HAMPTON, Va. — A Hampton man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for the murder of his young son, the maximum sentence.
Cory Bigsby's sentencing comes after a jury convicted him of second-degree murder following a trial earlier this year.
Codi Bigsby was reported missing by his father, Cory, in January 2022. Police and prosecutors said, however, that Cory killed Codi months earlier when the boy was 3 years old.
Hampton Commonwealth's Attorney Anton Bell asked the judge for the maximum sentence of 45 years in prison, which includes 40 years for second-degree murder and 5 years for concealing a body.
The judge said because of the family ties, the age difference between the father and son and the fact Cory killed him with his own hands and never called for medical help, he had good reason to go above the sentencing guidelines that would have fallen between 13 to 20 years.
In the courtroom Tuesday, Codi’s mother Dina Abdul Kareem spoke about the impact her son’s death has had on her and her three other children.
"I have to live with the fact that I put my kids in the hands of a sociopath disguised as a father," she told the judge.
She said they’re all traumatized and in counseling, and that the murder and trial brought back memories of Bigsby's psychological abuse to her.
She asked the judge for the maximum sentence, saying Bigsby doesn’t deserve to see the light of day again. She went on to say, “I pray Codi haunts him for eternity.”
Tuesday's sentencing date of June 18 holds symbolic meaning in the case: it marks three years since authorities believe the little boy was murdered. Bigsby admitted in a jailhouse confession letter that Codi died on June 18, 2021, although he later recanted.
Codi has never been found.
RELATED: Statements in court allegedly reveal how Cory Bigsby killed, disposed body of 4-year-old son
In a jailhouse interview with 13News Now months ago, Bigsby said he believed he didn't get a fair trial and that a jury wrongfully convicted him.
"I definitely was wrongly convicted," Bigsby told 13News Now. "This is trash."
Cory's younger sister and aunt both spoke to his character Tuesday, calling him a "mild-mannered" man.
His defense attorneys emphasized the fact that Codi's body has never been found and claimed Cory is not smart enough to outsmart the police, FBI and any other agency that searched for the boy.
When asked if the defense will seek an appeal, his attorney said they have no comment.
Following the sentencing, Bell said his office is ready to move forward on the separate case against Bigsby, dozens of counts of child neglect and abuse for allegedly leaving his other children home alone.
Bell says Bigsby faces a maximum sentence of around 150 years total for the other alleged crimes and he will be asking for the maximum sentence. He says he is being "hardcore" because he can't remember "a case that has literally erupted our community in the 757 in such a manner as Codi."
Bell said the continuous trauma of people reporting sightings of Codi was immense for his mother and family.
"People wanted to believe this three-year-old was still alive... Codi is dead. That's just the reality of it."
He praised the resilience of Kareem as the trial progressed, explaining that her best friend died of a massive heart attack on the morning of her testimony.
"I want you all to think about this: You go to court or you come to a city to be with a friend of yours, a loved one, because they're about to go through one of the most traumatic situations ever, which is they are there to testify about their child being murdered," Bell said, noting the stressful and anxious environment of the courtroom.
He continued: "And yet, [Kareem] still got up on that stand and testified like a trooper and went through the abuse."
When asked about his reaction to 13News Now's exclusive jailhouse interview with Bigsby after his conviction, Bell called it "narcissistic" and the first word that came to his mind was "fool."
Bell stressed that this case wasn't about him or Bigsby but about the community.
"That's why the style of the case is the Commonwealth of Virginia vs. Cory Bigsby," Bell said.
He continued: "People watching in North Carolina, Surry, all over this region, outside the state, they were watching and following this case because it impacted them so much because people wanted Codi to be alive. That's just the bottom line. You want that baby to be alive. We still want that baby to be alive, but just the reality he is not."
Community members who have followed the case from the beginning filled the courtroom Tuesday. In the last two years, they put together search parties, created a Facebook group with nearly 25,000 members and made T-shirts in the hopes that Codi would return home.
They, along with Bell, said there will won't be true closure unless his body is found and laid to rest.
"I really wish he would step up to the plate to give closure, not only to the families, but to the community. Where is he? Where is Codi?" asked community member Charisse.
However, Nancy Strickland calls today a big win.
"I am so happy for the mother, I’m happy for the community, most of all, Codi got his justice," she said.