NORFOLK, Va. — As the one-year anniversary of 4-year-old Codi Bigsby's disappearance nears, the boy's father, Cory Bigsby, appeared in court Friday.
Cory Bigsby is undergoing a mental examination to determine if he is fit to stand trial for the 30 child abuse and neglect charges he faces that are unrelated to his son's disappearance.
CORY BIGSBY UPDATE.
Bigsby will be evaluated by a third doctor to determine if he is mentally fit to stand trial. He faces 30 child neglect/abuse charges.
Meanwhile, Tuesday marks one year since little Codi Bigsby went missing.
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Recently, Bigsby was examined by two doctors to examine his mental competency. But one of them, hired by the defense, the judge says was not on the commissioner's list of appointed physicians.
Court-approved physician, Dr. Griffin, determined Bigsby was fit to stand trial. But Bigby's lawyers argued that Dr. Griffin reported incorrect information. The attorneys stated that Dr. Griffin said that Bigsby was raised in Lexington, Kentucky, when he actually grew up in Washington, DC.
"I don't understand how they got that," said Curtin Brown, Bigbsy's lead council. "The evaluation from Dr. Griffin, he rushed it in."
Bigsby was then also examined by a physician hired by the defense, Dr. Williams, who reported that Bigsby was not fit to stand trial.
But the judge said Dr. Williams is not on his list of approved physicians and his findings cannot be used.
When we asked Hampton Commonwealth's Attorney Anton Bell if he had seen defense hire a non-court-appointed doctor before he said, "never, never...there have been a lot of firsts in this case."
The judge is now appointing a third doctor to evaluate Bigsby.
"We don't have any problem with another evaluation," said Brown.
The evaluation will take 60 days and the results will be read at a hearing on March 31.
"How would you feel if you were accused of killing your child and you didn't?" Bigsby's uncle after court said after court. "There is no proof that you killed your child, there's no proof that you've done anything to your child, and you've been locked up for one whole year."
Meanwhile concerned community members are exhausted, saying they just want justice for little Codi.
"I'm very frustrated. We want answers. We're hoping something going to come out in trial that's going to give us some sort of insight into where Codi's at or if Codi is alive," said Nancy Strickland with We are Codi’s Voice.
Tuesday will mark one year since little Codi was reported missing.
Strickland is organizing a candlelight vigil, which is open to the public, Monday at 6 p.m.
