HAMPTON, Va. — Hampton Police Chief Mark Talbot said Tuesday that investigators don't think 4-year-old Codi Bigsby wandered off from his home in Buckroe Beach and they don't think someone abducted him.
Codi's father reported him missing around 9 a.m. on Jan. 31. The father said he last saw Codi around 2 a.m. that day in their home.
Talbot said the evidence police found in their search doesn't match stories family members told them about Codi's disappearance. Talbot said they're interested in further investigating the 4-year-old boy's parents, who still are answering questions and cooperating with investigators.
Talbot said they were keeping their search in the area near Codi's home on Ranalet Drive, for the time being. They said it's very likely that he's in Hampton, and likelier still that he's near his home.
The Hampton Police Division is asking anyone who might have seen Codi in public to call them and let them know.
"We're interested in speaking to anyone who has ever seen him," he said. "That information is going to be very important to us."
Talbot said they were especially interested in hearing about any sightings of Codi between noon on Sunday, Jan. 30 and when he was reported missing on Jan. 31.
"We would like anyone in this area, or who has been close to this area recently, to look at any surveillance video they may have, look and see if there are any photos that they may have captured in this area that may have something that we would be interested in," Talbot said.
Police also recruited volunteers to help with the search for the Codi. The division was looking for 50 people who could walk long distances outside and who have photo IDs. The link to sign up for the search party was posted around 11 a.m. Tuesday, and by 11:30 a.m., they'd already gotten the full 50 sign-ups.
"We believe the information is here," Talbot said, noting at one point during a news conference Tuesday, "We will work as if he's out there, waiting for us to find him."
Police said the criteria for an AMBER Alert had not been met because officers don't believe an abduction took place.