while appearing to cry. The jury and court spectators are seeing him testify through a webcam feed.
This testimony comes a day after his mother took the stand.
On Wednesday, Dina Abdul Kareem said in court Cory Bigsby kept their four children away from her in Hampton. While in Bigsby's custody, the now 7-year-old brother said he couldn't play with Codi sometimes because Codi was "on punishment."
The boy recalled his father spanking Codi often, and only Codi out of all the siblings.
During opening statements, prosecutors said evidence in this case will show the "systemic abuse" Codi faced while in his father's custody – and ultimately his death.
Meanwhile, defense attorneys say there's no evidence to prove a murder took place, which is the charge Bigsby is on trial for this week.
10 a.m. — Testimony continues, Codi's 7-year-old brother expected to testify
It's the fourth day of trial for Cory Bigsby in Hampton. We're expecting prosecutors to call more witnesses to testify, with Codi's 7-year-old brother expected to be the first on the stand.
It all comes after the boys' mother testified Wednesday. At one point, she said her ex, Cory Bigsby, threatened to hurt Codi. She said an email from Bigsby on April 2021 read, "I do not want to severely hurt him to protect my babies. He needs to see a psychiatrist. He needs to come with you."
She also told jurors she emailed Bigsby on January 15, 2022, saying in part, "Where are my kids? I just want to ask if they're alive."