The Disappearance of Madalina Cojocari
On November 21, 2022, Madalina Cojocari was seen for the last time, getting off of her school bus. Her mother and stepfather have been arrested in connection with her disappearance. Madalina is still missing.
Madalina Cojocari
Madalina Cojocari was born on April 11, 2011. At the time of her disappearance, Madalina was in 6th grade attending Bailey Middle School. The Cornelius Police Department reported Madalina enjoyed spending time with horses and eating ice cream.
Background
After Madalina failed to show up to school for several days, Bailey Middle School attempted several times to contact Madalina’s family to check in. On December 12, 2022, the middle school resource officer stopped by the home, at 18413 Victoria Bay Drive, Cornelius, North Carolina. The resource officer left a truancy packet after not receiving an answer at the door. The resource officer got in contact with Madalina’s mother, Diana Cojocari, on December 14, 2022. Diana agreed to bring Madalina to school to have a meeting.
Reported Missing
On December 15, 2022, Diana showed up to the alone and explained that she had not seen her daughter since November 22, 2022. The school contacted the Cornelius Police Department, who launched an investigation into Madalina’s disappearance. They would request the FBI and the SBI’s help in the investigation.
Through their investigation, police obtained footage of Madalina getting off her school bus on November 21, 2022, which is the last confirmed siting if her. When investigators asked Diana why she waited so long to report her daughter missing, she told them she thought doing so would cause issues between her and Madalina’s stepfather, Christopher Palmiter.
Diana Cojocari’s Recollection of Events
According to the arrest report, Diana told police she had last seen her daughter the night of November 23, 2022, when she went to her room to go to sleep. The same night, she and Christopher Palmiter got into an argument. In the morning, Christopher left his residence, drove to his family’s house in Michigan to get some belongings.
When Diana went to check in on Madalina around 11:30 a.m. on November 24, 2022, she was not in her room. She waited until Christopher returned home on November 24, 2022, to ask him if he knew of Madalina’s whereabouts. He denied knowing where Madalina was.
Christopher Palmiter’s Recollection of Events
Christopher told police he had left his residence in North Carolina on November 23, 2022, and headed to Michigan. He reported he had not seen Madalina for about a week prior to his trip. When he returned on November 26, 2022, he inquired about Madalina’s whereabouts to Diana, who did not know where she was. The police report states Christopher asked Diana if she had hidden Madalina, which she denied doing. Christopher also commented they had spoken about Madalina being missing over the weeks, but never contact authorities.
Arrests
On December 17, 2022, police arrested Diana Cojocari and Christopher Palmiter for failure to report Madalina missing. Diana Cojocari is being held on $250,000 bond. Christopher Palmiter is being held for $200,000. If they make bail, they must surrender their passports. Both are currently awaiting court proceedings.
Investigation Continues
A letter from Madalina’s family has been released. It is unsure exactly which family member wrote the letter.
The Cornelius Police Department, SBI, and FBI have not stopped looking for Madalina Cojocari. They have been actively searching and appealing to the public for any information regarding Madalina’s whereabouts.
Anyone with information is asked to call (704) 892-7773.